Zub Tales

Tomorrow sees the arrival of CONAN THE BARBARIAN #29, which kicks off a brand new story arc and introduces a new villain to the Hyborian Age called The Son of the Tooth! When I first outlined this arc, I titled it “A Taste of Vengeance”, but as I wrapped up all the scripts for it I saw different elements had come to the forefront, so now Conan Arc 8 is called “Ghosts & Echoes.”

Conan the Barbarian #29 might also be unique amongst Conan comic stories in that (*minor spoilers ahead*) there’s basically no Conan in this issue. I wanted to build up a strong sense of ‘self’ for this new villain, showing both his motivation and capabilities in a Weird Tales-style origin story. Not having our title character show up for a month is a risk, but also the kind of creative swing that keeps things interesting and challenging for our team.

Surprising no one, Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez delivered phenomenally atmospheric pages, leveling up every part of the script I wrote. Working with such skilled collaborators is an absolute gift.

I really hope you check the issue out and let us know what you think!

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A Pathfinder Omnibus

At the ComicsPRO event last week, Dynamite Comics announced that my PATHFINDER comic series is getting colected into an omnibus edition arriving late May.

Pathfinder, using characters and concepts from the best-selling TTRPG of the same name, was my first work-for-hire sword & sorcery series, building on the foundation I started with Skullkickers (which is also back in print in new Compact Attack Editions from Oni Press). It showed people I could write an ensemble of characters, deliver work on a monthly basis, and showcased my excitement for TTRPG worlds in comics. It also established personalities and backstories for several of the Pathfinder iconic characters, which have remained canon to this day.

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Good Stuff, No Lie

Over the weekend, I finally finished Lies of P, a Soulslike video game that came out a few years ago. In one of my earliest newsletters, I talked about how much I enjoy the Souls series and this is right in that same sweet spot.

When I played the demo in mid-2023 I enjoyed aspects of it, but didn’t quite fall in. A recent play of the full game finally clicked and I really dug it. It’s right up there with Nioh 2 for me in terms of Soulslike games outside the FromSoft dynasty.

The kookiness of turning Pinocchio into a grim gothic-steampunk action RPG felt like a chore at first, but I was surprised how charming it became once I settled in.

The environments are interesting, the combat is tight, and it scratches that Souls itch surprisingly well. The slavish adherance to the Souls formula could easily have left it feeling painfully derivative, but smooth gameplay and some smart choices around character builds + side quests (how they’re given, how they’re tracked) give it just enough to stand out strongly on its own.

There are story beats and character turns that are bizarre-bordering-on-comedy, but if you can handle the plot development of most mainstream anime you won’t bat an eye at any of this. Everything in the game takes it seriously, so eventually you do as well.

Not sure when I’ll have a chance to play Overture (the DLC) with everything on my plate right now, but the base game was a fun ride.

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Current + Upcoming Releases

• Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #4 – released Jan 7.
• Conan the Barbarian vol. 6: A Nest of Serpents – released Jan 7.
• Conan the Barbarian #28 – releases Jan 28.
• Skullkickers: Compact Attack Edition Vol. 1 – releases Feb 17.
• Conan the Barbarian #29 – releases Feb 25.
• Conan the Barbarian #30 – releases Mar 11.
• Skullkickers: Compact Attack Edition Vol. 2 – releases Mar 17.
• Mad About DC – releases Apr 1.
• Skullkickers: Compact Attack Edition Vol. 3 – releases Apr 21.
• Conan the Barbarian #31 – releases Apr 22.

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Upcoming Appearances

Happy to announce that I’m back at Megacon Orlando next month. I had a wonderful time last year and am eager to see friends and fans in Florida.

Mar 5-8, 2026	Emerald City Comic Con	Seattle, WA, USA
Mar 19-22, 2026	Megacon Orlando	Orlando, FL, USA
Apr 23-26, 2026	Calgary Expo	Calgary, AB, CANADA
Aug 15, 2026	Comics Assemble	Gloucester, England, UK

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Other Links

• Asian Boss has a great video talking all about the history of Japanese 7-11 stores, how the ‘konbini’ revolution changed retail in Japan, and how difficult it will be for 7-11 to reproduce that success in North America. If you’ve ever been to Japan you know how impressive these stores are for value and convenience and this insight into how they work is surprisingly compelling.

• Speaking of Japan, how much do you know about the country’s extensive drinking-work culture? Dogen breaks down how it all works in this video. I have experienced all this first hand and it’s both amazing and disconcerning when you don’t know what exactly is happening or why.

Jim