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Conan the Barbarian (2023)
Conan the Barbarian, Vol. 1: Bound in Black Stone
He forged a whole new genre – sword and sorcery. He spawned a thousand imitators and after 90 years he’s still going strong!
He is CONAN THE BARBARIAN – THE GREATEST WARRIOR FO ALL TIMES! And he’s back for a whole new epic saga in search of high adventure and battle. CROM!
Pirate! Thief! Mercenary and warrior, the legendary Conan the Barbarian is back! Armed with just his wits and his sword, Conan sets out for the first time from his beloved Cimmeria in search of glory and adventure.
Often copied, but never bettered, this is the welcome return of the first and mightiest hero ever to stride the world.
On the eve of his first major battle, young Conan of Cimmeria pictures a life beyond the borders of his homeland and yearns for a life of adventure undreamt of in his small village. Visions of future allies and unspeakable evils he will eventually encounter throughout his fabled career fill his mind, as he makes the choice to take his first fateful step into the Hyborian Age.
For fans of heroic blood-soaked action-adventure and ancient arcane wizardry!
Collects Conan the Barbarian #1-4 and the 2023 Free Comic Book Day issue.
He is CONAN THE BARBARIAN – THE GREATEST WARRIOR FO ALL TIMES! And he’s back for a whole new epic saga in search of high adventure and battle. CROM!
Pirate! Thief! Mercenary and warrior, the legendary Conan the Barbarian is back! Armed with just his wits and his sword, Conan sets out for the first time from his beloved Cimmeria in search of glory and adventure.
Often copied, but never bettered, this is the welcome return of the first and mightiest hero ever to stride the world.
On the eve of his first major battle, young Conan of Cimmeria pictures a life beyond the borders of his homeland and yearns for a life of adventure undreamt of in his small village. Visions of future allies and unspeakable evils he will eventually encounter throughout his fabled career fill his mind, as he makes the choice to take his first fateful step into the Hyborian Age.
For fans of heroic blood-soaked action-adventure and ancient arcane wizardry!
Collects Conan the Barbarian #1-4 and the 2023 Free Comic Book Day issue.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2024
31 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Jim Zub
919 books324 followersJim Zub is a writer, artist and art instructor based in Toronto, Canada. Over the past fifteen years he’s worked for a diverse array of publishing, movie and video game clients including Disney, Warner Bros., Capcom, Hasbro, Bandai-Namco and Mattel.
He juggles his time between being a freelance comic writer and Program Coordinator for Seneca College‘s award-winning Animation program.
He juggles his time between being a freelance comic writer and Program Coordinator for Seneca College‘s award-winning Animation program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
November 3, 2024
7.7/10
A worthy addition to the Conan mythos.
The creative team does an excellent job. Zub writes a great story as we see Conan and some new interesting faces fighting against the forces of evil. But it's De La Torre's magnificent art that elevates this into a must read of Conan fans.
A worthy addition to the Conan mythos.
The creative team does an excellent job. Zub writes a great story as we see Conan and some new interesting faces fighting against the forces of evil. But it's De La Torre's magnificent art that elevates this into a must read of Conan fans.
November 28, 2024
An excellent start to the new Titan Conan series! Zub’s savage writing is complimented by the viscous artwork, both make for an epic storyline. The tale is wrapped up nicely but also foreshadows much more to follow.it seems that Zub has planted many seeds for future Conan adventures.
January 25, 2025
Reptile people and lots of violence!
December 21, 2023
To put it simply, the entire creative team of this iteration of Conan the Barbarian are out here doing Crom's work. Jim Zub has crafted an excellent story that hints at darker things to come for our barbarian and touches on other Robert E. Howard connections. In Brissa, he also created a great original character that was immediately more than most of the female characters you find in Conan tales. I look forward to seeing what he has in store in the months to come. The art by Robert de la Torre is simply stunning and has a classic feel that harkens back to John Buscema and Frank Frazetta without copying them. Indeed, the entire book is beautiful from top to bottom including colors and lettering. I don't claim to be a Conan expert, just a Conan lover but for me this series has checked every box needed for a perfect Conan the Barbarian story.
Special Thanks to Titan Books and Edelweiss Plus for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
Special Thanks to Titan Books and Edelweiss Plus for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
January 11, 2024
A fine story that I have some nitpicks with. Zub overwrites, lots and lots of text. I think this is the most I've seen Conan speak. The Bound in Black Stone story is 4 issues, which Roy Thomas back in the 70s would have told in a single issue.
I liked that Conan was in Cimmeria and people actually know him. Usually he's in an outsider.
Rob De La Torre does a bangup job on art. To me he's channeling John Buscema when Buscema would ink himself - very rough and lively. The color team changes in the story, but both seem a bit too heavy-handed. A bit dark and murky. I think having flat colors like a DWJ comic would have elevated the material. A B+W version of this story could be cool.
Unfortunately, this is not the stellar first volume that the FCBD issue suggested it would be. I'm still sad that Darkhorse lost the license!
I liked that Conan was in Cimmeria and people actually know him. Usually he's in an outsider.
Rob De La Torre does a bangup job on art. To me he's channeling John Buscema when Buscema would ink himself - very rough and lively. The color team changes in the story, but both seem a bit too heavy-handed. A bit dark and murky. I think having flat colors like a DWJ comic would have elevated the material. A B+W version of this story could be cool.
Unfortunately, this is not the stellar first volume that the FCBD issue suggested it would be. I'm still sad that Darkhorse lost the license!
November 15, 2025
Love the action the brutality, the arts type decent story, I wven like the harsher language that is not bleeped out as it fits the character perfectly and i like the hints of the main characters ancestors I would have given this book 4.5 stars simply as ot us so fast-paced that almost to the point of being rushed. I wish the main story was spread over five issues/chapters, but that could just me doing greed for wanting more.
The books start from Conan's first real battle. Defending Cimmeria with his fellow Cimmerians against ovetwhealming odds. Then Conan is back to his brutal best. Plying his trade. He might be a mercenary, but he is not to be taken advantage of and NEVER to be crossed. However, the undead have no fear, and the number advantage can even Conan and his new ally overcome these odds?
This book reminds me of when Dark Horse took over the comic franchise and made Conan the top comic book. This is back to that feel if they can keep this up, I sm happy. I also like the continuity of the Howardverse, being pushed. The book finishes with a nod to the character and, of course, his creator, a sketch book with character designs, and a thumbnail variant cover gallery of all the covers.
The books start from Conan's first real battle. Defending Cimmeria with his fellow Cimmerians against ovetwhealming odds. Then Conan is back to his brutal best. Plying his trade. He might be a mercenary, but he is not to be taken advantage of and NEVER to be crossed. However, the undead have no fear, and the number advantage can even Conan and his new ally overcome these odds?
This book reminds me of when Dark Horse took over the comic franchise and made Conan the top comic book. This is back to that feel if they can keep this up, I sm happy. I also like the continuity of the Howardverse, being pushed. The book finishes with a nod to the character and, of course, his creator, a sketch book with character designs, and a thumbnail variant cover gallery of all the covers.
January 15, 2025
Can Rob De La Torre draw Conan forever? That’d be great. Amazing stuff!
February 21, 2024
Journey back the Hyborian Age of Man as Conan the Barbarian and Brissa of the Gurian Tribe aim to stem an onslaught of the damned and save Cimmeria from a certain doom. The quest takes them into the heart of the Citadel of the Black Stone and brings them into the clutches of the cult that worship at the altar of the Black Stone. Along the way Conan learns about the origins of this curse and about the history of his land from ages past. Yet is the knowledge enough for Conan to free his land and prevent the Army of the Lost from overrunning the continent?
Conan The Barbarian – Bound in Black Stone is the first collected volume of Jim Zub’s run on Conan The Barbarian under Titan Comics. Titan’s Conan hems closer to the character’s pulp fiction roots with a hefty focus on capturing tone and aesthetics of the classic sword and sorcery comics from the Bronze Age. The collection contains the Free Comic Book 2023 story, issues 1-4 of the ongoing, and the various back matter of the respective issues including this beautiful Map that shows the world. Altogether, this makes for a hefty story with some fantastic art by Roberto De La Torre. This makes for a fun read for readers who prefer the pulpier side of comics over the superhero fare.
Jim Zub crafts a tale that pulls from various angles of the Robert Howard universe—Thalla Doom, the cult of the Black Stone, Brule, and Kull—and synthesizes it all into a solid jumping on point for anyone who is even the slightly bit curious about Conan of Cimmeria. This volume presents a story that is well constructed and well executed. The inclusion of the Free Comic Book Day special speaks volumes to the attempt to craft an excellent Conan trade that can be someone’s first exposure to the character as well as a satisfying experience for long time fans. The FCBD story is as much of a Conan origin as possible with a focus on the Sack of Venarium and young Conan’s call to adventure. It is an excellent introduction to the character.
The rest of the trade focuses on the Bound in Black Stone arc which seeks to build out the Hyborian Age’s world for the reader with a focus on the Picts and the world of the occult that surrounds them. There is lot of character moments from Zub that shows the depth of Conan and that he is not just some slab of man that can swing a big sword. We get to see Conan be smart and cunning as well as swing that big sword of his.
The Picts are a big part of the story as the Army of the Lost originated as a fallen Pict clan that sought to use the allure of dark magic to gain immense power. Zub presents the Picts as a diverse group though and not just the stereotypical savages that often framed the characters. This is done with the scout- Brissa.
She is a new character for this story and Zub uses her to inform the reader a lot about the world. She also serves as a contrast to Conan. For while Conan seeks adventure in the larger world around him, Brissa is reluctantly journeying across the Northlands and only doing so out of a sense of obligation. Often trying to serve as a herald of the Army of the Lost in a foolish attempt to spare the lives of the innocents that stand in Army’s wake. She is very much a foil to Conan and takes him to task for his sense of self-assurance. Zub’s dynamic between the two is pretty well written and the two work great together. Of course, with this being a Conan story, Conan and Brissa share the night together. This leads to one of the more unfortunate aspects of the comic, and the genre for that matter, but more on that later.
Zub weaves elements of the Howard stories in a seamless fashion that it helps give the world such a large scope. He pulls out Brule in a flashback sequence that helps not only explain the mysterious occult dealings of those who worship the Black Stone but fleshes out the world of Conan in a way that isn’t too heavy handed but also gives the reader the information they need to know. The flashback sequence is a strong moment for the trade and does a lot of the world building in interesting ways.
Additionally, Zub has a real knack for capturing the style of storytelling that best fits barbarian-style stories with his use of third person narration to set the tone and direction of the comic along with scripting some of the most violent bare-knuckle brawls this side of the Hyborian age. The third person narrative device does a lot of work here in putting the reader into the mindset of a fantasy bronze age comic. It provides flourishes to the world which in turn creates a much richer experience. It is much about setting a tone as it is about telling the story.
Roberto De La Torre’s art is phenomenal and the main selling point for the comic. While Zub’s writing is great here and captures the tone that works best for Conan, but it would be for want if there wasn’t art to complement it. De La Torre just hits it out of the park here. His style is reminiscent of classic Bronze Age art with heavy brushwork and just powerful energy in the page composition. The art is in the vein of Burne Hogarth and Frank Frazetta coupled with John Buscema. De La Torre just showing a masterclass in storytelling and energy.
Then there are action scenes that are positively breathtaking to read and detailed in a way that just makes it pure eye candy. For example, the Sack of Venarium is violent and bloody but well composed that you can easily make sense of the action. There isn’t a point in the action sequences where anything is misleading. Then there are these moments where Conan receives a vision that utilizes the double-page spread in a mesmerizing way that contrasts the relatively clear action sequences by being this collage of different visions that are dream-like in its mystery and confusion.
The colours complement De La Torre’s line work and page compositions by setting the mood and the energy of many pages. The colour Jose Villarrubia duties are split between (FCBD and Issue #1) and Dean White (Issues #2-4). Both artists have subtle differences in their colour palate choices with Villarrubia seemingly quicker to use stark contrasting colours for backgrounds such a fuchsias and yellows, and White more likely to favour more subtle colours or just stark white backgrounds in the form of negative space. Yet, the differences are subtle, and the overall colouring style is uniform across the 5 issues. They both employ a more gauche approach that gives the comic a more painterly look that elevates it to its classic sword and sorcery fantasy roots.
The use of stark white backdrops creates interesting negative space that Richard Starkings takes advantage of and letters straight onto the background and not in a caption box. This coupled with the font selection makes for a comic that looks and feels like it belongs in the bronze age. Starkings is a master at pulling the reader’s eyes across the page and the places he would put the narration was often inventive. Additionally, the caption placement provided a rhythm to the comic that gave it the feeling of being epic.
After saying all of this, there are some flaws with Conan The Barbarian – Bound in Black Stone. Most of these are endemic to the genre itself and trappings that just come with this type of story. The main one being how Brissa is written off. In most Sword and Sorcery stories (pulp stories in general, to be honest) you can’t have your leading male character settle down with a partner. The genre doesn’t lend itself to that as the lead is often wondering the countryside and acting like a male power fantasy in slaying monsters, righting wrongs, and sleeping with buxom babes.
Now, the usual way of resolving the conflict of not having your male lead settle down is by killing the love interest. Bound in Black Stone doesn’t do that, at least. Instead, Brissa is written off as having gone back into the Citadel of Black Stone to help Conan and the others escape. It is implied that she dies in the collapse of the Citadel, but there isn’t a body. It is likely Brissa will return when an adventure calls for it. That’s fine. It just annoyed me that she isn’t even shown going back into the Citadel. There is a moment where, after getting the prisoners to safety, she decides to return to the Citadel, but it isn’t shown. I am glad that Zub subverts the expectation here, but I would have liked to see more closure on her fate or at least certainty of her actions. This is admittedly a minor quibble, and the genre is known to do far worse with its female characters, but I wanted to see more.
Overall, Conan the Barbarian – Bound in Black Stone is a great entry point for anyone interested in reading Conan comics. The writing is extremely well done, and the art is stunning. Conan is a captivating character and the standard bearer of Sword and Sorcery stories for a reason. This is no exception. The flaws are along the lines of these types of stories, though. I highly recommend fans of Conan or Sword and Sorcery to check it out. It’s a violently good time.
Conan The Barbarian – Bound in Black Stone is the first collected volume of Jim Zub’s run on Conan The Barbarian under Titan Comics. Titan’s Conan hems closer to the character’s pulp fiction roots with a hefty focus on capturing tone and aesthetics of the classic sword and sorcery comics from the Bronze Age. The collection contains the Free Comic Book 2023 story, issues 1-4 of the ongoing, and the various back matter of the respective issues including this beautiful Map that shows the world. Altogether, this makes for a hefty story with some fantastic art by Roberto De La Torre. This makes for a fun read for readers who prefer the pulpier side of comics over the superhero fare.
Jim Zub crafts a tale that pulls from various angles of the Robert Howard universe—Thalla Doom, the cult of the Black Stone, Brule, and Kull—and synthesizes it all into a solid jumping on point for anyone who is even the slightly bit curious about Conan of Cimmeria. This volume presents a story that is well constructed and well executed. The inclusion of the Free Comic Book Day special speaks volumes to the attempt to craft an excellent Conan trade that can be someone’s first exposure to the character as well as a satisfying experience for long time fans. The FCBD story is as much of a Conan origin as possible with a focus on the Sack of Venarium and young Conan’s call to adventure. It is an excellent introduction to the character.
The rest of the trade focuses on the Bound in Black Stone arc which seeks to build out the Hyborian Age’s world for the reader with a focus on the Picts and the world of the occult that surrounds them. There is lot of character moments from Zub that shows the depth of Conan and that he is not just some slab of man that can swing a big sword. We get to see Conan be smart and cunning as well as swing that big sword of his.
The Picts are a big part of the story as the Army of the Lost originated as a fallen Pict clan that sought to use the allure of dark magic to gain immense power. Zub presents the Picts as a diverse group though and not just the stereotypical savages that often framed the characters. This is done with the scout- Brissa.
She is a new character for this story and Zub uses her to inform the reader a lot about the world. She also serves as a contrast to Conan. For while Conan seeks adventure in the larger world around him, Brissa is reluctantly journeying across the Northlands and only doing so out of a sense of obligation. Often trying to serve as a herald of the Army of the Lost in a foolish attempt to spare the lives of the innocents that stand in Army’s wake. She is very much a foil to Conan and takes him to task for his sense of self-assurance. Zub’s dynamic between the two is pretty well written and the two work great together. Of course, with this being a Conan story, Conan and Brissa share the night together. This leads to one of the more unfortunate aspects of the comic, and the genre for that matter, but more on that later.
Zub weaves elements of the Howard stories in a seamless fashion that it helps give the world such a large scope. He pulls out Brule in a flashback sequence that helps not only explain the mysterious occult dealings of those who worship the Black Stone but fleshes out the world of Conan in a way that isn’t too heavy handed but also gives the reader the information they need to know. The flashback sequence is a strong moment for the trade and does a lot of the world building in interesting ways.
Additionally, Zub has a real knack for capturing the style of storytelling that best fits barbarian-style stories with his use of third person narration to set the tone and direction of the comic along with scripting some of the most violent bare-knuckle brawls this side of the Hyborian age. The third person narrative device does a lot of work here in putting the reader into the mindset of a fantasy bronze age comic. It provides flourishes to the world which in turn creates a much richer experience. It is much about setting a tone as it is about telling the story.
Roberto De La Torre’s art is phenomenal and the main selling point for the comic. While Zub’s writing is great here and captures the tone that works best for Conan, but it would be for want if there wasn’t art to complement it. De La Torre just hits it out of the park here. His style is reminiscent of classic Bronze Age art with heavy brushwork and just powerful energy in the page composition. The art is in the vein of Burne Hogarth and Frank Frazetta coupled with John Buscema. De La Torre just showing a masterclass in storytelling and energy.
Then there are action scenes that are positively breathtaking to read and detailed in a way that just makes it pure eye candy. For example, the Sack of Venarium is violent and bloody but well composed that you can easily make sense of the action. There isn’t a point in the action sequences where anything is misleading. Then there are these moments where Conan receives a vision that utilizes the double-page spread in a mesmerizing way that contrasts the relatively clear action sequences by being this collage of different visions that are dream-like in its mystery and confusion.
The colours complement De La Torre’s line work and page compositions by setting the mood and the energy of many pages. The colour Jose Villarrubia duties are split between (FCBD and Issue #1) and Dean White (Issues #2-4). Both artists have subtle differences in their colour palate choices with Villarrubia seemingly quicker to use stark contrasting colours for backgrounds such a fuchsias and yellows, and White more likely to favour more subtle colours or just stark white backgrounds in the form of negative space. Yet, the differences are subtle, and the overall colouring style is uniform across the 5 issues. They both employ a more gauche approach that gives the comic a more painterly look that elevates it to its classic sword and sorcery fantasy roots.
The use of stark white backdrops creates interesting negative space that Richard Starkings takes advantage of and letters straight onto the background and not in a caption box. This coupled with the font selection makes for a comic that looks and feels like it belongs in the bronze age. Starkings is a master at pulling the reader’s eyes across the page and the places he would put the narration was often inventive. Additionally, the caption placement provided a rhythm to the comic that gave it the feeling of being epic.
After saying all of this, there are some flaws with Conan The Barbarian – Bound in Black Stone. Most of these are endemic to the genre itself and trappings that just come with this type of story. The main one being how Brissa is written off. In most Sword and Sorcery stories (pulp stories in general, to be honest) you can’t have your leading male character settle down with a partner. The genre doesn’t lend itself to that as the lead is often wondering the countryside and acting like a male power fantasy in slaying monsters, righting wrongs, and sleeping with buxom babes.
Now, the usual way of resolving the conflict of not having your male lead settle down is by killing the love interest. Bound in Black Stone doesn’t do that, at least. Instead, Brissa is written off as having gone back into the Citadel of Black Stone to help Conan and the others escape. It is implied that she dies in the collapse of the Citadel, but there isn’t a body. It is likely Brissa will return when an adventure calls for it. That’s fine. It just annoyed me that she isn’t even shown going back into the Citadel. There is a moment where, after getting the prisoners to safety, she decides to return to the Citadel, but it isn’t shown. I am glad that Zub subverts the expectation here, but I would have liked to see more closure on her fate or at least certainty of her actions. This is admittedly a minor quibble, and the genre is known to do far worse with its female characters, but I wanted to see more.
Overall, Conan the Barbarian – Bound in Black Stone is a great entry point for anyone interested in reading Conan comics. The writing is extremely well done, and the art is stunning. Conan is a captivating character and the standard bearer of Sword and Sorcery stories for a reason. This is no exception. The flaws are along the lines of these types of stories, though. I highly recommend fans of Conan or Sword and Sorcery to check it out. It’s a violently good time.
February 14, 2024
This Trade Paperback collects the free comic book day issue and issues 1-4 of the new Conan series by Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures. Awesome start to the series. The artwork is on point and the story was a captivating sword and sorcery fest. Brule even makes an appearance! Excellent!
January 12, 2026
This was a really fun mix of heart, adventure, and brutal Conan-style fighting. It’s a classic wandering-warrior story with just enough emotional grounding to give the action real weight. The journey feels like a trek through strange, dangerous lands, and when the violence hits, it hits hard — exactly what I want from a Conan tale.
It’s not trying to reinvent the character, just tell a strong, satisfying story in the classic mold, and it does that extremely well. I had a great time with this one and would happily read more in this style.
It’s not trying to reinvent the character, just tell a strong, satisfying story in the classic mold, and it does that extremely well. I had a great time with this one and would happily read more in this style.
November 26, 2024
Excellent
March 3, 2025
Art is fun and satisfying! (Though there are a handful of snafus where art and text don't jive.) The nonfiction offers nice additions. I am saddened there is no acknowledgment of Robert E. Howard on the cover or inside on the copyright. For the most part Conan is Conan, introduced very strong and at his best in issues 3 and 4. The much ballyhooed Pict lover was boring. She's fine as a warrior, and I get she had to be a Pict to tie Brule in easier, but frankly her introduction and interaction with Conan is as if he didn't really know or care what a Pict was. So that was quite odd. It was fun smashing through the reptilian cultists with my favorite Cimmerian.
August 3, 2025
A classic Conan tale- he leaves home after a battle to explore the world. He finds a lot of trouble and a lot of women.
A zombified tribe is under the power of an evil cult and are going around killing tribes and taking their corpses to an evil pit. Conan doesn’t like that and slashes his way through and eventually topples the black tower.
A good Conan story that can be anyone’s way in to this style of storytelling. Fun, violent, a little spooky.
A zombified tribe is under the power of an evil cult and are going around killing tribes and taking their corpses to an evil pit. Conan doesn’t like that and slashes his way through and eventually topples the black tower.
A good Conan story that can be anyone’s way in to this style of storytelling. Fun, violent, a little spooky.
February 20, 2024
This collects the Free Comic Book Day 2023 issue (a great introduction to the character done in the style of a Prince Valiant comic strip) and issues 1-4 of the ongoing comic. There are also some essays and a gorgeous map of the Hyborian Age.
The Bound in Black Stone storyline has lots of action and a mystery that is solved by the end while also setting things up for future stories. References to various Robert E. Howard stories and characters were a nice touch. While I enjoyed the story I absolutely loved the artwork.
The Bound in Black Stone storyline has lots of action and a mystery that is solved by the end while also setting things up for future stories. References to various Robert E. Howard stories and characters were a nice touch. While I enjoyed the story I absolutely loved the artwork.
October 29, 2023
Great volume, de la Torre excels on drawing the Cimmerian and Zub channels his inner Roy Thomas.
Titan also offers a lot of material in every issues with a great variety of covers to choose from so the move away from Marvel has been good so far
Titan also offers a lot of material in every issues with a great variety of covers to choose from so the move away from Marvel has been good so far
April 3, 2024
This is an arc that knows *exactly* what it wants to be. Conan never really interested me, but I love Zub's work and have heard good things, so I grabbed the trade. I'm glad I did. Still not my go-to comic genre, but I enjoyed the heck out of it.
February 28, 2025
There have been a few classic Conan runs: The Roy Thomas era, the Busiek/Nord era, and I think this run with Zub might be a contender for a third, with the Buscema-esque artwork hearkening back to the glory days.
January 3, 2024
What a ride, Zub has owned this. Great story, great lore and some fantastic Easter eggs for what maybe to come - cant recommend highly enough. REH would be proud.
January 18, 2025
Konan: Kletva crnog kamena
Ovome se nisam nadao. Nikada sebe nisam percipirao kao preveliki fan Konana. Čitao nešto od stripova i knjiga, gledao filmove i animiranu seriju na BK, ali uvek mi se činilo da ne shvatam oko čega se diže tolika frka. Ekranizacije su paljevinske, ali ništa više od toga, a Marvelovi stripovi su "samo" prelepo nacrtani (tu pre svega mislim na Divlji Mač). Tek kad sam pročitao prvu Hauardovu kratku priču, video sam šta je Konanova čar. Konan je lovac, razbojnik, gusar, kralj, sve u svemu avanturista koji nikada nema mira. U njemu se uvek bori apolonski i dionizijski princip što bi rekao Niče. Nije amoralan, ali nije ni moralan u standardnom smislu te reči. On i celo njegovo pleme fungiraju na principu individualističkog kolektivizma. To je romantičarski i idealistički koncept, što je možda logički nemoguće, ali je prelep. Ne možemo prosto svrstati Konana u tip. Nije heroj, definitivno nije ni antiheroj, Konan je Konan i do sada sam mislio da je to samo Hauardu jasno.
Džim Zab (od svih ljudi) je preuzeo na sebe projekat uspostavljanja prvog i pravog zajedničkog univerzuma Hauardovih junaka. Sem Konana, Kala, Crvene Sonje i Solomona Kejna, ne znam ni jednog drugog, a ako pročitate pogovor shvatićete da ih je dosta. Kao što je verovatno poznato, u palp magazinu "Weird Tales" je pored Hauarda, svoja dela objavljivao i Lavkraft. Neke ideje su jedan od drugog preuzimali i ta kolaboracije je u ovom trejdu prisutna. Crni kamen, mistični predmet bezgraničnih mogućnosti od plemena Pikti pravi nešto nalik zombijima. Konan, uz pomoć prijatelja i ljubavnice, pokušava da spreči tu nadolazeću katastrofu koja preti da uništi sve što hoda ovom zemljom. Možda se radnja na prvi pogled čini nezanimljivom, neki bi rekli čak i glupom, ali ono što nju zaista krasi jeste Zabova sposobnost da stvori novo delo na temelju Hauardove misli.
Sve što je ovde viđeno je kombinacija originalnih Hauardovih radova i Zabovih ideja. Stil pripovedanje je sve vreme u stilu palp magazina. Malo dijaloga sa dosta pridevima ukrašenim opisima. Petar Jandrić, urednik i prevodilac ovog dela je to verno preneo na srpski jezik. Navešću vam samo dva primera: "...u žalostivom magnovenju što prethodi zovu ništavila." i moj favorit: "Unutrašnjost tog zdanja predstavlja golemi koloplet grubih pećinskih zidova koji presecaju umešno isklesana predvorja." Predivno. Sve to ne bi bilo toliko dobro bez crteža Roberta De La Torea. Više je nego očito da je inspirisan radom Džona Bjuseme. Ipak, umešno zadržava stepen autentičnosti jer sve vreme hoda na tankoj liniji između retro i novog crteža.
Ovo je tek početak. Dosta toga predstoji. Za sada je priča o zajedničkom univerzumu prisutna u samo jednom dijalogu, ali očekujem ubrzan razvitak. Prvi trejd me je po svim kriterijumima zainteresovao i postoji potencijal da bude verovatno najbolji individualni Konan trk. Topla preporuka za sve fanove palp literature, kao i samog Konana.
ocena: 9/10
Ovome se nisam nadao. Nikada sebe nisam percipirao kao preveliki fan Konana. Čitao nešto od stripova i knjiga, gledao filmove i animiranu seriju na BK, ali uvek mi se činilo da ne shvatam oko čega se diže tolika frka. Ekranizacije su paljevinske, ali ništa više od toga, a Marvelovi stripovi su "samo" prelepo nacrtani (tu pre svega mislim na Divlji Mač). Tek kad sam pročitao prvu Hauardovu kratku priču, video sam šta je Konanova čar. Konan je lovac, razbojnik, gusar, kralj, sve u svemu avanturista koji nikada nema mira. U njemu se uvek bori apolonski i dionizijski princip što bi rekao Niče. Nije amoralan, ali nije ni moralan u standardnom smislu te reči. On i celo njegovo pleme fungiraju na principu individualističkog kolektivizma. To je romantičarski i idealistički koncept, što je možda logički nemoguće, ali je prelep. Ne možemo prosto svrstati Konana u tip. Nije heroj, definitivno nije ni antiheroj, Konan je Konan i do sada sam mislio da je to samo Hauardu jasno.
Džim Zab (od svih ljudi) je preuzeo na sebe projekat uspostavljanja prvog i pravog zajedničkog univerzuma Hauardovih junaka. Sem Konana, Kala, Crvene Sonje i Solomona Kejna, ne znam ni jednog drugog, a ako pročitate pogovor shvatićete da ih je dosta. Kao što je verovatno poznato, u palp magazinu "Weird Tales" je pored Hauarda, svoja dela objavljivao i Lavkraft. Neke ideje su jedan od drugog preuzimali i ta kolaboracije je u ovom trejdu prisutna. Crni kamen, mistični predmet bezgraničnih mogućnosti od plemena Pikti pravi nešto nalik zombijima. Konan, uz pomoć prijatelja i ljubavnice, pokušava da spreči tu nadolazeću katastrofu koja preti da uništi sve što hoda ovom zemljom. Možda se radnja na prvi pogled čini nezanimljivom, neki bi rekli čak i glupom, ali ono što nju zaista krasi jeste Zabova sposobnost da stvori novo delo na temelju Hauardove misli.
Sve što je ovde viđeno je kombinacija originalnih Hauardovih radova i Zabovih ideja. Stil pripovedanje je sve vreme u stilu palp magazina. Malo dijaloga sa dosta pridevima ukrašenim opisima. Petar Jandrić, urednik i prevodilac ovog dela je to verno preneo na srpski jezik. Navešću vam samo dva primera: "...u žalostivom magnovenju što prethodi zovu ništavila." i moj favorit: "Unutrašnjost tog zdanja predstavlja golemi koloplet grubih pećinskih zidova koji presecaju umešno isklesana predvorja." Predivno. Sve to ne bi bilo toliko dobro bez crteža Roberta De La Torea. Više je nego očito da je inspirisan radom Džona Bjuseme. Ipak, umešno zadržava stepen autentičnosti jer sve vreme hoda na tankoj liniji između retro i novog crteža.
Ovo je tek početak. Dosta toga predstoji. Za sada je priča o zajedničkom univerzumu prisutna u samo jednom dijalogu, ali očekujem ubrzan razvitak. Prvi trejd me je po svim kriterijumima zainteresovao i postoji potencijal da bude verovatno najbolji individualni Konan trk. Topla preporuka za sve fanove palp literature, kao i samog Konana.
ocena: 9/10
August 4, 2024
Honestly struggled to finish. Maybe I'm just not a Conan fan but this was a bore.
December 21, 2025
Πολύ δυνατή επανεκκίνηση για τον ΑΓΑΠΗΜΕΝΟ βάρβαρο. Τα έχει όλα (ναι, παίζει με την νοσταλγία μας, αλλά μ' αρέσει). Το λάτρεψα.
March 14, 2025
Great reintroction of Conan—love the old school comic style—great retake on the character and great intro for new to Conan readers.
January 4, 2024
Conan The Barbarian is the barbarian archtype, when Robert E. Howard created him he also basically created not just the Barbarian fantasy character but also slotted him into the wandering antihero genre which suited pulp fiction perfectly. You can do a short story, and bring as much or as little baggage as you want with you. This run, by Jim Zub (who has fantasy previous with Skullkickers) comes after a weird and somewhat incongruous sojourn of Conan in the Marvel Universe, where he even had his own team of Avengers built around him. The rights got bought out by Titan and its clear with this volume that we are back to the stoical wanderer, getting involved in something at his doorstep, righting a wrong because it is there. There is one Conan story, it is every Conan story.
Zub tries to tie this in to Howard's work, there is a nifty prologue telling a vague origin of Conan's wandering, and the tale is set relatively early in Conan's career (it suggests a first encounter with Thulsa Doom after all). Conan is lodging in a village which first encounters a Pict scout with a warning, and then the zombified horde that is the substance of the warning. Everyone dies bar them, and Conan realises the horde is heading for his homeland of Cimmeria and goes to save the day. He romances, he kills, he has a slightly trippy interrogation with powers beyond his ken. And at the end it might as well not have happened, time for another adventure of the week. This is a positive thing, this kind of storytelling is great for the newcomer and is classic Conan. The real draw in some ways is the art by Roberto De La Torre who has that grimy but clear expressionism of fights, and the nicely washed out colourwork. There is one Conan story, and there are a lot of them out there. If you don't want to real one from the seventies, or nineties, and you want it to be completely accessible, this would work well enough too.
Zub tries to tie this in to Howard's work, there is a nifty prologue telling a vague origin of Conan's wandering, and the tale is set relatively early in Conan's career (it suggests a first encounter with Thulsa Doom after all). Conan is lodging in a village which first encounters a Pict scout with a warning, and then the zombified horde that is the substance of the warning. Everyone dies bar them, and Conan realises the horde is heading for his homeland of Cimmeria and goes to save the day. He romances, he kills, he has a slightly trippy interrogation with powers beyond his ken. And at the end it might as well not have happened, time for another adventure of the week. This is a positive thing, this kind of storytelling is great for the newcomer and is classic Conan. The real draw in some ways is the art by Roberto De La Torre who has that grimy but clear expressionism of fights, and the nicely washed out colourwork. There is one Conan story, and there are a lot of them out there. If you don't want to real one from the seventies, or nineties, and you want it to be completely accessible, this would work well enough too.
April 1, 2024
Conan is in this story still early in his career, and with the help of Brissa, a Picta warrior, he will face a cursed army whose warriors resemble zombies. Beautiful as usual, but I have a special fondness for comics featuring Conan the Barbarian.
Conan é in questa storia ancora all'inizio della sua carriera e con l'aiuto di Brissa, una guerriera Picta, si troverá ad affrontare un esercito maledetto, i cui guerrieri assomigliano a degli zombie. Bello come al solito, ma io ho una passione speciale per i fumetti che hanno come protagonista Conan il barbaro.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Conan é in questa storia ancora all'inizio della sua carriera e con l'aiuto di Brissa, una guerriera Picta, si troverá ad affrontare un esercito maledetto, i cui guerrieri assomigliano a degli zombie. Bello come al solito, ma io ho una passione speciale per i fumetti che hanno come protagonista Conan il barbaro.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
May 19, 2025
This is my first time reading a Conan the barbarian comic but despite knowing little of the character I got pulled into the tale right off the bat. Starting with Conan striking out on his own after one too many double crosses and dishonorable leaders, the barbarian finds himself in a race against time as a legion of undead warriors ravage the lane and infect all that they scour.
I really liked the sense of adventure coupled with the slight narration that made it seem like we’re being told a mythical tale about a great warrior. And Conan himself despite being pretty stoic fulfills the part of being that warrior, showcasing honor, bravery, and self assured grit that no matter what comes he will stand tall against it. Plenty of action and gore as well but nothing was overdone or overly graphic just for the sake of it. I feel like the art matched the mythical vibe of the story very well. The story does end on a bit of a damp squib and there’s no core villain here for Conan to match wits against but overall I had a good time.
If you want some light reading and you’re a fan of fantasy books give this a go. I’d give this one around a 3.5
I really liked the sense of adventure coupled with the slight narration that made it seem like we’re being told a mythical tale about a great warrior. And Conan himself despite being pretty stoic fulfills the part of being that warrior, showcasing honor, bravery, and self assured grit that no matter what comes he will stand tall against it. Plenty of action and gore as well but nothing was overdone or overly graphic just for the sake of it. I feel like the art matched the mythical vibe of the story very well. The story does end on a bit of a damp squib and there’s no core villain here for Conan to match wits against but overall I had a good time.
If you want some light reading and you’re a fan of fantasy books give this a go. I’d give this one around a 3.5
December 31, 2024
Bound in Black Stone collects the first four issues of Titan Books' restart of Conan in graphic novel form.
This story arc was really enjoyable with brilliant artwork and a fast paced and engaging storyline featuring an undead army which Conan and Brissa come across.
I have volume 2 ready to read, and I liked the introduction of the Black Stone which seems as though it sets up future volumes and initially seems like a good premise.
I also have the Savage Sword of Conan graphic novels to read at some point, and will continue to be collecting those alongside Bound in Black Stone.
All in all, a great start and eager to see what is yet to come.
This story arc was really enjoyable with brilliant artwork and a fast paced and engaging storyline featuring an undead army which Conan and Brissa come across.
I have volume 2 ready to read, and I liked the introduction of the Black Stone which seems as though it sets up future volumes and initially seems like a good premise.
I also have the Savage Sword of Conan graphic novels to read at some point, and will continue to be collecting those alongside Bound in Black Stone.
All in all, a great start and eager to see what is yet to come.
January 16, 2025
This was a fine Conan story. The art by De La Torre was great and reminded me of Neal Adams style at times. I give the art 5 stars, the story 3 stars. I did enjoy the extras at the end. Most of the cover art I found 2-3 stars. I’ll likely read the next collection.
August 12, 2024
The art is fine but the story's meh.
August 22, 2024
The first three issues of Titan Comics new "Conan the Barbarian" line is outstanding. Mr. Zub has ushered in a new exciting era of Conan that I hope lasts a very long time.
October 15, 2024
Awesome story and art. Perfect for October
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