The Savage Sword of Conan (2024-) #1

The Savage Sword of Conan (2024) (Single Issues)

by John Arcudi, Max von Fafner (artist), Patrick Zircher

The Savage Sword of Conan is back from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics! Featuring an epic new Conan epic from John Arcudi and Max Von Fafner, the rousing return of Solomon Kane written and drawn by Patch Zircher, an electric prose story from Jim Zub, spectacular art pin-ups, and more, the Savage Sword of Conan #1 heralds a new era of adrenaline-fueled adventure! CONAN THE WARRIOR. THIEF. AND NOW, GENERAL… Promised riches beyond imagining, Conan finds himself bound for war at the head of an exiled Hyrkanian Prince’s army. But when ancient monsters are unleased and the Prince’s recklessness imperils all, Conan will be forced to abandon wealth for safety or face danger head-on to prevent innocent blood from drenching the desert sands. SOLOMON MASTER OF THE All Hallow’s Eve. A night when the veil between the unseen worlds is thin… and something sinister has broken through. When an abomination from the blackest hells emerges to brutalize a small Welsh town, Solomon Kane is called to deliver God’s judgment in the only manner he salvation by the sword.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Horror

85 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2024

About the author

John Arcudi has made a name for himself by scripting comics that manage to combine long-running subplots with impeccable characterization and action sequences, making for some of the most exciting and consistently good comics out today.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Crom, hé is back in his best form, the savage sword in b/w format with a formidable Conan drawn by Max Fafner and written by a Conan veteran Arcudi. Thrown in is a short story by Jim Zub and finished of with a story about another Robert E Howard creation Solomon Kane the puritan.
I remember finding the original SSOC comic in my local comic store, we had a large detachment of US soldiers in our neck of the Woods so there were customers for the b/w magazine concerning a big barbarian, monsters, magic and wenches galore. And I did collect them faithfully. And part of that collection has been lost over the years through moving places, scorned girlfriends and leakage of accomadations.
But now Conan is back into his rightfull format which is quite satisfactory for any fan of the Cimerian barbarian.
This first of six installments is excellent , perhaps one note of critism is how the main feature is at times a tad dark and it monsters do not always look drawn but CGI-ed into the comic.
Looking forward to the next Savage Sword.

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent return of The Savage Sword! Oversized Black and White with superb storytelling and artwork. We get an intro from Roy Thomas- leading right in to a gritty, visceral Conan tale. Zub penned a Conan short story in the middle (excellent), and then we get treated to Part 1 of a gripping Solomon Kane story. An Essay on Solomon Kane completes this great return. I can’t tell you how great this is. To have a Savage Sword issue in hand —— I never thought we would ever see this format again. It’s like a dream.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful return-to-form for Savage Sword of Conan. The first real issue of Savage Sword since 1995!

Darkhorse tried some sort of thing with Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword featuring non-conan stories. Marvel recently published a comic book titled "Savage Sword of Conan" (2019)... but here we finally have the real thing! Magazine format, B+W, some non-comics stuff like a prose short story, an illustrated poem, some art pages. Also a backup feature with Solomon Kane. Titan is off to a good start with the Conan license.

The main story is a one-and-done Conan tale with all the usual tropes. Conan fights a T-rex, a couple lions in addition to a slew of human enemies. Really nice artwork and exactly what you want from Savage Sword!

The printing is quite dark. The art has a lot of digital effects and grey tones which don't show up great in the magazine.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those of us who have enjoyed the stories of Conan the Cimmerian from Howard’s original on down the line, know when a story has the “authentic vibe.”

It’s hard to write something new and make it interesting with that vibe. Arcudi easily passes that bar. It took me a while to accept Max von Fafner’s artistic style, but now I have, and I don’t think my mind will change.

Some of the best aspects of this story:
Conan is a general with an army;
There is a female engineer in that company and she has some cool contraptions; and,
There are strange beasts as well as muscular cutthroats.

Not a whole lot of time required to read this story and there are other items, as well, in this issue. Enjoy!

[Philip James Ahlschlager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Physical copy review: Titan and Heroic Signatures got me picking up singles again! Love the prestige format and thick newsprint paper. I’m reading the OG SSOC in omnibus format concurrently and the homage to the original series is awesome. Definitely picking up all these in singles. Diving right into issue #2 and #4 comes out Wednesday. By CROM!

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Savage Sword of Conan (2024-) #1

The classic black-and-white comic magazine is back after 28+ years. Titan's ongoing series has seen success and so they're trying out the viability of an anthology styled magazine featuring grittier Conan adventures. In this first issue, we get a lengthy Conan comic by John Arcudi and Max Von Fafner, a short prose story by current Conan the Barbarian writer Jim Zub, and Solomon Kane story by Patrick Zircher. This issue definitely has a "bang for your buck" thing going for it as it packs in a lot of story in its 80 page count for just a couple bucks over a standard issue, whilst also being magazine sized and featuring thick, high quality newsprint paper.

But production quality aside, the main story by Arcudi and Fafner entitled "Conan and the Dragon Horde" is well worth the price of admission alone. One of the best Conan tales I've read in years, we follow Conan as he serves as general to a banished prince laying siege to his former city which sits atop a gold mine. The promise of riches keeps Conan and the mercenaries in the prince's army assuaged during the lengthy siege, but Conan soon begins to suspect the prince has ulterior motives beyond simple conquest. It's a story rich with winding twists, fantastical beasts including dinosaurs, and a plethora of violence. The Zub story and the first part of Zircher's Solomon Kane story rounds out the issue and they're solid as well. My only gripe with this issue is that the black-and-white artwork seems a bit washed out with the choice of paper. Newsprint works well for deep blacks usually, but the heavy use of gray tones makes parts of the artwork look a little dull. I don't know if the shading work was digitally rendered instead of using real inks and brushes, but it's clear that Fafner and Zircher were not working on the same type of paper. I'm hoping Titan figures this out with subsequent issues because that was the only aspect of this issue that was a bit of a letdown. Otherwise the linework as seen in both comics in this issue was stunning work.

[Gary Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Start

This is a good start to SSOC, reminds me of years ago when I first started reading Conan. The Conan short story, the Solomon Kane story, the alternate covers all a good start, and lets hope that in a couple of issues we'll get a 'Letters to the Editor' section.

Conan is a mercenary general employed by a king whose army is in route to a city in the desert, yet not all is as it seems, and Conan does not like to be taken advantage of by anyone, kings included.

This is a definite read for Conan fans, and if you've read any of the most recent Conan the barbarian comics.

This is a review for the kindle version. The only thing is the words are to small so you'll have to enlarge the panels when reading and some may find that distracting. I didn't mind it, looking forward to issue #2.

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut issue delivers a solid mix of classic sword-and-sorcery with one truly standout piece.

The main Conan story by John Arcudi is fun and engaging, rooted in danger, survival, and pulp adventure. That said, the art didn’t fully work for me—there were moments where the visual style felt inconsistent, almost like it didn’t quite match itself between the different characters. It never derails the story, but it did pull me out a few times. Overall, this lead feature lands around a 3.5⭐️: enjoyable, but not flawless.

Jim Zub contributes a short story Conan piece that fits nicely into the magazine format.

The absolute highlight, though, is the Solomon Kane story written and drawn by Patrick Zircher. This is a commanding start—moody, confident, and dripping with menace. Zircher’s art shines here, perfectly suited to the character’s severity and moral intensity. As a first chapter of a continuing story, it’s a full 5⭐️ and the strongest reason to pick up this issue.

As a whole, Savage Sword of Conan #1 feels true to the magazine’s legacy: varied in tone, ambitious in scope, and unapologetically pulpy. Not every piece hits the same level, but the highs—especially Solomon Kane—are very high. A promising start, with plenty of room to grow. Overall 4⭐️. Fun time.

[Ralph L Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A return to greatness!

What a fantastic first issue! Arcudi's Conan epic was excellent and read like a classic Savage Sword tale. But I have to say, Patrick Zircher's Solomon Kane tale was amazing and had me wanting more. Between Patch's story and artwork it was just an amazing first issue! The two prose stories were, cellent, too. All in all. It's what we've been missing for 30 + years. I'm glad it's back!

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m excited to have this back in all its black and white, magazine sized glory. The Marvel reboot a few years ago missed the mark.

I was not crazy about some of the “3-D”style of art in the main story and as many have mentioned some of the art in the print version is overly dark and muddy; however, a win overall.

[Dedicated Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait!

This was way better than I imagined it would be. Great story, amazing art, a Soloman Kane story, and great essays. So great to see The Savage Sword of Conan return!

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta say, both for writing and art, this was far better than it had any right to be. If they can maintain this level of quality, this can stand proudly alongside the original Marvel run.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

Off the back of reading the newly released Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian volumes 1-3 and volume 1 of the Battle of the Black Stone, I felt it was time to finally pick up The Savage Sword of Conan.

I’ve had these issues for a while now with buying them on release, and what we have in issue 1 is what appears to be a flavour of the original run, and what is to come.

This contains the comic Conan and the Dragon Horde, the short story Sacrifice in the Sand by Jim Zub, and two features of Solomon Kane. The first being part one of a comic Master of the Hunt and then an essay on the character.

The two comics and short story were entertaining and engaging, with the art style having a good feel to them. The short story was a great interval, and shows Jim’s skill as a prose writer.

I am still yet to read the original stories by Robert E Howard, but I do feel that Conan works really well as a comic book character, and the same goes for Solomon Kane. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Jordi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promising start. Ironically, I think I liked better the Solomon Kane story than the main Conan feature. One can’t just avoid to compare to the old Roy Thomas / John Buscema stories when holding a magazine like this… Still, a solid read for Conan fans. Can’t wait for the 2nd issue!

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vou te contar... eu estou sempre dando chances pra personagens que não consigo gostar como Conan e Tex, mas na grande maioria das vezes acabo me deparando com histórias que não me convencem. Minha mais recente tentativa foi este primeiro volume de A Espada Selvagem de Conan. Seguindo a tradição da Marvel, o título secundário (?) de Conan é em formato magazine e em preto e branco. Além de quadrinhos também traz contos e outras intervenções textuais. No que tange aos quadrinhos, são duas histórias, uma de Conan, e outra de Solomon Kane. E o leitor ganha de brinde um poster de um mapa da Era Hiboriana. A história de Conan por John Arcudi e Max Von Fafner é melhor que a maioria das tramas conianas que li, mas não me conquistou. Os desenhos de Von Fafner são bonitos, mas seus homens parecem ser feitos de carne-viva tal os detalhes do tecido muscular, a hipervirilidade em seu êxtase. Já a história de Solomon Kane é mais "civilizada" e me agradou mais, mas ainda assim num geral a revista não teve aquele aproveitamento que me faria comprar um segundo número. Eu tento, mas Conan não é pra mim...

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conan stories, told in both sequential art and prose, are the main attraction, of course, but it was a real treat to discover a Solomon Kane story batting clean-up. The stories themselves are classic pulp and the art is effective. While the black and white printing offers a certain timelessness to the art, I still would have preferred color art (though I recognize the B&W helps to keep prices down) as there were a few pages that the printing was too dark for my liking (specifically, the map and some of the pin-ups). Still, highly recommended for fans of Robert E. Howard or Conan comics.

[Greg (adds 2 TBR list daily) Hersom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a-freakin'-mazzz-ing !!!! I need way more freakin' stars.

[Cameron Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

In black and white. Excellent! Beautiful artwork and storylines that remind one of these magazines in the 70s and 80. Loved it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, It’s Conan, classic feeling Conan, art was brilliant…

[Aventinus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, an original and visually stunning story that manages to capture Conan's essence.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did someone say Sword and Sorcery was dead? I don't think I've ever been so spoiled!

John Arcudi and his artist, Max Von Fafner bring us a Conan tale involving gold, war and dragons, and I have to say the writing, the art, the characters, the flow of the story, it was all top notch. I won't spoil anything--in fact I hate relaying any part of a story when it is better experienced firsthand--but I will say the classic Savage Sword of Conan is back in top form, even with an introduction by the legendary Roy Thomas! The comic itself is much longer than I'm used to in single-issue format, and each of the two stories feel as Howardian as you can get. It's like two mini-films all at once. The art is vivid and realistic, gritty, black-and-white and shaded goodness. There's plenty of vicious action (be warned about the blood, guts, violence against both man and beast alike, and minor/classy nudity), treachery, mystery aplenty. Now, if I had to say anything negative about the story I would say, without spoiling, that there are some parts where I feel like Conan wouldn't have made such a dumb decision, or would have had the foresight to avoid certain things. Otherwise he is spot on in characterization--broody, mean, a bit older and gruff, but still charming and always ready for danger. It's not a huge deal since I still loved it and had a great time, so if this is the direction we are headed in this new Conan Initiative (Conitiative.TM), then rest assured, I am in. I was already all in from the moment I read that first issue of the other Conan comic from Zub.

Speaking of whom, Jim Zub snuck a little short story in here, and I am not going to talk around it! I've said it before, but Robert E. Howard's prose, his poetry, is famed, and such a mantle is not easy for any author to wear, even for a short time. It's like the burden of the One Ring, as in it was made and meant for only one person--Howard! But a few authors have managed to come out unscathed from bearing this heavy burden. Now more than ever we have authors who have accepted the challenge and come out as champions of Howardesque tale-telling. Scott Oden, John C. Hocking, and more. Then we have our comic scripters, like Roy Thomas, Jim Zub, who translate that classic Howard literary power into a more visual medium. Both have rocked it, with Zub proving his faithfulness to the genre and character, and his ability to spin a great tale, and keep it original and fresh. Good old Jim was asked to write a short story about Conan in prose form, which is a tall order for anyone, and likely terrifying! I haven't had the chance to read his previous prose stories (I believe one of them is Star Wars-related), so I was ready to jump at the opportunity to see what he could do. Well, I set myself up without any preconceived notions or expectations, and found myself greatly, wildly impressed. It felt like reading any of the good Howard pastiches like it was nothing at all. I can't imagine the effort it takes to make it look effortless, and I applaud Jim's best quality outside of his writing--his light, breezy humility. He's living a dream of carrying the Conan brand forward in many ways right now, and being able to talk about it without letting his head get too big would probably not be an easy feat. The short story is based on the Joe Jusko cover (easily one of the best covers of Conan's history, which is saying a lot when we have half a century of the best art ever conceived). It involves everything you see on the cover, so let that be spoiler enough and just have fun with it. I welcomed Zub's ability to power up his prose with just the right amount of purple amid all the violence. It's this kind of writing that makes a reader feel like they have just hopped on a train as it's getting hijacked by terrorists and being derailed at the same time. Over-flowery writing can slow a story to a crawl, with endless exposition dumps and monotony, but writers who have learned from the Howard school of writing can use that descriptive energy to evoke beautiful visuals, inject in you a sense of the world and the scene, and slam the gas on that breakneck pace. It's only a brief little foray into Conan's life and world, but it's fun, feels authentic to the character and place, and gets in and out like the Cimmerian thief in the night before overstaying its welcome. Mantle well-worn, Jim.

Patrick Zircher wrote and illustrated the Solomon Kane story here and does a great job of bringing our favorite overzealous less-well-known Howard character back to the foreground. The story is simple but effective. Moody and atmospheric. I think everyone has done a great job with these stories, and I'm grateful to live in this time where we can see Savage Sword make a thrilling return. Can't wait to see more. Keep up the momentum, Titan!

[Dimitrios Mistriotis]

Reviews in ENG + GR playing with GPT as a translator

I decided to buy the first book when I learned that it would be released, by immediately asking for a copy from Forbidden Planet (UK).

But to be honest, I had very, very low expectations for various reasons, mainly, to be honest, it has to do with the woke idiocy now spreading in the UK where the new publisher Titan is based. I was afraid it of very, very mediocre content, or one that it would contain brain-dead woke references.

Thought I would be disappointed and wait for the older stories to be re-released, as I have not read them all. And there you have it, a few times we are allowed to have pleasant surprises, the number 1 was truly A-M-A-Z-I-N-G: Two great stories, one with Conan and another one with Solomon Kane. Both “better than expected”. I would have preferred the Conan one to have more action against people than creatures, as it has here, but okay — personal preference.

Then there is a thorough analysis of Solomon Kane as a hero. With the backstory, the development of the character, where Robert E. Howard got his influences from, a great page that alone would be enough to purchase the issue and read it alone. The cover has a reference to the original film poster, while also related to the story within. That is, they didn't just change the girl and put one from the corresponding area of Shem.

Concluding, well done here for how they executed the trick. And that's it. I think it is suitable for purchase, and we hope the second and the rest to be of similar quality.


Αποφάσισα να αγοράσω το πρώτο βιβλίο όταν έμαθα ότι θα κυκλοφορούσε και ζήτησα αμέσως ένα αντίτυπο από το Forbidden Planet. Ειλικρινά, είχα πάρα πολύ χαμηλές προσδοκίες για διάφορους λόγους, κυρίως, για να είμαι ειλικρινής, φοβόμουν πως με το όλο woke περιβάλλον που έχει διαδοθεί σαν πανούκλα στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο θα είχαμε πολύ μέτριο περιεχόμενο, ή κάτι αντίστοιχα ευνουχισμένα ηλίθιο.

Ειλικρινά, νόμιζα ότι θα ήμουν λυπημένος, και ότι θα έλεγα, θα περιμένω να βγουν οι παλαιότερες μεταφράσεις, και θα τις διαβάσω ξανά, αφού δεν έχω διαβάσει όλα τα παλιά Savage Swords. Και να που κάποιες φορές έχουμε ευχάριστες εκπλήξεις. Έτσι, το νούμερο 1 ήταν πραγματικά ΕΚ-ΠΛΗ-ΚΤΙ-ΚΟ: μια δυνατή ιστορία από τον Conan, μια δυνατή ιστορία από τον Solomon Kane. Όπως πρέπει. Θα προτιμούσα η Κόναν να είχε περισσότερες σκηνές με αντίπαλους χαρακτήρες παρά πλάσματα που έχει εδώ, αλλά εντάξει, προσωπικό. Συμπληρώνει μια ανάλυση του Solomon Kane ως ήρωα με την ανάπτυξη του χαρακτήρα, από πού ο Robert E. Howard έλαβε τις επιρροές του. Θα άξιζε σαν αγορά από μόνη της.

Το εξώφυλλο έχει μια αναφορά στο αφίσα της ταινίας, αλλά σχετίζεται με την ιστορία που βρίσκεται μέσα. Δηλαδή, δεν άλλαξαν απλώς την κοπέλα και έβαλαν μία από την αντίστοιχη περιοχή του Σέμ, οπότε ένα μπράβο εδώ για το πώς έκαναν το κόλπο.

Και αυτό ήταν το Savage #1. Πιστεύω ότι είναι κατάλληλο για αγορά και ελπίζω το δεύτερο και τα υπόλοιπα να είναι παρόμοιας ποιότητας και κονανότητας.

[NOLA Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The return of the magazine-sized SSoC! Printed on newsprint! Inside is an intro by Roy Thomas, a map of the Hyborian Age, a Conan comic written by John Arcudi with art by Max Von Fafner, a Conan short story by Jim Zub based on the cover by Joe Jusko, a Solomon Kane comic by Patch Zircher (doing both the art and story), and an essay about Kane from Jeffrey Shanks. There are also four pin-up art pages: Conan by Roberto De La Torre, Bêlit by Rebeca Puebla, Conan and the Road of Kings by Gerardo Zaffino with a poem by Robert E. Howard, and Solomon Kane by Howard Chaykin. Overall, it's an excellent release. R-rated with strong violence and some nudity. I love the cover. The Conan comic is good, although the panels came out too dark on the newsprint (which didn't happen for the Solomon Kane comic, interestingly). Zub's story is good. The other art pin-ups are great, too. I think I may like the Solomon Kane comic the best. I'm looking forward to the continuation of that one in the next issue!

[Matt Graupman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been much of a Conan reader so I guess, in a way, I’m the target audience for this revival magazine about the savage Cimmerian: a first-timer. And you know what? It was pretty good. The obvious highlight was the comic that starred the titular hero, “Conan & The Dragon Horde,” written sharply by John Arcudi and drawn in a partly illustrative, partly photographic style by Max Von Fafner. Lots of bulging muscles, curvaceous beauties, spurting blood, and fearsome beasts. What more could you want from a vicious barbarian? The backup story featuring Puritan do-gooder Solomon Kane was also very good, reminding me a little bit of Becky Cloonan’ and Tula Lotay’s recent supernatural “bedtime fable,” “Somna.” I got the Cover B version with a properly gnarly illustration by Gerardo Zaffino, which would look awesome in a poster-sized version. Also, big time props to Titan Comics for publishing this magazine on newsprint; it gives you a lot of bang for your buck, it feels great, and it gives the contents that extra little pulpy edge.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down.

Finally got my hands on Issue #1. I came to SSOC late and was only able to being with #2–which absolutely blew me away.

Short of the Black Stone crossover issue, this is my least favorite of the main Conan yarns that we’ve seen in this series. The story was a bit doughy and the art was too digital, with some panels almost appearing to have entirely (distractingly) different art styles in the same image. Zub’s story was well paced and had an exciting battle scene. I liked this Solomon Kane story too—especially the art. I was not a fan of the second half of it when I first read it in #2. But I may go back now with this newfound context.

Read as a single issue.

[Kurt Reichenbaugh]

Picked up a copy a few weeks ago. Cover looks cool. Thumbing through it though the art looks very dark, especially the map, which is impossible to read. This magazine is a return, of sorts, to the Savage Sword of Conan mags from the 70s and 80s. I have a few of those and they're fun reads. I'm not yet sure about this one since I haven't actually read it yet, but I'm hoping they get the contrasts, grayscale, worked out for the next one. Review to come.

[John Reis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Titan Comics has begun to publish original stories in the Conan universe. The first story features Conan when he was a general He is working for the exiled Prince Zaahid, who has decided to besiege his home and re-take it from his brother.

The is a prose Conan story also by Zub.

The final story is the first part of a three-part Solomon Kane story.

The Conan story is fine. The first part of the Kane story has no action.

[Iván Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

No puedo decir nada más que cosas buenas de esta reinicio con la editorial Titan Comics.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia de La Horda del Dragón en cuanto a guion y dibujo, el relato corto me ha enganchado con una escena de combate de Conan muy currada y la historia de complemento de Solomon Kane tiene el ambiente de las historias del puritano y un gran dibujo. Me engancho con el segundo número de inmediato.

[Pam Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Robert E. Howard's Conan books so decided to give a graphic arts version a try. I "read" it on my Kindle. It's not my favorite format, but it was interesting. It included a short of Solomon Kane, also by Robert E. Howard which I thoroughly enjoyed many years ago. If I get the next in the series, I will try the paper version. That format is easier to read than on my Kindle.
If you are a fan of pulp fiction figures, you should give this a try,.

[Trike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was just issue 1 of a new series, but it’s fine. There’s a complete Conan tale, which I’d rate at 2-1/2 stars. A short story which is 2 stars. And a Solomon Kane written & drawn by Patch Zircher that’s a solid 4 stars. Unfortunately the Kane story is only part 1. I hope they collect it separately at some point because it was so much more engaging than the Conan one.