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Conan the Barbarian (2023)
Conan the Barbarian, Vol. 4: Frozen Faith
Year two of Conan the Barbarian comics kicks off in spectacular style, filled with high adventure, savage combat, ancient gods, and rollicking sword-and-sorcery action!
Volume four of this epic series is masterfully crafted by the critically-acclaimed team of Jim Zub and Doug Braithwaite - fans of Robert E. Howard’s legendary hero are in for a thrill!
After leaving Cimmeria filled with wanderlust, a young Conan heads north in search of glory. What he finds in that cold climate will change his outlook forever, setting him on the path that will make him a legend.
The triumphant new era of Conan continues in this tale of brutal heroic adventure from acclaimed creators Jim Zub (Avengers, Dungeons & Dragons) and Doug Braithwaite (Punisher, Justice)!
Collects Conan the Barbarian #13-16
Volume four of this epic series is masterfully crafted by the critically-acclaimed team of Jim Zub and Doug Braithwaite - fans of Robert E. Howard’s legendary hero are in for a thrill!
After leaving Cimmeria filled with wanderlust, a young Conan heads north in search of glory. What he finds in that cold climate will change his outlook forever, setting him on the path that will make him a legend.
The triumphant new era of Conan continues in this tale of brutal heroic adventure from acclaimed creators Jim Zub (Avengers, Dungeons & Dragons) and Doug Braithwaite (Punisher, Justice)!
Collects Conan the Barbarian #13-16
112 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2025
About the author
Jim Zub
933 books329 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 16, 2025
7.7/10
I went into this, thinking that it would be my last book of the series. Not that it got bad or anything, it's just that after 5 volumes ( 4 of the main run and Battle of the black stone ) i thought i should invest my time and money in other books. Thing is... I quite liked this volume, actually it's my favourite so far. There is something beautiful in it's simplicity. So i might not be done with Conan just yet.
I went into this, thinking that it would be my last book of the series. Not that it got bad or anything, it's just that after 5 volumes ( 4 of the main run and Battle of the black stone ) i thought i should invest my time and money in other books. Thing is... I quite liked this volume, actually it's my favourite so far. There is something beautiful in it's simplicity. So i might not be done with Conan just yet.
January 31, 2025
Jim Zub treads familiar ground with this retelling of The Frost-Giant's Daughter. Off the top of my head, I can count 3 other times its been adapted in comics. But for the first time we get to see how Conan met up with the Vanir and some of what happens after. Plus the REH tale is told from a different perspective.
I always enjoy Doug Braithwaite artwork.
I always enjoy Doug Braithwaite artwork.
December 5, 2024
Zub’s take on REH’s The Frost Giant’s Daughter. Very well done. A young Conan comes to grips with his doubting religious beliefs. It could have easily been told over 2 issues instead of four.
April 28, 2025
This trade collects issues 13 through 16 of Titan’s Conan the Barbarian comic. The 4 issue book works in the only Howard story based in Nordheim— One of my favorites, “The Frost Giant’s Daughter.” There was some expansion to the beginning and end of the story to provide context to Conan being in the area. There were a few liberties taken during the story, but I think it worked really well. There were a few flashbacks to Conan’s youth as he questions faith in Crom or any gods. It might have seemed like filler, but the actual story is quite short, and Zub builds on a young Conan’s belief system. He learns there are indeed supernatural powers and gods. We get to see some deep thinking, learning, and yearning, not only for Atali, but for more than the grim North can give. Well done. Artwork and story on point.
September 5, 2025
This volume collects issues in which Robert E. Howard’s story “The Frost Giant’s Daughter” is expanded upon. Between savage battles and flashbacks to Conan’s childhood, we learn how he comes to believe what he believes regarding the existence of Crom and other gods. Excellent combination of story and art.
September 11, 2025
Going into this volume, I wasn’t overly excited knowing that it was a retelling of Robert E Howard’s original Conan story, The Frost Giant’s Daughter.
However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much further Jim Zub takes this story, expanding it both before and after the events those who have read the original story are familiar with. Including flashbacks to a younger Conan, giving an insight to his views of the gods from a young age.
Doug Braithwaite’s illustrations are truly great in this one, giving splashes of colour in the best way in an otherwise pale and snow covered landscape.
The essays at the back of the volume always make for an interesting read too, with analysis on how the comics link to REH, his other works, and his apparent inspirations he drew from when writing his original stories.
I’d say that so far with the new Titan Comics Conan volumes, the first three heavily link to each other and I’d say have to be read as such to get the full experience. Whereas, with volume four, this can be a standalone as far as I can tell.
I have Volume 5 on my shelf, and I’m looking forward to picking it up soon, and seeing if they do in fact continue with this arc.
However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much further Jim Zub takes this story, expanding it both before and after the events those who have read the original story are familiar with. Including flashbacks to a younger Conan, giving an insight to his views of the gods from a young age.
Doug Braithwaite’s illustrations are truly great in this one, giving splashes of colour in the best way in an otherwise pale and snow covered landscape.
The essays at the back of the volume always make for an interesting read too, with analysis on how the comics link to REH, his other works, and his apparent inspirations he drew from when writing his original stories.
I’d say that so far with the new Titan Comics Conan volumes, the first three heavily link to each other and I’d say have to be read as such to get the full experience. Whereas, with volume four, this can be a standalone as far as I can tell.
I have Volume 5 on my shelf, and I’m looking forward to picking it up soon, and seeing if they do in fact continue with this arc.
July 19, 2025
Another excellent Conan book. This is the series retelling of the Frost Giant's Daughter. Grateful artwork and brutal fights.
After leaving his home of Cimmeria, part in wonder lust and part of losing his faith, Conan meets another tribe of people, but from them he will meet something more than human.
The book captures all the essential parts of the original story. Seeing Conan's loss of faith and the flashback of his youth made this version of the story better. The book finishes with a sketchbook, thumbnail variant covers and a wraparound variant cover.
After leaving his home of Cimmeria, part in wonder lust and part of losing his faith, Conan meets another tribe of people, but from them he will meet something more than human.
The book captures all the essential parts of the original story. Seeing Conan's loss of faith and the flashback of his youth made this version of the story better. The book finishes with a sketchbook, thumbnail variant covers and a wraparound variant cover.
December 23, 2025
In this one the author and artist thought that as he goes north to the Frozen Wastes of Nordheim we could also have small snippets of Conan early life as a blacksmith apprentice and his relation with his father and with Crom. We also get a glimpse of the very beautiful daughter of the Aesir - the Frost Gian's Daughter. Keep them coming, another one to buy.
February 20, 2026
The Frost-Giant's Daughter is one of the better Conan stories. It's mythical and exciting. I like the imagery and tableaus. Conan's faith journey. "I would not tread on their shadow."
October 16, 2025
Stellar storytelling with incredible visuals. Jim Zub continues to masterfully breath new life in the Hyborian Age of Robert E. Howard. Zub's writing is well match with the pencils of Doug Braithwaite. The is weight and mythis quality to the art. The frozen north of the Vikings is a wonderful backdrop to the world of Gods & monsters. Conan is trying to process the unexplain and mystery to the world he inhabits. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Conan's early childhood & the impact that his people's worship of Crom has on the strange encounter he has as a man with Atali. The story really highlights how oftern myth & legend crossover. There is the reality that we see, taste, & touch that contrasts to the supernatural. Conan ponders the very idea of faith. To be human is to question our very existence and our purpose in life. We all face these questions as we walk through life. Of course no Conan tale would be complete without battles and swordplay. The action in the book is both brutal and oddly beautifully drawn. I love how some of the artwork slides almost out of the panels. This series just continues to be one of the best comic book series in the market. If you are looking for more great sword & sandals comic book action checkout: The Last God: Book I of the Fellspyre Chronicles, Birthright, Vol. 1: Homecoming, Demon Knights, Volume 1: Seven Against the Dark, King Conan, Conan the Barbarian: The Life and Death of Conan, Book One, Ronin Island, Vol. 1.
March 7, 2026
Jim Zub and Doug Braithwaite take on one of the most iconic tales in the Conan canon—the legendary story of The Frost‑Giant’s Daughter—and manage to deliver something that feels both reverent and genuinely new. Robert E. Howard’s original yarn has been adapted countless times, from the black‑and‑white Savage Sword of Conan magazines of the ’70s and ’80s to various modern retellings. Those earlier versions leaned heavily on stark linework, adult themes, and the freedom of operating outside the Comics Code. They cemented the tale as one of the most haunting, sensual, and mythic episodes in Conan’s early life. The recent reprint of the original work, with modern digital coloring, was fantastic to read.
What Zub and Braithwaite do here is not simply re‑stage that classic encounter in the frozen north. Instead, they weave it into a broader meditation on Conan’s youth, his spiritual uncertainty, and his evolving relationship with the gods—especially Crom. Interspersed throughout the main narrative are glimpses of Conan as a boy, wrestling with questions of fate, faith, and the cold indifference of the divine. These sequences elevate the volume beyond a straightforward adaptation. They give the story emotional weight and a sense of philosophical depth that surprised me, even as a lifelong Conan obsessive.
Braithwaite’s art is a perfect match for this approach. His figures have a grounded, muscular realism, but the supernatural elements—the frost giants, the blinding snows, the eerie stillness of the northern wastes—carry a dreamlike menace. The contrast between the brutal physicality of Conan’s battles and the almost ethereal presence of the Frost‑Giant’s daughter creates a tension that feels true to Howard’s original tone while still being unmistakably modern.
What impressed me most is how thoughtfully constructed this volume is. You can feel the creative team’s respect for the source material, but also their willingness to interrogate it, expand it, and find new emotional angles. Listening to their discussions about the creative process only reinforces how much intentionality went into this arc.
And, as always with this run, the back‑matter essays—especially in the individual floppies—are worth the price alone. They offer literary context, historical insight, and a genuine love for the mythic tradition Conan inhabits.
This is one of the strongest arcs in Zub’s already excellent run.
What Zub and Braithwaite do here is not simply re‑stage that classic encounter in the frozen north. Instead, they weave it into a broader meditation on Conan’s youth, his spiritual uncertainty, and his evolving relationship with the gods—especially Crom. Interspersed throughout the main narrative are glimpses of Conan as a boy, wrestling with questions of fate, faith, and the cold indifference of the divine. These sequences elevate the volume beyond a straightforward adaptation. They give the story emotional weight and a sense of philosophical depth that surprised me, even as a lifelong Conan obsessive.
Braithwaite’s art is a perfect match for this approach. His figures have a grounded, muscular realism, but the supernatural elements—the frost giants, the blinding snows, the eerie stillness of the northern wastes—carry a dreamlike menace. The contrast between the brutal physicality of Conan’s battles and the almost ethereal presence of the Frost‑Giant’s daughter creates a tension that feels true to Howard’s original tone while still being unmistakably modern.
What impressed me most is how thoughtfully constructed this volume is. You can feel the creative team’s respect for the source material, but also their willingness to interrogate it, expand it, and find new emotional angles. Listening to their discussions about the creative process only reinforces how much intentionality went into this arc.
And, as always with this run, the back‑matter essays—especially in the individual floppies—are worth the price alone. They offer literary context, historical insight, and a genuine love for the mythic tradition Conan inhabits.
This is one of the strongest arcs in Zub’s already excellent run.
February 9, 2026
Lo tengo claro: Zub da una de cal y otra de arena. Cada tomo impar es mediocre y cada tomo par es bueno o excelente, como es el caso que nos ocupa. Braithwaite ayuda con su excelente ambientación, sus fantásticas escenas de acción y su composición de página impecable. La única pega que se le puede poner al artista es que la expresión de emociones no es su fuerte: los rostros de los personajes son un tanto planos y anodinos, pero, aparte de eso, chapó.
En esta ocasión, el dúo adapta la excelente historia «La hija del gigante helado» y, aunque sería una herejía decir que nos hace olvidar la llevada a cabo hace tantos años por Thomas y el nunca suficientemente admirado Barry Smith, sí que aguanta dignamente el tipo incluso comparándola con esta. Entre otras cosas, porque ahonda en la psicología del cimerio de una forma en la que los primerizos Thomas y Smith jamás hubieran podido hacer; y es que Zub tiene cuatro numerazos para explayarse en ambientación, motivaciones, presentarnos unos flashbacks de lo más pertinentes y entretenidos, y un montón de peleas sangrientas que, no nos engañemos, en el fondo es lo que más nos gusta a los conanófilos. ¿O no?
En fin, que a estas alturas ya no sé qué pensar: a veces Zub me parece una elección apropiadísima para esta nueva oportunidad bárbara, y otras, un fanboy sobrevalorado. En esta ocasión, alcanza cotas altísimas (a punto he estado de ponerle las cinco estrellas), pero veremos a ver qué tal el próximo volumen. En principio, sale Bêlit, mi personaje secundario favorito de Conan (mi ya fallecida perrita se llamaba como la reina pirata), lo que puede ser muy bueno o muy malo (con Bêlit no ha medias tintas). Crucemos los dedos...
En esta ocasión, el dúo adapta la excelente historia «La hija del gigante helado» y, aunque sería una herejía decir que nos hace olvidar la llevada a cabo hace tantos años por Thomas y el nunca suficientemente admirado Barry Smith, sí que aguanta dignamente el tipo incluso comparándola con esta. Entre otras cosas, porque ahonda en la psicología del cimerio de una forma en la que los primerizos Thomas y Smith jamás hubieran podido hacer; y es que Zub tiene cuatro numerazos para explayarse en ambientación, motivaciones, presentarnos unos flashbacks de lo más pertinentes y entretenidos, y un montón de peleas sangrientas que, no nos engañemos, en el fondo es lo que más nos gusta a los conanófilos. ¿O no?
En fin, que a estas alturas ya no sé qué pensar: a veces Zub me parece una elección apropiadísima para esta nueva oportunidad bárbara, y otras, un fanboy sobrevalorado. En esta ocasión, alcanza cotas altísimas (a punto he estado de ponerle las cinco estrellas), pero veremos a ver qué tal el próximo volumen. En principio, sale Bêlit, mi personaje secundario favorito de Conan (mi ya fallecida perrita se llamaba como la reina pirata), lo que puede ser muy bueno o muy malo (con Bêlit no ha medias tintas). Crucemos los dedos...
March 27, 2025
I am extremely mixed on this one.
As far as adaptions of Frost Giant's Daughter, this might be the weakest I have read. Comparing it to both the Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith and the Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord adaptions.
However, does this have no value? No. The art is quite good. Doug Braithwaite is a great artist for Conan and I think the much brighter snow filled pallet of this story does his art more justice then the darker more shadowy stories he illustrated before.
Also the story. Zub chooses to have part of it from Atali's point of view, which was...meh. Honestly, this was by far the worst part of this for me. I don't like having her single out and watching Conan before the battlefield where she will eventually show up on.
However right when I thought I was going to say this was a story mostly only good for the trashcan, then the last issue elevated it a lot as it Zub uses this story to basically instill a sense of faith in Conan. Which very much lines up with other things the character has said/done in other stories. And that faith gives him a purpose and pushes him forward.
So, basiaclly, the first and last issues of this were pretty great, the middle two were mediocre at best.
As far as adaptions of Frost Giant's Daughter, this might be the weakest I have read. Comparing it to both the Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith and the Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord adaptions.
However, does this have no value? No. The art is quite good. Doug Braithwaite is a great artist for Conan and I think the much brighter snow filled pallet of this story does his art more justice then the darker more shadowy stories he illustrated before.
Also the story. Zub chooses to have part of it from Atali's point of view, which was...meh. Honestly, this was by far the worst part of this for me. I don't like having her single out and watching Conan before the battlefield where she will eventually show up on.
However right when I thought I was going to say this was a story mostly only good for the trashcan, then the last issue elevated it a lot as it Zub uses this story to basically instill a sense of faith in Conan. Which very much lines up with other things the character has said/done in other stories. And that faith gives him a purpose and pushes him forward.
So, basiaclly, the first and last issues of this were pretty great, the middle two were mediocre at best.
Read
September 2, 2025One of the essays in the back talks about the significance of The Frost-Giant's Daughter as both one of the first Conan stories, and the first given an official adaptation to comics, since revisited at the barbarian's various publishers over the years. Well, here's Titan's take, and my first thought was that they were leaning into the beginning of their name by showing a little more of the seductive snow-siren than Marvel could (though apparently Barry Windsor-Smith made a good fist of it in Savage Tales). Other than that... well, it's not as good as the previous volume, but a lot better than the one before that, and if I'm not convinced Conan's youthful crisis of faith in Crom is as fascinating as Zub seems to find it, I'm at least impressed that this modern version doesn't get too punctilious about applying modern sensibilities to Conan's pursuit of Atali. Solid, straightforward swords and sorcery in the frozen north.
August 17, 2025
Belief gives me hope. Belief makes me stronger… once you’re a man, you get to seek your own answers and live your own life, but til then, my boy, do try to keep your mind open and mouth shut.
A mesmerizing Conan story that straddles the reality of the blood and blade and the mysticism of Crom (God) and what powers are greater than even Conan.
This was a story I really needed to read. I’m working on my own system of belief- a power greater than me- and seeing the wisdom of the cimmerians was helpful in guiding my own thoughts. Plus, so many heads were cut off and faces smashed AND Conan killed a bear barehanded!
A mesmerizing Conan story that straddles the reality of the blood and blade and the mysticism of Crom (God) and what powers are greater than even Conan.
This was a story I really needed to read. I’m working on my own system of belief- a power greater than me- and seeing the wisdom of the cimmerians was helpful in guiding my own thoughts. Plus, so many heads were cut off and faces smashed AND Conan killed a bear barehanded!
March 7, 2025
The Titan run dips into adapting original Robert E. Howard stories for the first time with the classic The Frost-Giant's Daughter. It's a solid retelling with a slight twist or two, although it feels like it might have been slightly stretched to fill the "full" 4 issue arc (if you consider 4 issues to be a full trade). My personal preference is for the other artistic team, but the work here is solid, and I understand the need to alternate due to publishing constraints. It's a nice thing just to be able to get high-quality Conan every month.
December 17, 2024
Jim Zub's take on "The Frost Giant's Daughter". Zub has expanded the story to include some flashbacks to Conan's childhood. I guess there wasn't enough content in the original short story to get four issues. I know it's not all that long but it's been a while since I read it. Doug Braithwaite's art is perfect for Conan.
January 9, 2025
A Conan story...but this time with even more boobies!
June 20, 2025
Another retelling of the Frost Giant's Daughter. Classic Conan with great storytelling and artwork to match. I don't know that we needed yet another retelling, but it was well done.
October 20, 2025
A remake of one of the most popular Conan stories but it's always fun to see every reincarnation of this one.
December 1, 2025
great retelling of one of the all time great Conan stories.
December 3, 2025
Fun pulp, nice rendition of a sword and sorcery classic
April 20, 2025
Was die verschiedensten Adaptionen von Die Tochter des Frostriesen angeht, so ist der mittlerweile vierte Teil von Jim Zubs Conan-Reihe leider bisher der schwächste Teil der Reihe, verglichen mit der Darstellung der Frostriesentochter von Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith als auch mit der Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord-Ausführung, nicht zu vergessen Robin Rechts Version aus einem anderen Verlag.
Trotzdem kann man sich den Comic anschauen, denn die Zeichnungen von Doug Braithwaite passen zu Conan, die hellen, mit Schnee und Eis gefüllte Palette dieser Geschichte wird seiner Kunst mehr gerecht als die dunkleren, schattigeren Geschichten, die er zuvor illustriert hat.
Zub hat sich dafür entschieden, einen Teil der Geschichte aus der Sicht von Atali, der Tochter des Frostriesen, zu erzählen, was eher mau war. Das hätte man weglassen können und ist mehr Füllmaterial und trägt zur Geschichte nichts bei, sie beobachtet Conan auf dem Schlachtfeld, auf dem sie dann letztendlich direkt vor ihm auftaucht.
Das letzte Kapitel hat die Story um einiges aufgewertet, da Conan es schafft, wieder mehr Selbstvertrauen für sich zu finden, und dieser Glaube an sich selbst und sein bisheriger Lebensweg mit dem bereits gewonnenen Wissen und Können gibt ihm ein Ziel und treibt ihn vorwärts. In Rückblenden wirft Zub einen weiteren Blick auf Conans Kindheit und Jugend und wie er zu dem wurde, der er heute ist.
Trotzdem kann man sich den Comic anschauen, denn die Zeichnungen von Doug Braithwaite passen zu Conan, die hellen, mit Schnee und Eis gefüllte Palette dieser Geschichte wird seiner Kunst mehr gerecht als die dunkleren, schattigeren Geschichten, die er zuvor illustriert hat.
Zub hat sich dafür entschieden, einen Teil der Geschichte aus der Sicht von Atali, der Tochter des Frostriesen, zu erzählen, was eher mau war. Das hätte man weglassen können und ist mehr Füllmaterial und trägt zur Geschichte nichts bei, sie beobachtet Conan auf dem Schlachtfeld, auf dem sie dann letztendlich direkt vor ihm auftaucht.
Das letzte Kapitel hat die Story um einiges aufgewertet, da Conan es schafft, wieder mehr Selbstvertrauen für sich zu finden, und dieser Glaube an sich selbst und sein bisheriger Lebensweg mit dem bereits gewonnenen Wissen und Können gibt ihm ein Ziel und treibt ihn vorwärts. In Rückblenden wirft Zub einen weiteren Blick auf Conans Kindheit und Jugend und wie er zu dem wurde, der er heute ist.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews