Conan the Barbarian, Vol. 7: The Conquering Crown

Conan the Barbarian (2023)

by Jim Zub, Fernando Dagnino (Illustrator), Alex Horley (Illustrator)

Fans of Robert E. Howard’s legendary hero are in for a thrill with an incredible new Conan tale of heroic barbarism, filled with more high adventure, savage combat, ancient gods, and rollicking sword-and-sorcery action!

With a stunning wraparound cover, volume seven of this epic series includes the landmark 25th issue fully painted by the unmatched Alex Horley, plus an epic tale by critically-acclaimed team of Jim Zub and Fernando Dagnino.

A KING BY HIS OWN HAND – TWO TALES OF GLORY READY TO BE UNLEASHED!

Volume seven of the epic series continues with two masterfully crafted epics from critically acclaimed writer Jim Zub, alongside the inimitable Alex Horley and the unstoppable Fernando Dagnino. Featuring the fully painted, special extended issue THE NOMAD, and the sweeping tale of Conan’s bloody ascension to kingship in THE CONQUERING CROWN!

THE NOMAD: Conan the King welcomes a strange visitor with an even stranger mission. Can the Ruler of Aquilonia prove his mettle or will the mysterious wanderer’s incredible power change the course of history?

THE CONQUERING CROWN: The King of Aquilonia has gone mad, or so the rumors say. A tyrant sits upon the throne and all will suffer until he is deposed or dead. Conan the Mercenary cares nothing for these royal rumors and petty politics, but the Cimmerian's skill in battle is about to put him in the path of a mad monarch, and his life will be forever changed.

Collects Conan the Barbarian #25-28

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2026

About the author

Jim 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.

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trade collects issues 25 through 28 of Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures Current Conan the Barbarian series. Issue 25 is a stand alone concerning a stranger called the Nomad. An interesting story putting the Nomad’s powers pulling Conan through time and the history of his life. Of course Conan wins in the end, but it’s rather vague what he actually won. Maybe we shall find out later. The final 3 issues give a solid take on the events leading up to, and including, Conan usurping the Aquilonian crown by his own hand. I really enjoyed Prospero in this rendition. The only thing I could criticize is the lack of dialogue from Conan compared to the Roy Thomas Marvel Version. I miss his chippy banter. It’s here, just not near as often in the Zub series.

[Machiavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how Jim Zub keeps getting better, but The Conquering Crown was absolutely amazing.The opening story was a reread of issue #25, and it remains one of my favorite Conan stories. King Conan’s confrontation with the mysterious white-haired visitor takes him back through his own history, delivering callbacks to classic stories and capturing everything that makes the character so enduring. Zub’s writing and Alex Horley’s incredible painted artwork make the entire issue feel like a celebration of Conan’s life and legend. It is just frickin’ amazing.The final three issues then show us how Conan actually becomes king & somehow make an outcome we already know feel completely thrilling. Conan has no interest in crowns, royal politics, or ruling Aquilonia. He simply leads from the front, refuses to bend, and proves through his actions why others are willing to follow him. His rise feels completely natural because he never seeks power for himself; he earns it by being Conan.Fernando Dagnino’s massive, brutal battle scenes carry the story toward an incredible confrontation with Numedides and the dark sorcery corrupting Aquilonia. This has everything I want from Conan: huge battles, sinister magic, fantastic art, terrific character work, and a story that understands exactly who he is.Zub continues to deliver what may be my favorite Conan run. I loved this so, so much. A hard 5 stars.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. I wanted to give it 4.5 stars but between the choice of rounding it down or up i could not round it down.

Issues 25 is a beautifully painted artwork style, with King Conan, and a clever way to bring up a summary of the while series so far. Issues 26 - 28 cover how Conan became King. An excellent story and I look forward to seeing how it continues.

Like all good Conan stories nothing is given. It is all earned in blood and battles. I look forward to seeing how Conan holds court next. The book finishes with a variant cover gallery and a sketchbook with character designs.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 7 of Conan the Barbarian is very much an issue of two halves with two separate stories, linking back to Conan and his crown.

The first story with illustrations by Alex Horley is possibly the best so far in the series. Is an extended issue at just under 50 pages, and is fantastic in every way, from the actual events to the stunning detail in Horley’s work.

The second half is something I’ll probably appreciate more after I’ve read the original Robert E Howard Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon.

This is supported by the essays at the back of the graphic novel referring The Hour of the dragon, and how this issue looks to fill the gaps from that story, and the other two that REH wrote with Conan and his time as king.

That being said, and the different artists being used, Jim Zub’s voice is consistent throughout, and it’s been great to get that consistent path led by Jim in these volumes.

As the closing line says in the final issue ‘the end… and the beginning’ - always excited to see what comes next.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si alguien me explica lo que tiene de especial este tomo, le invito a un café. Excepto la primera historia, que reconozco que está bastante bien (aunque los cómics pintados no me emocionan mucho), lo demás ya se ha contado antes, y mejor. Para ser precisos, lo contaron Thomas y DeZuñiga, en una historia insuperable y épica que duró varios números de Savage Sword, y de la que esta es un pálido reflejo, entre otras cosas, porque el Conan de Dagnino no me dice nada: ni es el joven greñudo y fibroso de Smith, ni el icónico bárbaro de nariz aguileña y aspecto sombrío de Buscema. De vez en cuando, parece un neandertal, y otras veces, un bruto genérico, pero ni Zub ni el madrileño son capaces de plasmar la madurez de Conan, un hombre a medio camino entre el salvajismo primordial y la civilización; un líder y, sobre todo, un auténtico estratega curtido en mil batallas, dotado no ya de una fuerza indomable, sino de una experiencia que va más allá de la astucia y se convierte en auténtica sabiduría. Dios sabe que no soy fan de Thomas, ese plumilla sin más ideas que la de ser un clon insulso de Stan Lee en cualquier colección que este le dejara... excepto en Conan, en donde dio el do de pecho. Y su obra maestra fue «Conan the Liberator». Este cómic es la versión descafeinada (y no me refiero a la violencia, claro está, sino a la madurez y pasión por el personaje con el que está escrito) de aquella mítica historia que dio fin a la Era Dorada de Savage Sword.

Un respeto.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I typically like Jim Zub but his heavy use of exposition on these Conan comics is weighing on me. There's so much of it. I just want to see Conan fighting corrupt nobles and duking it out with monsters. This has an extended issue #25 with painted art by Alex Horley and then Conan fights for Aquilonia.

[R.P. Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t praise this series enough. We finally get a solid tale of Conan becoming king, and then there’s the one-off story, “The Nomad”, in which every panel is hand-painted. Zub’s writing, plus terrific art from Horley and Dagnino, makes this another top-notch volume. The new golden age of Conan continues!

[Carl Grider · Rating 5 out of 5]

More great Conan from Jim Zub and company. The painted issue 25 is a true gem and the story of Conan becoming king was cool as well. Love this series.

[JW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short, not epic enough.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The creation of a story worth telling. The advance of an army to take over a country from a despot. Political setup that is overtaken by heroism.

[Matt · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

The day Jim Zub stops writing Conan will be a dark day indeed.