Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Jonas Scharf
Colorist: Jão Canola
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Editors: Chris Butera & Matt Murray
Cover Artists: Liam Sharp, Scott Campbell & Danica Brine
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 6, 2024
In 1936, James Allison sat before his typewriter, spinning
weird tales of fantastic adventure. Then, the power of the black stone consumed
him. He became its mouthpiece. Caught up in its otherworldly power, James
Allison spoke with El Borak, John Conrad, and John Kirowan at the Wanderers
Club in Chicago. Yet he also addressed Dark Agnes De Chastillon in 1522,
Solomon Kane in 1584, and Conan in the Hyborian Age. As if spinning another
yarn, Allison told the heroes they would assemble in the past. What happens
when the black stone brings these potent warriors together? Let’s leap into
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #3 and find out!
Story
When the Beast from the Black Stone invades Francis Xavier
Gordon’s memories, it tears him apart. Now, El Borak is a memory. The Black
Stone casts a long shadow over Brissa’s people. She suggests they head toward a
monument where the Picts worshipped it. Destroying the statue may break the
Black Stone's claim on their lives. But it's a three-day journey, ample time
for the Beast to target another victim.
The time on the trail gives friends time to process all that
occurred. But if it bewilders Conrad and Kirowan, it gives Soloman Kane and Dark
Agnes time to bond. Although they hail from different generations, the warriors
battled across 16th-century Europe. It helps that Soloman knows Dark
Agnes' native tongue. Both have known great evil, but only one banishes reason
and attacks opponents in a raging fury.
Conan greets Brissa like an old friend. But in Jim Zub’s
story, Conan is the elder. The Cimmerian may see himself as young compared to
“codger” Kane. Still, years have passed since Conan and Brissa invaded Thulsa
Doom’s dark citadel. In Conan: Battle Of The Black Stone #3, Conan confesses
that those years have been glorious. Yet, like Yoda, he isn't sure that wars
make one great. Nor is he quite sure about Brissa. Conan has always been loathe
to accept sorcery. Now, Brissa wields it to guide their steps and shows an
understanding of how the Black Stone perpetuates its evil.
Of the occult detectives, John Kirowan has oft been the
leader in their supernatural adventures. Now, Kirowan seems depressed, and
Conrad bursts with excitement. He can't wait to regale his friends and the
public with his exploits. Like Dr John Watson and their late comrade El Borak, Conrad
strives to chronicle events so that other investigators can enhance their
studies. But first, they must survive their adventure in the Hyborian Age.
Then, another problem will await them. If they destroy the monument and free
themselves from the Black Stone's power, how will they return to 1936?
Art
As the six heroes descend a rise in darkness, Brissa and
Conan lead, their weapons stained with blood. With the rising sun, Brissa’s
thoughts return to the journey that brought her here. When Conan asks if she
will fade away, the scenery fades behind him in Conan: Battle Of The Black
Stone #3. After their time apart, Jonas Scharf gives the Hyborian couple three
pages to catch up until Brissa unwraps a sliver of stone, and James Allison's
spirit leads them through the jungle. As Soloman Kane and Dark Agnes journey
side by side for two pages, they seem like kindred spirits, with Kane the elder
and Agnes a receptive student. The occult detectives share but a single page.
Yet Conrad, formerly the doubter, bursts with energy, while John Kirowan, so
oft a boy racing into excitement, brings up the rear, his face dour and devoid
of enthusiasm. Like James Allison’s spirit, the smoke from Kirowan’s pipe winds
a ghostly trail before him.
After their trek through greenery beneath orange skies and
cloud-streaked day, green energy rises from a split tree. It is not a lightning
strike like the one that fueled Dr Frankenstein with the power of electricity.
Once again, it paints the glowing green symbol in the darkness. Orange energy
contrasts with green and black, imbuing the action with heightened intensity.
Jão Canola paints the skies with blue, white, and orange. The soft texture
suggests watercolor or paper fibers absorbing colored pencils unevenly. But
orange, green, and pink are the colors of death in Conan: The Battle Of The
Black Stone #3. When they haunt backgrounds, heroes die.
Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith conjure black uppercase
words into white dialogue balloons and green narrative boxes. A stately colored
font introduces characters and announces the time and location. The letters
grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered
voices. Loss robs balloon borders of their integrity and hints at the
characters' brokenness over the loss of a friend. Thanks to Titan Comics and
Heroic Signatures for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Neither rage nor positivity can safeguard against a creature
that attacks you amid a memory. The monster’s claws sweep through heroes’ souls
in Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #3 to reap a rich harvest.
Rating 9.4/10
For more covers and interior art see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.
