Conan The Barbarian #17 Review

 

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Danica Brine

Colorist: Jão Canola

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Roberto de la Torre, Dean Kotz, Stephanie Lavand, Ace Continuado & Denis Medri

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 11, 2024

 

Conan and Bêlit have sailed together for nearly a year. Under the guise of Amra The Lion, Conan has fought alongside his pirate lover and dyed the sea scarlet. Can the couple maintain their invincibility on land? Let's grab our swords and battle axes, shout “By Crom,” venture into Conan The Barbarian #17, and find out!

 

Story

Conan serves aboard Bêlit’s ship. Unlike with Brissa and Chaundra, theirs is a bond forged in the raging fires of love. The firebrand treated the Cimmerian in a mating dance aboard The Tigress. In Twisting Loyalties Part 1: Fangs and Foolish Thieves, Bêlit takes Conan to the Hidden Haven in the Shemite city of Kyros. In a tavern frequented by brigands, they relax comfortably, enjoying drink and conversation at a corner table. She may no longer be on her boat surrounded by her loyal crew. Still, when a minstrel strums his lute, and his voice fills the lavishly appointed tavern, Bêlit rises and reenacts her mating dance. As the bartender remarks, the Cimmerian has found a soulmate in Conan The Barbarian #17.

 

Still, Conan worries this idyllic shore leave is too good to be true in Jim Zub's story. Won't the authorities be looking for them? Bêlit waves aside his concerns. The city’s leaders realize they cannot stop piracy. So, they don't pursue pirates and look the other way when ships dock in their port. A healthy system of bribery and a share of the booty keep the gears of government moving smoothly. The last thing the leaders want is for someone to rock the boat, so to speak, and irritate the pirates. If they can keep the violence out at sea, they protect their city and profit from looking the other way. Still, Conan wonders if Kyros is as safe for them as Bêlit believes.

 

Conan The Barbarian #17 returns readers to Robert E Howard's story "Queen Of The Black Coast." Chronologically, it follows issue #4, after Conan entered Thulsa Doom's dark tower and lost Brissa. Unlike then, Conan finds no captive Cimmerians. Nor does he battle the undead. Instead, he and Bêlit enjoy a respite from their maritime adventures. Then, some fellow thieves decide that lovebirds who rent the penthouse suite have more money than they need, and Bêlit gets an offer she can’t refuse.

 

Art

Lights illuminate the foot of the city. Sailors and workers walk along the dock of the crowded harbor. Two cloaked forms ascend the stairs, evoking Conan and Subotai exploring Zamora. They toss a coin in a dancer's bowl, shop in the marketplace, and pass someone smoking. (As they don't turn up their nostrils, it's likely Black Lotus, not Haga). A faint purple faze hangs over the less illuminated portions of the Hidden Haven. Decorated walls lead to intricate ceilings, while ornate lighting shines upon Conan and Bêlit when they remove their hoods.

 

Jão Canola lavishes a loaded palette on Danica Brine’s art in Conan The Barbarian #17. Colors shine brightly in the festive atmosphere. Bêlit is so relaxed she wears purple slippers, while Conan retains his brown boots. As they take a table, mauve candle smoke hangs over guests seated on cushions nearby. A richly colored panel interrupts a montage of inks on tan parchment as Bêlit sways to the music from a minstrel's lute.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith sail uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The words grow bold for intonation, occasionally enlarge, and never shrink. Broken balloon borders suggest lowered voices, while enlarged and colored dialogue accompanies flying scarlet and falling bodies. Thanks to Titan for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Conan and Bêlit have become legendary pirates. Some may wonder how much their stories have grown in the telling. But in Conan The Barbarian #17, as they relax in Kyros, Bêlit discovers that Conan's worries are justified. Still, that doesn't prevent her from accepting a job that could prove more dangerous than Conan's final robbery with Chaundra and the Gloryhounds.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.