Conan The Barbarian #18 Review

 

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Danica Brine

Colorist: Jão Canola

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Darick Robertson, Roberto de la Torre, Jonathan Lau, Andrew Maclean, Leon Leclaire & Barry Kitson

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 19, 2025

 

Bêlit’s band of pirates attacked the Argus. After slaughtering Tito's crew, the Queen Of The Black Coast took the Cimmerian aboard the Tigriss. Bêlit doesn't tell him, "Good night, Conan. I'll most likely kill you in the morning," but makes him her king.

 

Conan and Bêlit sail the seas together for nearly a year, splashing crimson in the azure sea. Yet, land calls. The duo finds a safe harbor in Kyros, The Gem Of Shem. Their mutual love draws the patrons’ admiration. Their obvious wealth attacks another kind of attention. How will Conan and Bêlit spend the remainder of their shore leave in the Wine Cask Of The West? Let's grab our swords and battle axes, shout “By Crom,” venture into Conan The Barbarian #18, and find out!

 

Story

Bêlit hails from Shem and believes they are safe in Kyros. Her crew bribed the port authorities. The locals ascribe tales of Bêlit and her mate Amra to legends, just as Bêlit associates Conan with blue-eyed northern giants. But trouble comes from an unexpected source when a thief attempts to rob them. Tarnasha begs for her life after Bêlit and Conan kill her accomplices. She tantalizes them with a lucrative deal. Bêlit identifies with the woman’s ability to shift on a Shemite Dernier. Conan feels uncomfortable working with someone who expresses no sorrow for her fallen companions.

 

Tarnasha shares Conan’s distrust of her new associates. That doesn’t stop her from thoroughly preparing for their mission. In Conan The Barbarian #18, Tarnasha’s target is Libradicio. A deal is going down tonight in the antiquarian’s house. The thief suggests they liberate the relic and the buyers’ coins at the same time.

 

Conan is reluctant to team up with Tarnasha. He is leery of attacking the Stygian buyers. Time has taught Conan to respect the Set cult’s magic. But Bêlit sees only the chance to grab some unexpected treasure. Conan The Barbarian #18 throws Conan into conflict with himself, his lover Bêlit, and the mysterious forces that inhabit his world. Like the sailors on the Tigriss, Conan will follow Bêlit into the jaws of death. Still, that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

 

Art

After tempting us with a memory that evokes Greek myth, Danica Brine imbues Kyros with Roman appeal. Conan and Bêlit wander the narrow streets of the city built on a hill. They pass stalls laden with wares and sit in an outdoor café to plan their heist. A glimpse inside Libridicio’s home evokes the fabled Library of Alexandria. The antiquarian meets with guards wielding Egyptian swords and a priest with an elaborate headdress. The item for sale would make a Zamoran king squirm.

 

Jão Canola lavishes a loaded palette on The Wine Cask Of The West in Conan The Barbarian #18. Conan wears a green cloak and brown trousers, while Belit hangs a brown cloak over the purple silk that stretches across her breasts and groin. Compared with her new partners, Tarnasha hides behind purple shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, a magenta vest, brown gloves, and tall brown boots. Her attire and short blonde hair, combined with how she pledges an oath with Conan and Bêlit, evokes one of Alexandre Dumas’ immortal tales.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith conjure uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and yellow 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. Words in cloudy green balloons without arrows suggest this tale about Conan and Bêlit is far from finished. Thanks to Titan for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

If the life of a thief precludes loyalty, the antique business proves equally devoid of morality. When Conan and Bêlit embark on a mission without knowing their accomplice, they get more than they bargained for in Conan The Barbarian #18.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more covers and a look inside see my preview of Conan The Barbarian #18.