Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Editor: Chris Butera
Cover Artists: Roberto de la Torre, Marco Rudy, Tony Harris, Eryk Donovan & Doug Braithwaite
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 19, 2025
Bêlit and Conan planned a heist with Tarnasha. But when the Snake priest stabbed Conan, the thief fled with the Fangs Of The Serpent, while Conan and Bêlit returned to the Tigris. With Kyros in an uproar, the lovers set sail for calmer waters and new challenges.
Conan and Bêlit hoped for a long life together. But after a year together, Conan watches the Tigris depart without him. What will Conan do now that his seafaring days as Amra The Lion are behind him? Let's grab our swords and battle axes, shout “By Crom,” venture into Conan The Barbarian #19, and find out!
Story
Bereft of his lover and his purpose, Conan wanders through the remote land. He endures the elements, trudges through swamps, and hacks through jungles. It is an exhausting journey, and while grieving, Conan wishes for friends to help him. But he faces the danger alone. And even though his mind argues otherwise, Conan senses danger in Conan The Barbarian #19.
When the Snake Priest stabbed him in Kyros, he told Conan that if he lived, he would serve the serpent god. As with the woman Conan met in the Temple Of Kallian Publico, the Stygian priest transformed before his eyes. Conan has likely forgotten the priest's dying words after all his adventures with Bêlit. Yet others in the Black Kingdom sense Set's lingering mark.
In Conan The Barbarian #19, Jim Zub paints a dire portrait of our hero lost and alone. Conan sought the truth of his soul when he ventured north into Asgard after the Battle Of Venarium. Now, Conan wonders where he stands with life. What point is there in going on when the person who gave your life meaning has died? What value is there in continuing to live when the world seems empty?
Art
Conan stands on the shore and watches the blazing Tigris set out to sea. Despite his mighty scar-covered thews, he could not handle the wooden vessel alone. So, clutching a sword, Conan trudges through grasses at the water’s edge before venturing into the jungle. The trees and branches reach toward him, and roots twist and curl across the ground like snakes. He hunkers under a ledge amid the driving rain like The Incredible Hulk. But no Bêlit or Betsy Ross crouches beside him in Conan The Barbarian #19.
Diego Rodriguez lavishes a loaded palette on Doug Braithwaite’s moody and atmospheric art. Yellow eyes watch as Conan tumbles into the murky swamp. Scarlet fills the air when danger threatens. Blue smudges and streaks fill the background when the wind tosses Conan’s dark mane. Amid the verdant greenery, Conan knees to study marks in the brown sand.
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. Shouts turn red and threaten to burst balloons as Conan races for safety while a giant purple word accompanies a sorcerous event. Thanks to Titan for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
As Conan mourns the death of Bêlit in Conan The Barbarian #19, he seeks a reason to live. He encounters someone in the jungle who could prove a boon companion. But first, Conan can convince him he is not irrevocably tainted with evil.
Rating 9.4/10
For more covers and look inside see my preview of Conan The Barbarian #19.
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