Conan The Barbarian #20 Review

 

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Doug Braithwaite

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Roberto de la Torre, Mike Rooth, Ben Templesmith & Doug Braithwaite

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

Bêlit is dead. Conan set her and her slain crew aflame when he steered the Tigriss out to sea. Yet her memory burns in him as he travels through the islands of the Zarkheba River. Seared with her loss, Conan befalls dangers he would usually skirt. The natives of the region speak the tongue of his former crew, yet they eschew his company. And someone pursues him through the Black Kingdoms. 

 

 

 

Will Conan fall before his hunter? And who is this man who can also assume the guise of a black panther? Let's grab our swords and battle axes, shout “By Crom,” venture into Conan The Barbarian #20, and find out!

 

 

 

Story

Years ago, a Snake Priest stabbed Conan in Kyros. If the Cimmerian survived, the Stygian said Conan would serve his serpent god. Now, Zula insists that Conan belongs to Set. And Zula has pledged his life to exterminating every worshipper of the snake god.

 

 

 

In Conan The Barbarian #20, Conan insists he belongs to Crom. His reluctance to fight a noble opponent recalls his refusal to shoot the bear with his bow in Asgard. But just as Conan felt the Fangs of the Serpent burn him, he wondered if the weapon left something behind. Perhaps he is corrupted, as Zula insists.

 

 

 

Conan sought the truth of his existence on his sojourn into Asgard. Conan agrees to face another test in Jim Zub's latest comic ode. Conan already carries the pain of Bêlit’s loss. The last thing he needs is something that will separate him from others. More importantly, he bears his lover's memories and spirit. Bêlit’s crew are dead. Who else will remember her if he dies? And how can Conan honor Bêlit's indomitable spirit if he allows the Stygian magic inside him to fester? 

 

 

 

Art

Doug Braithwaite packs Conan The Barbarian #20 with furious action. Like fast cuts in a movie, the panels lead the eye from one camera view to another. Night fights frame a trek through the jungle. Fired with purpose, Conan no longer falls for dangers alert Cimmerian children would avoid. As the Black Stone once dominated his steps, another monument beckons.

 

 

 

Diego Rodriguez wields a series of limited color palettes in fight sequences. The alternating color schemes enhance Zula’s resolve to exterminate Set's servants and Conan's desire to prove his allegiance to Crom. The scene when Conan glimpses his destination shines with vibrant coloring amid two inset panels. A glimpse of the animal life near the water evokes the danger and grandeur of the region. 

 

 

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith conjure uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and yellow narrative boxes in Conan The Barbarian #20. The words grow bold for intonation, occasionally enlarge, and never shrink. Shouts turn red and threaten to burst balloons as Conan insists he determines his future. Thanks to Titan for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Zula stands as a mirror before Conan. The guardian of the grasslands shows Conan that he must undergo a trial to purge his soul of dark magic. Conan The Barbarian #20 reminds us to periodically reassess our lives to ensure we follow our paths and not allow others to dictate our actions.

 

Rating 9.4/10

Dead Space Vol 1 Review

 

Writer: Antony Johnston

Artist & Colorist: Ben Templesmith

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: 17.99

Release Date: March 11, 2025

 

Sergeant Bram Neumann has a message for you: don't travel to Aegis VII. If your shuttle has already landed on the planet, don't leave. Instead, request that your ship nuke the planet. What is Bram afraid of? And why does he insist there is no cure for what ails Aegis VII? Let's grab our medkits, leap into Dead Space Vol 1, and find out!

 

Story

The workers on Aegis VII are tired and cranky. After scanning the planet, they set up their base and prepared a site for planetcrack. As the Ishimura’s arrival nears, the colonists unearth a monument. Unlike the obelisk in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the black structure with red markings evokes tentacles reaching toward the sky. At a time when everyone should be preparing for the Ishimura to strip-mine the planet, believers claim the marker will guide them toward another existence.

 

Bram Neumann believes the Church Of Unitology brainwashed his wife. Although he hoped she would shake off their teachings and concentrate on their marriage, he left her to begin a new life on Aegis VII. So Bram feels betrayed when Vera Cortez, his fellow investigator, agrees with Deakin Abbott that the marker confirms the church’s teachings. But Bram must contend with more than Vera's faith and lay preachers in Dead Space Vol 1. Systems like life support and communications seem to be breaking down. And more workers are reporting depression-like symptoms to Thomas Sciarello, the Chief Medical Officer of Aegis VII.

 

In Antony Johnston’s story, Bram struggles with people's faith and keeping peace as workers grow increasingly violent. He may have lost his wife to the Church Of Unitology, but that doesn't explain why people have started writing and drawing on walls, can't sleep, and are seeing ghosts. Marla Janssen, a former hacker who works as a control operator, should support him during these difficult times. Instead, his lover grows more focused on her work than ever. And then, there are the symbols on the monument, which Maria believes she can decode.

 

While Bram Neumann is our primary viewpoint character, others share the spotlight in Dead Space Vol 1. One of the most significant is Thomas Sciarello, who experiences heartache when one of his patients grows violent. And then there is Hanford Carthusia, who oversees the colony. The planetcrack should be his crowning achievement. Discovering the strange statue seems like the icing on the cake. But despite his position in the Church Of Unitology, Captain Mathius of the Ishimura seems poised to capitalize on Hanford's achievements.

 

Art

Ben Templesmith’s sketchy art underlines the limitations of this colony world. The characters look lost, exhausted, withdrawn, and afraid. The brown and gray walls are far from pristine, while Union Square glows an algae green. The interiors conjure memories of Peter Hyam’s Outland, and the smoky dig site evokes Ridley Scott's Alien. The line of bright green adorning the characters and the glowing red symbols on a twisting black marker suggest a reason to celebrate. But then violence breaks out, bathing the colony in crimson in Dead Space Vol 1.

 

After delivering extensive Character Profiles, Rus Wooton reveals black uppercase dialogue in colored balloons. Large, white letters locate us in time and space. Words grow bold for emphasis and swell for volume. Sparse sound effects heighten the mystery and horror flowing through the polluted air ducts of this threatened colony. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Humans prepare to turn a world into rubble, they discover they are not as alone as they believed. As ecological concerns battle business interests, an inhuman force arises to harvest the harvesters in Dead Space Vol 1. And inside the base on Aegis VII, everyone can hear someone scream.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

To look inside see my post: Upcoming Dead Space Graphic Novels.

Conan The Barbarian #20 Solicit

COVER A: ROBERTO DE LA TORRE

 

Jim Zub does a terrific job of putting his unique spin on classic Robert E Howard tales and characters. I look forward to seeing how Bêlit's death affects Conan in this upcoming story. Here's all the order info from Titan Comics:

 

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #20

(W): Jim Zub

(A): Doug Braithwaite

Publisher: Titan Comics & Heroic Signatures

FC, 32pp, $3.99, On sale: April 16, 2025

 

The triumphant new era of Conan continues! From acclaimed creators Jim Zub (Avengers, Dungeons & Dragons) and Doug Braithwaite (Punisher, Justice)!

 

In the days following Bêlit’s tragic demise, Conan travels through jungles of the southern kingdoms but there’s no time for grief – a deadly hunter stalks the Cimmerian, bent on bloody vengeance. Who is this strange foe and what do they know about the ancient power rising in Stygia? 

 

 

Here are two more cover options:

 

COVER B: MIKE ROOTH

 

COVER C: BEN TEMPLESMITH