Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1 Review

 

Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1 Review

Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov

Artist: E J Su

Colorist: Rebecca Good

Letterers: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt

Cover Artist: Cat Skaggs

Publisher: Legendary Entertainment

Price: $19.99 US

Release Date: May 5, 2026

 

They invaded his world and wreaked destruction on civilization. Yet the kaiju fascinated Dr Newton Geisler. So, as his friend Hermann Gottlieb used math to predict the Precursors' appearances, Newt sought to understand their motivations. But when he shared a kaiju's mind, Newt emerged changed. And after Raleigh Becket sealed the Breach, Newt helped the aliens find another way to invade our world. How will Humanity ensure the Precursors never attempt to terraform Earth again? And can anyone touched by the kaiju retain their Humanity? Let's suit up, leap inside Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1, and see!

 

Story

After defeating a Category Six kaiju on the slopes of Mount Fuji, Jake Pentecost tells Newt that Humanity is taking the fight to the Precursors. But Newt had subverted Ms Shao's army of automated Jaegers, and the Shatterdome needs time to rebuild. Six months later, General Jake Pentecost is itching to lead a team into the breach to attack the Precursors' world. But Marshal Nate Lambert and Ms Shao prize his piloting experience and leadership abilities too highly to risk him in the operation.

 

When the Shatterdome invasion fails, Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1 picks up five years later. Once again, Pentecost and his team struggle to achieve their objectives. They lose pilots and Jaegers. This time, government leaders don't try to build shield walls to guard coastlines. Still, people around the world begin to question the Shatterdome's role in protecting Earth.

 

In Joshua Hale Fialkov's story, Newt becomes a cautionary tale for how he turned against his kind. Yet along with the mental connection, a physical transformation occurs when Humans interact with the kaiju. And knowing how infectious a link with the kaiju can be, the leadership keeps its plans close to its chest, reluctant to share them even with its most experienced and trusted personnel in Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1.

 

Art

While Ms Shao, Nate Becket, Jake Pentecost, Hermann Gottlieb, and Dr Newton Geisler retain the spotlight, the young bucks who helped Jake defy the Precursors' terraforming project fall by the wayside. Jake works more with the people who run the Shatterdome than the pilots who protect the world. And when one of Humanity's greatest defenders returns to resume his duties, the doctors want to know why he could exit the breach without a kaiju to unlock it.

 

As E J Su packs pages with familiar characters and powerful new kaiju, Rebecca Good adorns the furious action and two-page spreads with a loaded palette. Direction lines channel the energy of battles and otherworldly invasions as Jaegers defend Humanity against the monsters in Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1.

 

Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith, and Jimmy Betancourt fill white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters. Off-camera dialogue fills color-coded narrative balloons, while radio transmissions fill stars. Shaky letters fill edgy balloons as the Precursors reveal their ability to control the intelligent but unwise, while large colored dialogue accompanies heightened emotions. Thanks to Legendary Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Humanity had a plan. Yet once again, the Precursors demonstrated how they have repeatedly conquered worlds. Jake lost his father, sister, and students battling kaiju. Raleigh Beckett lost his older brother and a woman he loved. Now, as a new era of the film franchise begins, these two legendary warriors meet to see if together they can free Humanity from the Precursor threat in Pacific Rim: Final Breach Vol 1.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

For more, see Legendary Entertainment 2026 Publishing Slate. 

Conan & Dragonero #6 Cover Preview

 

Cover A: Mirko Kolac

Conan has tracked magical gems across two worlds. After teaming-up with Ian Aronill on Myrva's airship, the warriors from two worlds defeated the dragon that stole the gems. Yet before the heroes could pry the gems from its scales, a magic hurled them from Ian’s world of Erondàr to the Desert of Shem. Near the mountains where the gems were mined, the warriors find the dragon’s corpse surrounded by scavengers. Conan and Ian defeated the “pitiful” lizards. But someone had already taken the gems.

 

The magical jewels protect the Hyborian Age from the ravages of an ancient demon. Can Conan and Ian return the gems to the temple in Tarantia before the demon notices they are missing? And who cut the powerful gems out of the dragon’s corpse?  

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

Conan & Dragonero #6 Cover Preview

Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti

Artist & Colorist: Lorenzo Nuti

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artist: Stevan Subic

Publisher: Titan Comics

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color 

Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil

Release Date: October 7, 2026

 

Pulled to the mysterious land of Erondár by dark forces, Conan comes face to face with the famed dragon slayer, Dragonero, and the two warriors must set aside suspicion to stand back-to-back against a supernatural force poised to doom both their worlds.

 

Here are more covers to collect:

 

Cover B: Mirko Kolac Virgin Card Stock

 

 

Cover C: Mirko Kolac Foil

 

Available from local comic shops. For UK & Europe visit Forbidden Planet

 

For more details, visit Titan Comics.

 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for sharing this Cover Preview with us. 

 

For how this series began, see Conan & Dragonero #1 Review.

For Conan and Ian's return to a city the Cimmerian fears, see Conan & Dragonero #5 Review.  

 

Conan The Barbarian #35 Review

 

Conan The Barbarian #35 Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Gerardo Zaffino, Nick Marinkovich, Ashleigh Izienicki & Benito Gallego

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

The Red Brotherhood ruled the seas. But while a storm clutched the Briney Wren in a death grip, a specter with red eyes haunted the night. Amid the raging seas, it murdered the First Officer and attacked Conan. In the morning, Captain Quinn steered his broken ship to the shores of a mysterious island where a crystal pillar embedded with Human skeletons met the crew's weary gaze. But that was only the beginning of the Red Brotherhood’s problems.

 

Now, Conan watches a cult in black robes carry his surviving shipmates through the jungle. Can he rescue Captain Quinn, Valeria, and the rest of the survivors? And why do the servants of Jaggta-Noga want the Cimmerian? Let’s shout, “Hail Crom,” leap into Conan The Barbarian #35, and see!

 

Story

Morley sweet-talked Valeria as they fought side by side. Yet, as a fellow member of the Red Brotherhood, he never pressed his affections unduly. Valeria regarded him as a jovial rogue that she could control. Then he robbed her of her voice. And with the aid of robed cultists, Morley imprisoned her in a cave.

 

As Conan The Barbarian #35 follows Valeria’s perilous journey, it also shows Conan’s loyalty to his comrades. Morley's cult may wear dark robes. Yet, Conan slips through the night, striking cult members without warning and disappearing when they threaten to overwhelm him. He seeks to free his brothers-in-arms by striking fear into their captors. And as they strive to capture him for their foul purposes, Conan seeks only their deaths.

 

While Jim Zub's story follows Conan's merciless attack on the island's Human predators, it also follows the evolving relationship between Valeria and Morley. Like any relationship, it is one of discovery. Morley believes he knows everything he needs to know about her. Valeria discovers much more about who Morley is, what he prizes, and what he'll do to reach his goals. Yet, as she observes more of his eldritch powers, Morley discovers that Valeria and her Cimmerian friend can still surprise him in Conan The Barbarian #35.

 

Art

With their wrists bound in ceiling-mounted restraints, the members of the Red Brotherhood hang in vertical panels. Standing on the sloping cave floor, Morley looks up at Captain Quinn and Valeria. He may resent looking up at these two pirates who held power over him. But as a worshipper of Jaggta-Noga, Morley is used to gazing up at his betters.

 

As Fernando Dagnino shows the Red Brotherhood's peril, the robed cultists search the forest. They carry torches as their eyes dart in all directions on another page of three vertical panels. But Conan crawls through the forest canopy like an Englishman bred in the jungle, only dropping down for a quick game of death.

 

Streaks of white light create sparkles in the blue-and-green cavern. Like the searchers’ torches, yellow flames blaze in braziers by cultist guards. As yellow, orange, and pink signal morning’s arrival, orange fills backgrounds during moments of violence and tinges attacks when scarlet flies. Yet just as pink heralded the coming of a new day, it also celebrates another visitor’s arrival.

 

As Diego Rodriguez’s bright palette illuminates Conan and Valeria's dark journey, Jim Zub's narration fills yellow boxes. Cultists and pirates' black uppercase dialogue fills white balloons. While intonation makes words bold, broken balloon borders convey lowered voices. 

 

As cultists descend into the darker levels of their domain, Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith cast enlarged uppercase words into balloons with serrated edges. Enlarged red letters accompany acts of surprising strength. Still, Morley isn't the only person who speaks large red letters in Conan The Barbarian #35. Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Conan is only a man. Yet his fierce determination to survive and his preternatural fighting abilities have seen him surmount overwhelming odds. Crom may never speak to him. Yet as he defeats sorcerers and foils their plans, the Cimmerian becomes someone the gods cannot ignore in Conan The Barbarian #35.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Conan The Barbarian #35 Preview. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

For the Red Brotherhood's first day on the Island of Death, see Conan The Barbarian #34 Review.

 

For Conan's battle with a specter with crimson eyes, see Conan The Barbarian #33 Review.

 

For how this series began, see my review of Conan The Barbarian TP Vol 1.   

 

Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1 Review

 

Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1 Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Jésus Merino

Colorist: Jão Canola

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Roberto De La Torre, Utsab Chatterjee, Gerardo Zaffino, Jésus Merino & Stuart Sayger

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

Conan has traveled the world. He has faced countless foes. So, when he defends a village along the border between Zingara and Argos, the tide of battle doesn’t faze him. Conan knows how to navigate the ebb and flow of battle and use momentum to achieve victory. Yet he senses a familiar presence casting its shadow over him once more. Conan does not know how Thulsa Doom’s forces will attack him next. Still, Conan senses a familiar darkness once again threatening the Hyborian World.

 

Yet wars are not fought alone. Who will join Conan in his next battle with Thulsa Doom? And after all of Conan's victories, will the powerful sorcerer gain the advantage over the Cimmerian this time? Let's raise our swords, leap into Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1, and see!

 

Story

In the Hyborian Age, Conan sits in a tavern, nursing a tankard of ale. After defending towns from raiders, he forsook his position and pay when the defenders became oppressors. But as he watches the revelry around him, Conan feels like an outsider. He wonders if his sacrifice was worth it.

 

As Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1 follows the Cimmerian’s struggle to find value in civilized society, it also checks in on Steve Costigan. Six years have passed since he fought for civilization in Montfaucon, France. After the Great War ended, Steve wandered. He sought meaning in all the death and destruction. The anguish he endured seeing his comrades die on the battlefield, and how they treated the people they fought to protect, refuses to fade. So, when his footsteps lead him into Chinatown in London, England, Steve accepts the manager's invitation and steps within the Temple of Dreams.

 

As Jim Zub's story ponders the role civilization plays in Human progress, he backtracks to the Thurian Era. Humans tend to think of time as a straight line. Yet for Gonar the Seeker, time is a circle. Sitting cross-legged before a fire in the Thurian Age, Gonar peers past the boundaries of time and space. He sees a cosmic being that Conan and Steve sense through their connection to Thulsa Doom.

 

Conan has triumphed in many wars between nations. Steve Costigan struggles to recover from serving in Humanity’s first World War. Yet a war for the cosmos, ignited by a stellar ravager and Thulsa Doom’s unquenchable thirst for power, awaits both men in Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1.

 

Art

As Gonar sits in contemplation, with horns crowning his head, a cosmic vision overtakes his eyes. A dead space appears amid a sea of stars. Yet a living Black Hole gathers stars with its tentacles to the vortex at its center. In the Hyborian Age, Conan frowns as he regards the crowded tavern. Some drink wildly. Intoxication drives others to rage. A tavern wench smiles as she delivers drinks to other customers. Yet still, Conan frowns.

 

Millennia later, Steve Costigan reclines on a wooden platform. Sweat drenches his features as a wisp of smoke escapes his pipe. Around him, smokers close their eyes and relax as they sink into oblivion. Yet Steve remains restless. Jésus Merino provides readers a glimpse inside Steve's mind. Amid decaying corpses, silhouettes of violence, and explosions, tears stream from Steve's eyes.

 

As a purple cosmic entity devours stars in a blue-and-black sky, the brown trees and ground surrounding Gonar match the interior of Conan's tavern. An orange-and-yellow vision signals Steve Costigan's connection with Thulsa Doom’s resurgence. Jão Canola uses gold to link Steve's pipe and Conan's medallions with a woman each meets. Yet like green, gold also links Steve, Conan, and the mysterious woman with Thulsa Doom in Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith convey Jim Zub’s strong narrative voice with uppercase black letters in colored narrative boxes. Steve speaks in roughly shaped balloons as he struggles to put the past behind him, and spherical balloons when he recaptures what he lost. The rough balloons link Steve to Conan’s adversary, and a voice that speaks amid roughly shaped beige circles outlined with red. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Raiders killed her parents when she was a child. She grew up as a servant. As Steve Costigan fought to preserve civilization, Zuleika served beneath Thulsa Doom. While Conan and Steve can sense the sorcerer, Thulsa Doom seems ignorant of her extraordinary abilities. Yet like Gonar the Seeker, Zuleika recognizes that time and space are illusions. As Thulsa Doom arrays his forces for another bid to take over the world, Zuleika’s role seems inextricably linked with the sorcerer and the power of the Black Stone in Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #1 Preview. 

For more on Zuleika see The Savage Sword of Conan #16 Review. 

Read the Free Comic Book Day issue: Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #0 at Titan Comics. 

 

For Titan's earlier Conan events, see:

Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1 Review & 

Conan: Scourge of the Serpent Review.  

 

The Savage Sword of Conan #16 Review

 

The Savage Sword of Conan #16 Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Nicola Scott, Chris Campana & Sean Izaakse

Pin-Ups: Jesús Merino, Luke Eidenschink & Leonardo Manco

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Joe Jusko & Nick Percival

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $6.99 US

Release Date: September 16, 2026

 

Conan has battled Thulsa Doom across time and space. When Doom threatened his homeland, the Cimmerian teamed with a Pict scout to rescue his people from the sorcerer's clutches. He fought alongside King Kull and Brissa's distant ancestor Brule. The Cimmerian has joined forces with occult detectives John Kirowan and John Conrad. He's stood shoulder to shoulder with Solomon Kane, Dark Agnes, and El Borak to combat a creature that could attack people through their memories.

 

Still, no matter how many times Conan defeats him, and who the Cimmerian fights alongside, Thulsa Doom resolutely claws his way back to life and power. How will Thulsa Doom threaten Conan next? And what other legendary warriors will get drawn into the soul-stealing vortex of the Black Stone's power? Let's shout "Hail Crom," leap into The Savage Sword of Conan #16, and see!

 

Story

In "Conan: Massacred Memories," Jim Zub looks back at the Cimmerian's childhood. While his father instructed him in Cimmerian beliefs and Lyolf taught him to fight, Conan urged his older friend Hydallan to cast off his fear. Jim Zub shows us life in the village of Erianne from Hydallan’s eyes. The story moves back and forth in time, weaving Conan into Hydallan’s life. It also shows the Cimmerian's life after Conan departed to explore other lands. Hydallan’s life is filled with joys and sorrows. Yet Conan remains someone who inspires Hydallan, even if he cannot hope to emulate him.

 

Unlike Hydallan, gunslinger Steve Corcoran enjoys Conan’s fearless nature but lacks Hydallan’s morality. In "The Ghosts of Wahpeton," Jim Zub summarizes Steve Corcoran's adventures in Robert E. Howard's novella, "The Vultures of Wahpeton." While Hydallan loses much but retains his will to carry on, Steve Corcoran loses everything and lacks a reason to continue. But as with Hydallan, when Death comes calling, Steve Corcoran gets a second chance in The Savage Sword of Conan #16.

 

After venturing into the Hyborian Age and the Old West, Jim Zub transports readers to Eastern Europe in the early 20^th Century. In “The Warrior Within,” Zuleika is a girl foraging for mushrooms. Given her Circassian heritage, others prey on her people. Like Hydallan and Steve Corcoran, Zuleika loses people she cares about. Still, she finds ways of coping with her losses and hardships as a woman in a male-dominated society.

 

Unlike Dark Agnes, Zuleika cannot channel her anger to become a fearless warrior. Yet the skills and mental discipline she learns as a serving girl in Stamboul fill her with her ancestors' courage. And perhaps, like Conan, King Kull, and the Pict Brule, Zuleika can find a way to contact her earlier counterparts in The Savage Sword of Conan #16.

 

Art

Cimmerians hide along the road as Aquilonian soldiers in armor, uniforms, and helmets leave their garrison. Conan fights wearing a fur across his back, a loincloth, and boots. Hydallan is better clothed, like the rest of his kin. He also carries more arms and a shield. Yet Hydallan watches Conan chart his own course, while he stays with the pack.

 

Hydallan remembers walking through the woods in his youth. Older and taller than Conan, Hydallan swings a stick like a sword and boasts to his smaller friend about the great warrior he will become. Nicola Scott steeps her epic scenes and heartfelt recollections with shades of gray, lending depth and reality to her art in The Savage Sword of Conan #16.

 

After showing Steve Corcoran riding his galloping horse away from his failure, a collage of memories retells his recent events in Wahpeton Gulch. Riding through the lonely desert, the cowboy eventually dismounts and reclines against a rock, tipping his hat over his head. When he awakens, a strange sight and a visitor propel him on an unexpected adventure. Chris Campana uses black lines, inked backgrounds, silhouettes, and crosshatching in this story about a Western gunslinger embarking on an otherworldly adventure.

 

As a child, Zuleika kneels among mushrooms sprouting around a tree stump. Streams of light pervade the canopy, illuminating the girl and making the ground glow. Mesmerizing imagery conjured from a battle between darkness and light conveys the majesty of young Zuleika’s spirit in The Savage Sword of Conan #16. Despite all the trauma she endures, a memory of a woman clad in gems, fine linens, and a warrior's garb helps the girl endure the wooden cages, lattice windows, hinged screens, and stone walls that enclose her in Sean Izaase’s art.

 

Lettering 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white dialogue balloons with black uppercase dialogue. Hydallan relates his story with white letters in black boxes, while white dates in black boxes chart Zuleika’s life. Black uppercase letters in white boxes share Steve Corcoran’s struggles, while letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Sound effects fill the air as Hydallan and Steve Corcoran reach a nadir and confront a potential way forward. Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Thulsa Doom and the power of the Black Stone unite heroes and villains across history. As the sorcerer realizes that Conan has become his nemesis, more people enter his orbit. Jim Zub introduces three people who have survived against the odds. But what role they will play in Thulsa Doom’s next foray on the Cimmerian is anything but certain in The Savage Sword of Conan #16.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see The Savage Sword of Conan #16 Preview. 

Conan & Dragonero #5 Review

 

Conan & Dragonero #5 Review

Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti

Artist & Colorist: Lorenzo Nuti

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artist: Stevan Subic

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil

Release Date: August 5, 2026

 

When a dragon swept into a temple in Tarantia, it escaped with gems that protected the Hyborian Age from ancient evil. Yet as Conan and his guards battled the dragon, it transported them from the crown jewel of Aquilonia to the world of Erondár. After teaming up with Ian Aranill and his sister Myrva, Conan tracked the dragon to its lair.

 

Even without Myrva’s airship, Conan and Ian engaged in a high-flying battle with the dragon. But as the two warriors stood poised for victory, the gems swept them up in a magical storm. How have the gems affected Conan and Ian? And can the men return them to Tarantia before Conan’s world descends into chaos? Let's grab our swords, shout "Hail Crom," leap into Conan & Dragonero #5, and see!

 

Story

Once again, a hero arises in unfamiliar surroundings. But this time, Ian senses that he has traveled to another world. Still, Conan is not far away. Having recovered first, the hale Cimmerian has built a fire within a stone ring. Ian may lack a connection to this world. Yet through his connection to the dragon in its dying moments, Ian believes he can find its body.

 

In Conan & Dragoner #5, extracting the jewels proves no easy task. When the warriors discover the body, scavengers dart in and around it. Each predator steals chunks of flesh before losing part of itself to its competitors. The two adventurers must battle the animals for access to the exposed skeleton. After realizing the gems have vanished, Conan and Ian must follow clues to discover where they have been taken.

 

Luca Enoch and Stefano Vietti’s story opens from Ian’s perspective before following both men on their quest. Their differing approaches to problem-solving reveal their temperaments and why Conan is more muscular than Ian. The story also displays Conan’s hatred of sorcery and why it is well-earned. Yet as the story nears its end, the men discover that invaders from other domains are not the only threats to the Hyborian Age in Conan & Dragonero #5.

 

Art

Yucca trees and boulders rise from the sand as Ian rises to his feet and trudges toward his nearby sword. As smoke from Conan’s firepit rises into the sky, a boulder evokes the dead dragon’s skull. Then the men set off through a desert filled with boulders, mounds, and depressions. The terrain's rise and fall suggest that giants once battled in this barren land.

 

Lorenzo Nuti shows bipedal dinosaurs competing for the skeleton’s dwindling meat. After Conan and Ian avoid the snapping maws and the slashing claws, they set off toward rock faces and monuments erected by people inspired by the land’s anthropomorphic features. When they reach a settlement surrounding a lake, the inhabitants’ attire and buildings imbue the land with a historic, real-world flavor. While purple and red often signal danger, this city offers a rich tapestry of color in Conan & Dragonero #5.

 

Bubbles and clouds reveal Ian’s thoughts in an adventure seemingly told from his perspective. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith place black uppercase letters in balloons and boxes that grow bold with intonation. Words swell, and occasionally change color, as raised voices transform balloons into stars. Yet after growls, hissing, and roars fill the air, beating drums and the sounds of battle attend the search for the gems. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Ian Aranill battled his conscience before slaying the dragon. Still, he believed it would end all the killing the dragon's return to Erondár unleashed. But when the gems transport them to Conan's world, Ian realizes the slaughter has just begun. And the Cimmerian must confront memories that still haunt him in Conan & Dragonero #5.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For how this series began, see Conan & Dragonero #1 Review. 

Conan The Barbarian #34 Review

 

Conan The Barbarian #34 Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Esad Ribic, Jesus Merino, Nicola Scott & Juan Alberto Hernandez

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 26, 2026

 

The Zingaran Navy threatened the Red Brotherhood with extinction. Instead, it gave them sport and booty. But a battle amid a raging storm took everything Conan and Valeria had and more. Despite surviving the wind-tossed seas, Conan has more on his mind than the Zingarans' new War on Piracy. During the night, the Cimmerian faced a phantom with red eyes who slew Captain Quinn's First Mate and knocked him unconscious.

 

As they drop anchor at an unknown island, will the crew find the resources they need to repair their damaged vessel? And what forces molded skeletons and stone into a haunting monument? Let’s shout, “Hail Crom,” leap into Conan The Barbarian #34, and see!

 

Story

With Conan and Valeria's help, Captain Quinn steered the Briney Wren through the raging storm. But as the ship lists and salt water invades its battered timbers, the sailors realize it has seen its last voyage. Captain Quinn is no stranger to surviving disaster. So, he organizes the crew to salvage what they can, lower the boats, and make for land.  

 

The obelisk along the shore casts a dire warning. Yet each sailor realizes that the loot they took from other vessels cannot help them on this island. Closer to nature than his city-bred companions, Conan wants to scout the land for food, water, and enemies. But after losing his First Mate and the Briney Wren, Captain Quinn wants his remaining crew to stick together. So, although he realizes it exposes everyone to more danger, the Cimmerian accompanies the party as they survey the island together in Conan The Barbarian #34.

 

Before the cataclysm that ended Kull’s Thurian Age, this island might have been charted, and its dangers known. But as Captain Quinn and his company survey this forbidding island, they witness wonders unknown in an age when knowledge is hoarded or lost instead of shared. While the fiercest fighters like Conan and Valeria seem best suited for the dangers they face, a sailor who makes light of everything demonstrates surprising survival skills in Conan The Barbarian #34.

 

Art

As their ship sinks, its masts bow toward the monolith ashore. The cargo Captain Quinn ordered his crew to batten down now floats near the wrecked vessel. As they bid farewell to the Briney Wren, Conan stands taller than all his companions save Captain Quinn. Then, as they climb the grassy slope toward ferns and trees, Conan takes the lead, while a wary Valeria follows, yet also lingers.

 

Fernando Dagnino combines eye-catching set pieces with inset panels to heighten tension and convey action. Unlike Quinn's extravagant appearance and Morley's posturing, Conan never demands the spotlight. Yet when danger threatens, Captain Quinn lurks in the background while Conan raises a hand to block the blinding light. Diego Rodriguez adorns Conan The Barbarian #34 with a loaded palette that accentuates the mystery and majesty of Jim Zub’s story. Yet when yellow and orange emphasize a character’s features, Conan remembers the wraith with glowing red eyes that he battled amid the storm.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white dialogue balloons with black uppercase text as the survivors seek food, water, and shelter after losing their plunder. The words grow bold for intonation, broken balloon borders suggest lowered voices, and letters swell as people die. Yellow narrative boxes accompany readers on this trek through an unknown island. A red balloon border accompanies a shouted warning. Yet, red dialogue spells doom for the crew of the Briney Wren. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When she roused him on the storm-battered deck of the Briney Wren, Valeria intended to drag Conan into the hold. But when he insisted on standing by Captain Quinn, she followed his lead, trusting Conan's instincts more than her own. Now, as they explore a forgotten island filled with danger at every turn, Valeria learns why so few of the Cimmerian's fellow thieves, mercenaries, and freebooters survive to tell tales of their adventures in Conan The Barbarian #34.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more see ConanThe Barbarian #34 Cover Preview. 

 

For what happened last time, see Conan The Barbarian #33 Review. 

 

For how this series began, see my review of Conan The Barbarian TP Vol 1.

 

For Conan's first adventure after the Battle of Venarium, see my review of Conan The Barbarian Vol 4: Frozen Faith.

 

Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2 Review

 

Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2 Review

Writer, Artist & Colorist: Patrick Zircher

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: August 19, 2026

 

Ramih Khan is the Regent of Sidhi. Asaf Khan is the Regent of Karra. Neither holds power by right of ancestry. So, to solidify their status, their forces attack Gondwana. Durgavati, the province’s ruler, is still young and beautiful. More importantly, she has the wealth and status they seek. As a widow raising a young prince, both men view the Maharani of Gondwana as a prize.

 

Diwan Beohar Kayastha, Durgavati’s steward, has traveled to Agra, Hindustan. When the Emperor of the Mughal Empire granted him an audience, Beohar requested protection from Gondwana’s aggressors. Yet in secret, Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar smiles on his Khans’ actions. For Gondwana to know peace, Maharani Durgavati must surrender her lands and choose Ramid or Asaf as her next husband. But what will happen to Durgavati and Prince Vir if she accepts a marriage proposal? And what sorcery or magic links a Puritan warrior with a deceased holy man? Let’s grab our swords, leap into Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2, and see!

 

Story

It is a dark and stormy night when Chandra Shah arrives at Fortress Chauragarh. Maharani Durgavati invites her brother-in-law to join them. But the Master of Scouts isn’t interested in eating dinner. He reports that Ramih Khan's army is marching west. To Chandra’s surprise, Diwan Beohar Kayastha realizes that Ramih Khan’s forces are uniting with Asaf Khan’s army to attack them. Worse, his late brother’s widow refuses to retreat deeper into Gondwana and let her Chieftains defend her.

 

In Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2, Patrick Zircher interlaces his Puritan hero’s tale with views inside Fortress Chauragarh and Asaf Khan's manor house. His slow-paced story reveals Durgavati's determination to rule. It also shows how people respond to her leadership and contrasts this with how Asaf Khan and Ramih Khan treat the people in their care. Yet as the two factions mobilize for war, Solomon Kane walks an uncertain path. Shunned by civilization, the Puritan wanders through the wilderness, led by a lion that shares its food with him.

 

Yet, as Solomon Kane insists on moving forward, even if he doesn't know where he is going, the lion eventually leads him back to civilization. Unlike Asaf Khan and Ramih Khan, the Puritan meets someone content with the power he wields. And as he receives a warm welcome, Solomon Kane regales his listeners with tales from his travels. In this land torn by the avarice of the two Khans, Solomon most fears that Fate has taken over his life. So, even if it goes against everything he's been taught to believe, the Puritan seeks counsel on how to regain control of his life in Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2.

 

Art

Rain streaks down amid the lightning as a rider drives his horse along a narrow dirt road. He enters a fortress filled with arched doorways and interior supports. As his Rani rises to greet him, her court remains seated cross-legged on the stone floor. Despite the flowers adorning her ears, her eyes bespeak determination, and a white dot on her forehead shines like the sun.

 

Like the Puritan’s black hat, cloak, and clothes, a lion sports a black mane as he strides ahead. Along with the scratches on Durgavati’s arm, the head of the Puritan’s staff links with the King of Beasts. Yet when a streak of light prompts a miniature dust storm, the lion bolts as men wearing turbans carry muskets, and Solomon Kane draws his flintlock pistol.

 

Patrick Zircher adorns his detailed art with a rich palette in Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2. Yet he retreats to a single color when portraying earlier moments from the characters’ lives. Asaf Khan’s attire links him to the characters’ lavender and brown-colored memories as he bows to Ramih Khan’s guidance. Yet a green realm links Solomon to Durgavati’s private, blue-green domain.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters shrink for lowered voices, enlarge for raised voices, and grow bold with intonation. Lowercase letters in black boxes introduce characters and settings, while Solomon Kane shares his thoughts and memories in beige boxes. As gunshots echo across the rocky plateau, an uninvited guest’s feasting disturbs two men filling the Mughal Empire with fear. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While Conan the Barbarian made Robert E Howard famous, one of the writer's great loves was historical epics. Patrick Zircher draws on the Puritans' original adventures to set Solomon Kane amid historical events in Africa. Then, Zircher spices his grand-scale storytelling with the supernatural à la H Rider Haggard in Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

For more, see Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2 Cover Preview.