Conan The Barbarian #33 Review

 

Cover by Max Von Fafner

Conan The Barbarian #33 Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Roberto De La Torre, Fernando Dagnino, Max Von Fafner, Don Aguillo, Rebeca Puebla & Dan Panosian

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 29, 2026

 

The Zingaran government wants to send a message: its ports are open, and its seas are safe for vessels to sail upon. As the Navy cracks down on piracy, one ship defies their reach. Commanded by Captain Quinn Corvaxis, the Briney Wren strikes terror upon the seas. But what makes this crew of pirates such an unstoppable force? And what dangers will arise to threaten Captain Quinn, Valeria, and Conan the Cimmerian’s supremacy on the high seas? Let’s shout, “Hail Crom,” leap into Conan The Barbarian #33, and see!

 

Story

Captain Quinn may order his sailors into battle against the Zingaran seadogs. But Conan is the first to board the military vessel. The Cimmerian orders the Red Brotherhood to seize the helm. While his zeal inspires most of his comrades, two other seasoned sailors observe the Cimmerian's bloodlust. Morley quips with Valeria as they cut a swathe across the deck. And they force the Zingaran Captain to surrender, while Conan would prefer to continue the fighting.

 

In Conan The Barbarian #33, the Cimmerian is more prone to melancholia than mirth. Morley senses a history between Conan and Valeria. But Conan says nothing, and Valeria insists they were just fellow thieves. Like Captain Quinn, Conan seems content to observe his fellow sailors following the battle. But he snaps into action when another danger arises.

 

As Jim Zub’s story follows a day in the life of Conan and Valeria, Morley is an interloper. He seems intent on sweeping Valeria off her feet. While Valeria keeps him at arm’s length, the two warriors are well-matched. Conan takes little interest in the duo's flirting. More attuned to nature's rhythms than his civilized companions, the Cimmerian remains alert for danger.

 

But while the smirking swordsman and the warrior woman spar, an unseen enemy begins a game of their own. Like Morley and Valeria, their adversary plays by their own rules. And while Morley and Valeria cut short Conan’s battle aboard the Zingaran naval vessel, the Cimmerian may get more than his fill of death in Conan the Barbarian #33.

 

Art

While Bêlit disdained restrictive clothing, Captain Quinn has a dress code. And instead of the sword he found at the Battle of Venarium, Conan wields a sabre with a crossguard. As he swings over to the Zingaran vessel in his long-sleeve shirt, pants, and boots, Valeria and the others follow wearing similar attire. A red sash at their waist is their calling card, along with the crimson they spill with their swords. After a splash page and a double-page spread, Fernando Dagnino uses rectangular panels to portray calm moments, while diagonal borders enhance the fraught battles.

 

Diego Rodriguez lavishes a loaded palette on the swashbuckling action in Conan The Barbarian #33. Red and yellow enhance the daytime battle as the pirates battle purple-clad Zingarans beneath purple sails. But the blue night turns green when Conan’s heightened senses detect danger. As sailors scramble for safety, green and white electrify the night. Yet Captain Quinn stands on the top deck, wearing his black hat and long jacket, while his long gray beard and a dagger adorning his wide leather belt mark him as an experienced captain.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white dialogue balloons with black uppercase text as Conan strikes terror into his enemies. Jim Zub's narration in yellow boxes guides readers through this maritime chapter of the Cimmerian’s life. The words grow bold for intonation and never shrink. Yet they swell, and balloons grow spikes, when sailors’ voices rise. And dialogue changes color when staring death in the face. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Conan and Valeria have fought together before. Then they slipped through shadows as thieves, and nighttime was their friend. Now they rob and steal in daylight. But when darkness falls, the pirates brave unknown dangers in Conan The Barbarian #33.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Conan The Barbarian #33. 

 

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.

 

Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP Review

 

Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP Review

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Sami Kivelä

Colorist: Valentina Bianconi

Letterers: Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith

Cover Artist: Nipuni

Editor: Jonathan H Wilkins

Art Director: Oz Browne

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $17.99

Release Date: July 21, 2026

 

The Doctor has worn many faces and lived many lives. In his current incarnation, he has loved and lost. Given his abilities to travel through time and his extraordinarily long life, a companion helps him remember all the people who need his help. After Earth’s sun went nova, the Doctor and his companion freed its remaining inhabitants and reunited a little, lost girl with her parents. Where will the Doctor travel next? And who will help him rescue people in need? Let’s grab our sonic screwdrivers, leap into Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP, and see!

 

Story

After robots abducted her, the Doctor was trying to help Belinda Chandra return home. But something was shielding the Earth from his TARDIS’ navigational computers. Then, amid their search for Earth, Shadow Proclamation agents abducted the Human nurse. While Earth hides, the Doctor tracks his abducted companion to the Panoptopolis, a space station that orbits a black hole. No one who arrives there ever leaves. Still, that won’t deter the Doctor from rescuing his companion.

 

Yet in Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP, Belinda isn’t his companion. The Doctor arrives on a prison shuttle with a cyborg, a Tentaculon, an Adipose, and a member of the Slitheen family. And when Security drags the new arrivals to Interrogation because of an irregular energy reading, H-8 the Living Gun, Methelough, Annie, and Felik decide they’re better off with the Doctor than going it alone in the Prison’s Gen Pop.

 

Dan Watters’ story contrasts the Doctor with the Warden of Panoptopolis. While the Doctor has lived for centuries, the Warden has ruled the maximum-security establishment for 800 years. Due to the Black Hole's gravity, uncrewed shuttles bring new inmates and supplies. The Warden can always shoot troublesome prisoners into the singularity. But the inhabitants, the Gravelyte guards, and the Warden can never leave.

 

As the Doctor and his new companions set off to find the Warden’s office, they must brave inmates who prey on their fellow captives. The Doctor points out that he and H-8 have slightly different life philosophies. But as his new companions aid him in his search for the Human nurse, the Doctor’s words and actions prompt them to reflect on their past. Yet while his new companions ponder how they might live differently, Belinda Chandra sits in the Warden’s office. And the only thing that keeps her breathing is her ability to entertain the bored ruler of his forever home in Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP.

 

Art

Sami Kivelä surrounds the ringed space station with inset panels of the arriving shuttle and a view inside. The Doctor sits on a bench, his hands chained to the floor, beside a tooth-like Adipose and gassy, green Sliveen. Seated nearer the hatch, a purple cephalopod and a multi-armed cyborg frame the trio. Rock-creatures with horns direct them inside with their cattle prods. Before mingling with the rest of the prison population in the dining hall, the Doctor gazes up at an eyeball security camera. Then, he demands they release one of their prisoners to him.

 

Valentina Bianconi links the Doctor's orange-brown coat with the orange-tan rocky guards. With a purple Tentaculon and a green Sliveen for company, the fashion-conscious Doctor stands out among the prisoners and guards in Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP. Yellow makes its presence felt in this lavishly colored story. The latest visitors enter beneath a yellow-and-black warning line. They pass through a brownish-yellow hall. The rock guards scan a white card adorned with yellow. As they enter a cafeteria filled with inmates wearing yellow coveralls, a yellow-eyed security camera watches them. Yet red will fill the air and make its presence felt, all too soon.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white dialogue balloons with uppercase black dialogue. The narrator speaks into light-yellow boxes, while the rocky guards use cloudy, light-yellow balloons. The words grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Sound effects enhance battles and put would-be rescuers at ease. Yet a lowly character speaks the loudest, even if it is a squeak. The tightly bound trade paperback features glossy paper and doesn’t obscure the art near the gutter. A cover gallery and pages from Sami Kivelä’s notebook fill out this trade paperback. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a physical review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Panoptopolis holds many dangerous prisoners. But none of them are as dangerous as the guards or as ruthless as the Warden. In this story about the temptations and abuses of power, the Doctor inspires the imprisoned to ignore their fears in Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP.

 

Rating 9.8/10

Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1 Review

 

Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1 Review

Writers: Dulce M Montoya & Dan Watters

Artist: Robert Ingranata

Colorist: Valentina Bianconi

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Jonathan H Wilkins

Cover Artists: Jay Anacleto, Photo, Robert Sienicki & Flops

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $6.99

Release Date: July 8, 2026

 

Time Travel is a tricky business. Forget stepping on a Butterfly. You can change someone’s life with a harsh word or a smile. And then there are the things we touch or take with us when we leave. Thankfully, there is an organization that keeps track of all these ripples in spacetime. The Unified Intelligence Taskforce safeguards the people of Earth from alien invasions, scheming mad scientists, and interference in the timestream. But how is UNIT watching over us? And who helps them prevent reality-shattering paradoxes? Let’s leap into Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1 and see!

 

Story

Osgood and Andrew were looking forward to working with the Doctor. But they didn't realize that the Fugitive Doctor would assist them. Unlike the others the Doctors have met, the Fugitive Doctor doesn't know about her other incarnations. Nor does she care what Osgood and Andrew think of her. She has a job to do, and she's doing it her way.

 

UNIT has amassed a storehouse of items from other planets and time periods. In Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1, the Fugitive Doctor must assess where they belong. When she takes each item to her TARDIS, it transports her to the general area where the item belongs. But the Doctor doesn't know who to return it to.

 

Dulce M Montoya and Dan Watters' story transports the Fugitive Doctor to ancient Greece. Instead of arriving amid the Trojan War, she finds a land at peace. The local town has a bustling marketplace. And the locals bring their offerings to Zeus' temple, even if it leaves them with little to eat themselves. Unfortunately, no one there recognizes the item the Fugitive Doctor is trying to return. And after seeing a man faint with hunger, she cannot help but hike up to Mount Olympus to discuss the gods' reliance on the locals' generosity.

 

The Fugitive Doctor arrived in Greece under a cloud, as Osgood and Andrew worried that her last mission might initiate a civil war. But the Doctor can't help their worries. They cannot blame her for other people's irrational actions. As the Doctor attempts to rectify the problems threatening peace in ancient Greece, she tries to help people work together to better their lives. But while an unseen party observes, the Doctor fails to recognize that not everyone shares her definition of reasonable behavior in Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1.

 

Art

After a view from space of other planets, the Doctor, Osgood, and Andrew walk between tall rows of open shelving. The Doctor plucks a pair of alien glasses and tries them on. Osgood rips them away from her. The Doctor frowns and looks away, her body language defensive. Then, the Doctor’s eyes fix on an item crackling with energy set on a high shelf. She runs outside, past the trees rising above a fence, and into her blue police box. The shape of the ceiling and the double-hexagon shadow on the floor evoke the First Doctor’s TARDIS. Then, as she sets the Dalek gun on the console, the Doctor sets her coordinates and pulls a lever as the weapon crackles with energy.

 

As Robert Ingranata portrays the Doctor amid pastoral splendor, Valentina Bianconi adorns Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1 with vibrant colors. The surrounding hills and trees recall the greenery beyond the UNIT base. The white-robed people in the fields seem as innocent as the grazing sheep. Villagers wear browns and pastels, while some in the market dress in more vibrant colors. She may be the Fugitive Doctor. Yet the Time Lord's bright purple hat and suit, accentuated with a multicolored blouse and hatband, command people's attention.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white and green balloons and boxes with black uppercase dialogue. Raised voices enlarge words and turn balloons spiky. Giant white letters warn the Doctor of approaching danger, while giant red letters accompany its arrival. She faced down a red apple with certainty. But the Fugitive Doctor finds another red menace more difficult to reason with, even if it speaks in a font befitting the birthplace of modern philosophy. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Fugitive Doctor recognizes she needs to work on her people skills. Yet she doesn’t understand why people can’t get along. As she goes about her job, trying to prevent world-threatening paradoxes, she struggles to see things from other people’s perspectives. Still, she tries to help, even if success seems unlikely, in Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversary of the Daleks #1.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Doctor Who Circuit Breaker: Adversaryof the Daleks #1. 

 

Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2 Review

 

Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2 Review

Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti

Artist & Colorist: Lorenzo Nuti

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Roberto De La Torre, Lorenzo Nuti

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil

Release Date: June 10, 2026

 

When Conan landed in a plain of ash, one glance at the sky told him that he had traveled to another world. One of his soldiers spotted a distant wall aglow with lights. But then the white-skinned savages arrived. The silent throng forced Conan and his troops back. And although they extracted a heavy toll, one by one, Conan’s soldiers fell.

 

Then a rain of arrows, unlike anything Conan had ever seen, ended the battle in an instant. Who are the troops who rushed out of the wall and imprisoned Conan? And what happened to the dragon that the Cimmerian and his men were chasing? Let's grab our swords, shout "Hail Crom," leap into Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2, and see!

 

Story

After chaining Conan in a cell, Commander Deymar regards the Cimmerian and wonders what trouble the stranger has brought to his border outpost. His sorcerer placed a spell on the Cimmerian, but it has done little to subdue him. At least the amulet he placed around the stranger's neck allows the men to understand each other. But Conan has lost the men under his command. He’s angry at being imprisoned. And he insists that they let him pursue the dragon.

 

Then, in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2, another stranger enters his cell. Ian Aranill tells Conan that he will dispatch the dragon. His legendary dragon slayer feats have earned him the title Dragonero. Ian also mentions that his flying ship will enable him to pursue the creature that sent many soldiers to their deaths. Then he turns his back on Conan and walks away.

 

In Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti’s story, Conan and Dragonero don't know each other. Nor do they have any reason to trust each other. Conan has brought danger to Ian's land. Yet this "Dragonero" seems as full of himself as most "civilized" warriors. Still, Conan knows how dangerous the dragon can be. And he refuses to let anything get in the way of fulfilling his responsibility.

 

Although he inhabits another world, Conan’s predicament evokes Robert E Howard’s classic tale, Queen of the Black Coast. And although he meets a beautiful female warrior, she seems unlikely to rival his beloved Bêlit. Still, Conan demonstrates his worth, and both heroes recognize they stand a better chance together than apart in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2.

 

Art

A scar runs down his face as Ian Aranill smiles. Yet his eyes narrow as Conan yanks at his chains. As the stranger yells at him, determination overtakes Ian’s features as he turns and leaves. Ian climbs atop the wide stone wall, where soldiers prepare the armaments that let them slay the Algent horde. More soldiers pull on ropes, restraining the vessel beneath an enormous balloon.

 

As Lorenzo Nuti enlivens this gray world with bright colors, Myrva urges Ian to hurry aboard in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2. Then the blonde replaces her goggles, as she grips the wooden steering wheel beneath a purple-pink sky. In the cells below, Conan strains at the gray chains tethering him to the gray stone wall. Soldiers stand by the bars to his cell, clad in silver helmets. Silver chainmail coifs protect their necks. The red heraldic flags draped on the walls link with each soldier’s Coat of Plates, and the blood flying through the air.  

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler fill white balloons with uppercase black dialogue. Letters grow bold for intonation and occasionally turn red. Raised voices swell words and turn balloons into stars. As air currents scream past the airship, the clang of chains, the shouts of the guards, and the sounds of fighting and death echo through the jail. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Conan didn’t ask to leave Tarantia. But when a dragon appeared, he fought to defend the Aquilonian capital. Now he's in a land where people regard him as a savage. And as Ian and Myrva yearn to pursue the dragon endangering their land, their unwanted visitor insists his world also hangs in the balance in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

 

For how this series started, see my review of Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1. 

Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2 Cover Preview

 

COVER A: FERNANDO DAGNINO

When Conan landed in a plain of ash, one glance at the sky told him that he had traveled to another world. One of his soldiers spotted a distant wall aglow with lights. But then the white-skinned savages arrived. The silent throng forced Conan and his troops back. And although they extracted a heavy toll, one by one, Conan's soldiers fell. 

Then a rain of arrows, unlike anything Conan had ever seen, ended the battle in an instant. Who are the troops who rushed out of the wall and imprisoned Conan? And what happened to the dragon that the Cimmerian and his men were chasing? 

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2 
Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti
Artist & Colorist: Lorenzo Nuti
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Editor: Chris Butera
Cover Artists: Fernando Dagnino & Lorenzo Nuti
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil
Release Date: June 10, 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 cover options:

 

 

 

COVER B: LORENZO NUTI VARIANT

 

COVER C: FERNANDO DAGNINO FOIL VARIANT ($14.99)

COVER D: FERNANDO DAGNINO VIRGIN VARIANT

 

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

 

For how this series started, see my review of Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1. 

 

 

 

 

 

Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1 Review

 

Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1 Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Ivan Gil

Colorist: Jão Canola

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Roberto De La Torre

Publisher: Titan Comics & Heroic Signatures

Price: $17.99

Release Date: May 27, 2026

 

After leaving his native Cimmeria and exploring the civilized world, Conan reaches the second-largest city in Nemedia. Traveling alone, the Cimmerian always needs money to fill his purse. If he can't find work as a mercenary, there are other ways to make a living.

 

As he visits cities, towns, or villages, Conan often finds people who lord their status over others. So when he sees a finely-dressed man treating others like dirt in Numalia, Conan decides this "civilized" man needs a lesson. What riches will he find when he sneaks into the man's home? And how will it launch Conan on a journey through space and time? Let's grab our swords, cry "Hail Crom," leap into Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1, and see!

 

Story

Aztrias Petanius may be the governor’s nephew. But despite his fine clothes and house, Conan soon realizes burgling the man’s belongings will net him little. So, when Aztrias points him toward richer pickings, Conan heads off to find Kallian Publico’s antiques house. But when Conan slips inside, the watchman Dionus finds him. And instead of spotting a jeweled goblet, Conan sees Kallian Publico sprawled before an ancient, bowl-shaped sarcophagus.

 

Yet Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1 is not bound by time. While Demetrio the Inquisitor arrives to question Conan’s involvement in Kallian’s death, Professor John Kirowan meets with his friends Michael O’Donnel and James Gordon in Boston in 1934. And when Michael shows a recent purchase, an antique knife, James reacts with undue fright.

 

As Jim Zub's narration links these disparate events together, our guide also travels to the distant past. When Brule the Spear-Slayer approaches him, Gonar the Seeker advises the Pict to seek out King Kull in Valusia. While treachery threatens the newly crowned monarch, Gonar advises Brule of Kull's importance.

 

As Brule meets Kull and uncovers the palace's secrets, Professor John Kirowan and Michael O'Donnel help James Gordon determine why Evelyn attacked him. And while Conan investigates Kallian’s death, words of power unite them. Time cannot separate them. Yet time, and how it affects the rise and fall of civilizations, lies at the heart of Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1.

 

Art

Conan crouches in the shadows as the guards ride past on the dry and cracking dirt road. Stone walls and barred windows guard the houses on each side. As the sun sinks in the sky, Conan creeps across the rounded top of a wall, avoiding the spikes rising from the epicenter. Behind him, towers and temples rise to greet the approaching night.

 

Close-ups of Conan and a portrait of Aztrias compare the men’s health and sophistication. Fire from the braziers illuminates the stone walls and wainscotting. Waning light from the windows also creeps in. Yet as Conan searches the grand house, armored guards and a dog with a spiked collar approach.

 

As Jão Canola lavishes a rich palette of colors and textures on Ivan Gil’s detailed art, green and gold dominate Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1. The aristocracy and high-ranking officials wear green and gold, while a merchant clad in green attempts to open a golden bowl. In an earlier era, green images of Conan, Kull, and Kirowan inhabit light-green smoke. As Gonar counsels Brule, a golden serpent dragon adorns the Pict warrior's wrist. And far in the future, green drapes line the windows in John Kirowan’s book-filled study, as James Gordon shrinks from Michael O’Donnel’s gold-handled knife.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith place black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons, while the narrator's words fill green-white boxes. The dialogue grows bold with intonation. Words enlarge with volume, while broken balloon borders attend lowered voices. And while John Kirowan consults his friend’s wife, black words in green balloons fill her mind. Yet at key moments, when the danger rises to unprecedented heights, giant-colored words fill the air. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While we would like to believe that the future will be better than the past, that's not always the case. People come and go in our lives. Failure may follow success. And while we may gain knowledge and wisdom as we age, our bodies gradually lose the strength and vitality of our youth. So too is it for the Earth. Jim Zub traces the descent of civilization from its majestic beginnings, from times when men knew the gods, to an era when they are barely remembered, in Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1. 

 

 

For Conan, Kull, and Kirowan's previous team-up, see my review of Conan The Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #1. 

 

Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown Review

 

Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown Review

Writer: Jim Zub

Artists: Fernando Dagnino & Alex Horley

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez & Alex Horley

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Alex Horley & Bart Sears

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Trade Paperback Price: $17.99

Release Date: May 20, 2026

 

He treks through pastoral lands and rough, barren country. The nomad shields his features from the sun, the darkness, and the fury of the elements. When he reaches the gates of Tarantia, the capital city of Aquilonia, the guards refuse to admit the ramshackle stranger. So he waits, quietly sitting on the ground, his form and features covered by his cloak and hood. Will the King agree to see him? And how will this hermit test King Conan's mettle? Let’s raise our swords, shout “Hail Crom,” leap into Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown, and see!

 

The Nomad: Story

Years have passed since Conan took the crown of Aquilonia. Yet as he sits on the throne, memories of King Numedides linger. The people around Conan wonder why he has agreed to meet this poor traveler. And when he agrees to the visitor's request, they question his worthiness to wear the crown.

 

As days pass, the people in Conan's court ponder why he has taken a stranger into their midst. They test him and express their concerns. Yet Conan stands by his decision to admit the man. And he wonders why they seem so frightened by a man who eats and drinks little, makes no demands, and keeps to himself.

 

In Jim Zub’s story, a threat to Conan’s future will emerge. Yet what troubles Conan more is the life he has settled into. He begins to remember why he passed up offers to rule kingdoms earlier in his life. As a Cimmerian, Conan worries about tangible dangers. Yet in this first story in Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown, people fret about what might happen, and fear losing the ease and comfort King Conan has brought them.

 

The Nomad: Art

Clad in a cloak and aided by a staff, the wanderer walks through complex landscapes. Carved worship rocks emerge from grassy hillsides as snowy mountains rise in the distance. When he abandons a forest, the wanderer forges a stream in the rain. Lightning pierces the darkness, and rain falls as a stone arch beckons him on. As sunset paints the sky with fire, a river slithers toward a city in a valley below him. Yet after the wanderer reaches the golden walls surrounding the city, axe-carrying soldiers order him to halt.

 

As Alex Horley's lushly painted scenes welcome readers into Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown, the guards' helmets evoke birds. A beak shelters their haughty countenances, while the crest rising above their helmets suggests a game piece. Unlike his guards, King Conan doesn't welcome his visitor with a smile. Gold medallions of a lion adorn his chest and throne. The fur warming his shoulders blends with the gray streaks in his hair. Yet the gray-haired stranger’s alabaster skin evokes a warrior-monarch from another world.

 

The Conquering Crown: Story

As Jim Zub steps back in time, King Numedides has withdrawn from Aquilonian society. He admits few to his castle, and fewer still to his throne room. King Numedides even forbids some visitors to gaze upon his countenance. When word reaches King Ferdrugo de Ramiro III that King Numedides has refused to admit Count Trocero of Poitain to his presence, he summons his general. As his court senses weakness in Aquilonia, they expect King Ferdrugo to order an attack on Aquilonia. But instead of attacking King Numedides, the King of Zingara decides to chip away at his rival’s strength.

 

In The Conquering Crown, soldiers ambush Count Trocero and his party as they return home. After they repel the attackers, they realize they cannot return home. The Zingaran army masses outside Culario, attacking the region’s capital city. In response to his request for aid, King Numedides sends the Westermarck Wolves, currently lounging in the palace with time on their hands. Trocero wishes King Numedides had sent his Black Dragon Knights or his royal army instead of a band of mercenaries. Still, the Count soon realizes that he has a resourceful military leader in Conan.

 

While this second story occurs before The Nomad, The Conquering Crown provides a bridge between Conan the Barbarian and Conan the King. After enjoying years of quests, battles, rescues, and thefts, Conan has settled into a life that offers security. So, he grows troubled when he sees the people of Aquilonia going hungry. Conan has seen the effect wars have on people going about their daily lives. As Conan befriends Count Trocero, he uses the respect and power he earns to help those around him in Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown.

 

The Conquering Crown: Art

A soldier stands atop a city wall near a fluttering banner. King Fedrugo de Ramiro III wears a more ornate crown and armor than King Conan. Bracelets and rings festoon his hands. Gray also adorns his dark hair as he contemplates foreign affairs. As Fernando Dagnino portrays a clash of rulers, Count Trocero rides home at the head of a company. Diego Rodriguez colors his cloak purple while red cloaks and crests adorn Trocero’s shoulders. As the riders pass between red-brown hoodoos, arrows fill the sky. Then they spy columns of black smoke rising from a city on the plains.

 

As a messenger approaches his throne, candles fill King Numedides' throne room. While his general stands nearby, adorned in a purple robe, the messenger bows amid hundreds of candles dripping wax onto the steps and dais. Despite the illumination cast from the floor and candlestands, the King cloaks his features in shadow. Yet nearby, a burly warrior with long gray hair and an eyepatch pushes open a wooden door and surveys his mercenaries sprawled across the floor. Chickens climb over the sleepers, seeking crumbs amid the soldiers' clothing and the empty jugs and plates. Conan reclines atop bags stuffed with straw on a wooden riser, while serving wenches nestle at his sides.

 

Lettering

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white and colored dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters. Words in colored boxes also introduce characters and relate narration. Or black words hover in the air, as Conan forges a friendship with Count Trocero. Words grow bold for intonation and enlarge for raised voices. Spiky balloons intensify the conflict, as King Conan battles foes in a mystic realm, and the younger Cimmerian demonstrates his worthiness to wear the crown of Aquilonia. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Age and experience change everything. Once, Conan left his native Cimmeria to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet. But after years of seeing the costs of war, his compassion for others overrides his desires for riches and conquest. Then, Conan becomes a man dedicated to peace and fights to build a world in which the virtuous prosper in Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

For a look inside, see my preview of Conan The Barbarian Vol 7: The Conquering Crown. 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Conan The Barbarian Vol 6: A Nest of Serpents. 

Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1 Review

 

Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1 Review

Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti

Artist & Colorist: Lorenzo Nuti

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Roberto De La Torre, Lorenzo Nuti

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil

Release Date: May 13, 2026

 

In the dim light, small bipedal dinosaurs scavenge in a field of bones. As they gnaw at the scraps that their larger cousins left behind, the hungry predators sense a disturbance in the air. Then a miniature sun bursts into existence over the killing field. The tiny dinosaurs scatter as electricity crackles and the intense fireball disgorges four warriors.

 

Foremost among them rises Conan, sword in hand, and wondering at the unknown forces that have hurled him across time and space. What happened to the dragon he and his men were chasing? And why was he brought to this land of ash and bones? Let’s grab our swords, shout “Hail Crom,” leap into Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1, and see!

 

Story

As a Cimmerian growing up in a small village, Conan trusts his senses. So when he gazes up at the night sky, Conan accepts that he has traveled to another world. While his fellow warriors wonder why the sand feels so cold, Conan realizes that they stand in a field of ash. And when one of his men falls, with spears jutting from his body, Conan rallies his men as a wave of white warriors rushes toward them across the white landscape.

 

In Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1, the Cimmerian faces unfamiliar foes. The white figures may fight ferociously, but they are not Picts with white body paint. A great wall rises in the distance, shining in the darkness, and guarded by soldiers. But whether it represents a greater danger than the white warriors attacking them remains to be seen.

 

Luca Enoch and Stefano Vietti’s story unfolds at a breathless pace. Conan and his men were pursuing a dragon. Now, unfamiliar foes surround them. And when Conan meets the people of this land, he doesn't know if he can trust them. Worse, they also seem adept at sorcery. Nor are the people of Erondàr inclined to trust the Cimmerian. Still, the people of two worlds face a threat that could destroy them all in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1.

 

Art

While his fellow soldiers wear helmets and carry round shields, Conan protects himself with a vest of small metal plates. The bleached faces of the attacking throng have fiendish features. And when they open their mouths, they reveal teeth filed to points. As the attackers, clad in little more than thongs, blanket the hill before them, Conan and his fellow soldiers retreat toward the wall behind them. But although searchlights shine down on them, Conan's soldiers can't find a way inside.

 

Lorenzo Nuti lavishes a restrained palette on the intense action in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1. Beneath a cloudy dark blue sky, purple inhabits shadows and overtakes distant rock formations. Yet red sprays amid the fighting, while the white of their attackers suggests a curious absence of life. The yellow searchlights turn the ground a soft red, while the gray stone wall gleams with traces of lavender and pink.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith welcome readers with stately words on a yellow scroll. Black uppercase dialogue fills white balloons. Letters grow bold for intonation. Raised voices swell words and turn balloons into stars. Amid the heated battle, steel blades sever bone, and shouts echo across the field of desolation. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Conan didn’t ask to be here. He just wanted to prevent a dragon from ravaging the land. Instead, he has loosed the beast upon a new world. And unlike Yag-kosha, the dragon has no qualms about killing anyone in its new territory in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1.