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. 

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.