Conan The Barbarian #36 Review
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Fernando Dagnino
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Cover Artists: Mark Bagley, Doug Braithwaite & Sedat
Oezgen
Editor: Chris Butera
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $4.99 US
Release Date: October 28, 2026
Morley may not have been Conan or Valeria’s preferred
tankard of ale. Still, his humor and lighthearted attitude enlivened their
days. But when the Red Brotherhood found themselves trapped on an uncharted
island, they discovered the smiling pirate's dark side. And as a servant of
Jaggta-Noga, the expert swordsman wielded sorcerous power.
Now, Morley and his cult have whittled down the pirate band
to Conan and Valeria. And a god hungers to consume them both. Can Conan and
Valeria escape from this dark isle? Or will their skeletons join those fused to
the strange pillars that greeted them when they steered their ruined ship to
the shore? Let’s shout, “Hail Crom,” leap into Conan The Barbarian #36, and
see!
Story
Captain Quinn had guided his sailors through a fearsome
storm. After surviving vicious monsters that defied time, he made doubly sure
his crew survived the night. Yet Morley betrayed the Red Brotherhood, and his
cultists carried off Captain Quinn, Valeria, and the remaining seven pirates.
When Conan reaches the cult's sacrificial chamber, he finds that all the rest
of the Red Brotherhood are dead. Then, Conan sees Morley clutch Valeria by the
neck as he lifts his sword, preparing to slay her.
Conan has slain many of the cult of Jaggta-Noga. Yet he is
the reason they established their temple on this uncharted island. Conan The
Barbarian #36 charts the effects of Cimmerian's actions through time. Like a
stone cast into a pond, his trip to the Thurian Age sent ripples through time.
And after his triumph alongside King Kull and Brule, sorcerers will always view
Conan as a prize.
Jim Zub devotes the first half of his tale to how Conan's
confrontation with Thulsa Doom in the Thurian Age led to many of Conan's
subsequent battles. Then, he returns to Conan's entry to the cult's sacrificial
chamber. Conan fought alongside his fellow pirates. The Cimmerian held Captain
Quinn in high esteem. Now Valeria, whom he also respects, may join the rest of
the Red Brotherhood in death.
After fighting the cultists, Conan's duel with Morley takes
center stage. Conan battles the man who pretended to be his friend and
playfully flirted with Valeria. An ancient being watches as two champions, one
representing Humanity and the other Sorcery, battle for the future of the
Hyborian Age in Conan The Barbarian #36.
Art
When Conan, King Kull, and Brule encountered Thulsa Doom,
his bones symbolized his loss of Humanity. Yet the wave of power he unleashed
forced King Kull to a crouch, while Brule dug his spear into the stone floor.
Amid the sorcerous storm, Conan raised his sword. Then he cleaved the skull
from the robed figure, and Thulsa Doom’s spirit echoed through the cosmos amid
glowing embers and beams of energy. Light stars from his crumbling skull,
dividing a page with scenes revealing how the magical community responds to his
death.
Green links Thulsa Doom with Set. Orange illuminates another
cult's conjurings. Jaggta-Noga radiates pink, as its red tentacles seek out
cloaked followers, inspiring their red-stained actions. As Fernando Dagnino
traces the cult’s travels across the Hyborian world, Diego Rodriguez enlivens
the landscapes, towns, and seas with a loaded palette in Conan The Barbarian
#36. Yet in the cult's sacred chamber, as Conan defies a hungry god, the air
hums with pink, red splatters the combatants, and purple shadows make the
cavern glow.
Jim Zub's black uppercase narration fills yellow boxes and
invades black and colored backgrounds. Thulsa Doom’s white dialogue balloons shake
when Thulsa Doom speaks. Morley fills white balloons with red letters and
borders when he draws on his god's power. Yet Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith
cast enlarged black-and-red uppercase words into serrated balloons as Conan
attacks the man whose duplicity doomed the Red Brotherhood. Thanks to Titan
Comics and Heroic Signatures for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Conan respects strong leaders, admires bravery, and is
steadfastly loyal to his friends. Yet the cultists overwhelmed the Red
Brotherhood with numbers. In Jaggta-Noga's presence, their abilities should
outstrip mere Humans. Yet strategy, determination, and unflinching loyalty are
also formidable powers in Conan The Barbarian #36.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside, see Conan The Barbarian #36 Preview.
For Valeria's discovery in the ancient caverns, see Conan The Barbarian #35 Review.
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.
