Conan The Barbarian: Scourge Of The Serpent #2 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT No.2, November 2025

It’s probably a fairly safe bet that many a buyer of this comic book will wholeheartedly agree with its London-based publisher that the publication itself contains “three stunning supernatural stories”. But that’s because the majority of their narratives were actually written by Robert E. Howard way back in the early third of last century rather than today's “Grim Jim Zub”, and – at least as far as both the Conan and King Kull fables are concerned – been adapted for this medium on several previous occasions before.

Indeed, the only thing debatably differentiating these incarnations of “The God In The Bowl” and “The Shadow Kingdom”, is that the Canadian author rather frustratingly insists on repeatedly swapping between the yarns, rather than simply allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the well-written worlds of “the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre.” This inter-weaving of the distinct plot-threads might seem a novel way of retelling the already popular (and arguably well known) tales. However, for some bibliophiles it will surely just diminish their fast-paced flow and ultimately greatly ruin their enjoyment of this twenty-two-page periodical.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the then modern-day tale involving Professor John Kirowan may well completely discombobulate anyone not well-versed in one of Howard’s arguably lesser known creations, due to “The Haunter Of The Ring” being neither set in the Hyborian Age or being heavily reliant upon scintillating swordplay. In fact, every time Zub brings his audience forward to 1934 it is like a jolt to the system, and will most likely snap anyone out of the sinister, spine-tingling terrors confronting both the Cimmerian and Atlantean; “Those… words! Ancient, primordial… A tongue beyond time!”

Delightfully though, what does capture the imagination are Ivan Gil’s layouts, which do a very good job of making some of the storyline’s sudden ‘switches’ a bit more palatable – especially towards the comic’s end when the words “Ka Nama Kaa Lajerama” ripple throughout the three adventures almost simultaneously. In addition, the illustrator’s double-splash of “when ancient men fought grisly beings of the Elder Universe” is easily worth this comic’s cover price alone, and should take anyone who enjoys good artwork a long time to properly absorb the breath-taking menagerie of different mythical beasts he has somehow crowbarred in the drawing.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT" #2 by E.M.Gist

Nightwing #126 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 126, July 2025

Despite not containing some super-powered arch-villain desperate to conquer the planet or even a citywide threat to Blüdhaven’s well-being, Dan Watters’ narrative for Issue One Hundred And Twenty Six of “Nightwing” should still have kept its fans thoroughly entertained. Indeed, this ‘deep dive’ into Commissioner Margaret Sawyer’s private life and strained relationship with Dick Grayson’s alter-ego, is packed with plenty of drama, action and somewhat surprising sentimentality too; “Maybe if you worked with him you wouldn’t need robots.”

Furthermore, the English writer provides this twenty-two-page periodical with an intriguing investigation into the long-dead Captain Hollow’s recent resurrection, and just how his legend has been outrageously abused by four corrupt ex-cops looking to have their revenge upon any officer they feel has slighted them in the present day. Such an enthralling central plot genuinely should hold the attention of even the most cursory onlooker flipping through this comic at their local store, and certainly helps imbue the book’s more sedentary sequences with some much-needed underlying urgency once it becomes clear that Maggie is next on the merciless murderers’ kill list.

Likewise, the London-born author also manages to use this storyline to show just how scared the young children of Blüdhaven actually are of all the Commissioner’s latest state-of-the-art technology, rather than feeling reassured by Spheric Solutions’ towering two-legged robots. This viewpoint clearly alarms Sawyer and is contrary to the reason why she was so grateful to Olivia Pearce’s company for the extra firepower in the first place – a change of stance which the secondary character takes with her throughout the publication and clearly begins to cause her some serious doubts and apprehension by the story’s end.

Perhaps this comic’s greatest asset though lies with the pencilling and colours of Francesco Francavilla, who provides the script with some hauntingly dark moments whenever the ‘ghost’ of Captain Hollow makes a ghoulish appearance. In addition, his use of a series of smaller panels towards the conclusion of this book definitely provides it with some extra pace, and makes little Claire’s last minute rescue by Nightwing all the more impactive as the original Robin just manages to swing the tiny girl to safety at the very last second.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #126 by Dexter Soy with Adriano Lucas

The Infernal Hulk #6 - Marvel Comics

THE INFERNAL HULK No. 6, June 2026

Considering that this twenty-page periodical makes good on its promise to depict Iron Man leading “an overpowered strike force to level the Living City and end the Age of Monsters forever”, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s writing for Issue Six of “Infernal Hulk” probably still fell surprisingly flat with most of its audience. In fact, despite actually showcasing the titular character in an all-swinging fistfight against one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, there’s just something a little ‘wrong’ with how the cataclysmic story is told; “Twenty percent of the world’s arsenal is aimed at your living city right now.”

For starters, it’s not clear just why Tony Stark is the only super-hero taking up the challenge when this assault is supposedly the Earth’s best chance to kill Eldest’s seemingly unstoppable host; especially when the likes of Mister Fantastic and Bucky Barnes are watching it live along with the American military’s top brass. Surely if things were as dire as the leader of the Fantastic Four keeps saying then his super-powered squad would be ‘on the ground’ alongside Iron Man and his freshly-fashioned Hellbuster Armour? Not repeatedly stretching his rubber-like neck in disbelief as the firstborn of Vinruviel defies every planet-shattering attempt he has planned to defeat them.

Likewise it is never explained how Gologoltha of the Volantine Choir is able to survive quite literally having the land beneath its foundations obliterated, and resultantly dropping into the molten core of the Earth.? Admittedly, as the Infernal Hulk himself swiftly points out, the unholy metropolis is an Elder God capable of a great manner things. But somehow this comic’s readers are supposed to accept that it can both happily float upon the surface of the boiling lava it falls into, and then somehow shield itself from the white-hot laser-blast of an orbiting satellite without any plausible explanation whatsoever.

Lastly, the layouts of Adam Gorham arguably don’t help sell the storyline towards the battle’s end either, with much of the action beneath the world’s surface being unclear and indistinct. In addition, the Canadian artist’s decision to greatly reduce the amount of detail used for all of the aforementioned scenes featuring Reed Richards and the Winter Soldier genuinely make them appear the work of a far less able illustrator, and frustratingly snatch any onlooker out of the moment with their jarring contrast.

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Adam Gorham, and Color Artist: Matthew Wilson

Nightwing #125 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 125, June 2025

It is probably a safe bet that quite a few readers did a double take when they first opened up Issue One Hundred And Twenty Five of “Nightwing”, fearing that they had somehow missed a previous instalment or two. For whilst Dan Watter’s script for “Good Cop/Bad Cop” does actually continue the titular character’s fight against the sinister Spheric Solutions’ increasing grip upon Blüdhaven’s Police Department, the entire feel of this particular twenty-two-page periodical is arguably very different from what has taken place before.

For starter’s the comic exclusively focuses upon the murder of Frank Dietrich just after the cop has finished drinking inside Hogan’s Alley bar. This cold-blooded killing undeniably provides the English writer with an opportunity to explore the growing tension between the titular character and Commissioner Maggie Sawyer. But rather intriguingly also allows him to side-line Dick Grayson in order to tell much of the story from the perspective of Superman's former primary police contact instead – something which rather cleverly allows the narrative to emit a palpable sense of distrust amongst the officers in her district.

In addition, on the face of it this book contains a good old-fashioned ghost story, which rests upon the basic premise of a long dead police office returning from beyond the grave to “strike down those who betray Blüdhaven’s law.” Such a plot genuinely smacks of the boogey-man, and whilst many within the publication’s audience will already be anticipating that the gunman will eventually be revealed as someone entirely mortal, the suggestion of long-dead Captain Hallow being a spectral assassin makes for some enthralling entertainment.

Lastly, it is impossible not to mention the prodigiously pencilled layouts of Francesco Francavilla, whose instantly recognisable art style undeniably adds an extra layer of the macabre to all of this comic’s events. Of particular note has to be the design of the mask-wearing murderer who envelopes his victims in a swirling smog, before shooting them at point-blank range with a revolver. However, the Italian illustrator is also extremely good at imbuing so many of this story’s characters with the odd side look and uncertain glance which should make any bibliophiles doubt the sincerity of their words and actions; "Heading out, Commish..?"

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #125 by Dexter Soy with Adriano Lucas

Conan: The Barbarian Free Comic Book Day May 2026 - Titan Comics

CONAN: THE BARBARIAN FREE COMIC BOOK DAY MAY 2026

Considering that this twelve-page-periodical is supposed to foreshadow the return of Thulsa Doom, it’s probably a safe bet that many of its readers actually came away from the Free Comic Book Day edition of “Conan: Tides Of The Tyrant King” wondering what Jim Zub’s latest mini-series featuring Robert E. Howard’s Sword and Sorcery hero was all about. Indeed, seeing as a good portion of the publication actually follows the exploits of Stephen Costigan during the Texan’s dark days fighting in World War One, it’s much more likely the Canadian’s audience were anticipating some sort of time-travelling team-up between the two characters on the blood-soaked fields of Cambrai, Aisne or the Second Battle of the Somme, rather than the Cimmerian once again encountering the Necromancer of Ancient Atlantis in the Hyborian Age.

To make matters even more confusing though, it is arguably the exploits of the shell-shocked soldier which grabs the most attention, as the understandably horrified Doughboy desperately attempts to make his way through numerous Germans whilst penetrating “a murderous maze he will never forget.” This ‘kill or be killed’ environment appears to be as brutal during the fighting as it is once its survivors are recuperating in a field hospital afterwards, and genuinely helps sell the motivation behind just why the man would become a slave to hashish in the near future; “Costigan’s temper simmers. But he doesn’t feel steady enough to make the bully eat his words.”

Unfortunately the same can’t debatably be said for the short-lived yarn concerning Conan, who is once again shown fighting in some nameless skirmish along the Borderlands between Zingara and Argos, where his superhuman strength allows him to ‘shrug off’ a spear to his left shoulder and keep swinging his sword. Furthermore, despite this significant injury the Barbarian is then depicted unconvincingly beating up a much larger mercenary who had planned on bedding a local’s unwilling daughter. Such a sketch really does add nothing to the Cimmerian’s story, and certainly doesn’t act as the aforementioned “Prelude” to him once again facing Thulsa Doom.

What does catch the eye with this comic though is the artwork of “Howling Jesus Merino”. The Spanish illustrator does a fine job depicting the Cimmerian’s exploits against “the gutter-cur raiders we put in the ground this day.” But it’s his awesome pencilling of Costigan’s time in the mud and the blood which really should capture any bibliophiles imagination, and definitely cause them to desire a standalone series of comics depicting Stephen’s time during the Great War.

Writer: Jim Zub, Artist: Jesus Merino, and Color Artist: Jao Canola

Nightwing #124 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 124, May 2025

Whilst “DC Comics” solicitation synopsis for Issue One Hundred and Twenty Four of “Nightwing” might bare little resemblance to the comic’s actual contents, Dan Watters’ narrative for the book probably still managed to successfully maintain the interest of its readers. In fact, “Ringmaster” contains a rather clever plot device to ensure that the titular character’s usual aura of invincibility is well and truly shattered by the time Dick Grayson makes an unwise stand against Spheric Solutions latest fully-automated police robot; “Hey, Big Boy. I know your CPU is a test animal, so I’d rather go easy on you…”

Furthermore, the English writer quite cleverly brings the Zanni and his nefarious sounding Cirque du Sin to the fore by penning that the Fifth Dimensional Imp can now be clearly seen by the original Robin due to the super-hero’s severe blood loss. Such a move really helps to raise the already high stakes for the ongoing tale’s overall storyline, as well as making it crystal clear that Batman’s former Boy Wonder is no longer facing just a mortal adversary who wants to take over Blüdhaven. But rather a far more omnipotent “ancient conceptual being born from humanity’s earliest attempts at performance.”

In addition, despite there being no sign of the “heist” upon Olivia Pearce’s sinister Corporation as promised by its Burbank-based publisher, this twenty-two-page periodical still manages to include a little bit of adrenaline-fuelled action towards its end during Nightwing’s aforementioned fight against a Wanderer-01s Robot. Admittedly some critics of this particular publication might suggest the short-lived battle is rather ‘too little, too late.’ However, due to Grayson’s weakened condition, the confrontation’s build-up is arguably just as exciting as the fracas which follows Dick’s impetuous motorbike ride, and also provides Watters with the opportunity to give his audience a bit of a shock ending – courtesy of little Bryce.

Of course so much of the anticipation behind these final panels would be far less if it wasn’t for Dexter Soy’s attention-grabbing pencilling. The artist proves particularly prodigious at providing any onlooker with a tantalising insight into the shadowy world of the Zanni, most notably when Blüdhaven’s protector is either racing to save the Teddy Gang from a well-orchestrated massacre, or later when he sees a circus elephant charging straight at him rather than Spheric Solutions’ killer automaton.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #124 by Dexter Soy with Veronica Gandini

Conan The Barbarian #30 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 30, April 2026

Arguably dripping in plenty of exasperating plot armour, Jim Zub’s narrative for Issue Thirty of “Conan The Barbarian” will probably quickly frustrate many of its readers by having its central antagonist repeatedly put off his assassination attempt of the titular character because the cold-blooded killer has surprisingly taken an interest in the Cimmerian’s view of life.?! Sure, the Canadian writer attempts to assure his audience at this comic’s end, that the black-maned adventurer supposedly knew all about his would-be murderer’s presence since the oily cloaked outsider first ‘stuck to the shadows’ inside the trade city of Khoraja. But such omnipotence on behalf of Robert E. Howard’s character isn’t particularly convincing – especially when he’s busy either repeatedly fighting for his life on the streets, or making love to a woman throughout the night.

Indeed, this book seems to be rather irritatingly happy just depicting The Son of the Tooth repeatedly passing up a series of ideal opportunities to slay his target and rid the Hyborian Age of “the man who slew Thulsa Doom” just because this “deadly new foe” can’t believe the drunken oaf before him so badly vexes the Cult of the Black Stone. As the author points out himself such behaviour is entirely unprofessional on the part of one who has successfully slaughtered so many in the past. Yet this amateurish conduct is precisely what all bibliophiles are supposed to believe in order for an otherwise rather mundane tale about a local petty thief’s bruised ego populating a twenty-two-page periodical; “So he will take what he has learned and wait a spell longer.”

Far more believable is this publication’s conclusion as it shows Conan confronting his hunter down a dark alleyway sword in hand. This face-to-face conflict is far more plausible than anything else in the comic, even if Zub does fruitlessly attempt to fool any onlookers that the Cimmerian waited so long to tackle his adversary because he was curious if the man meant to “simply walk away.”

What does work well for “Trail Warrior” though are the layouts of Doug Braithwaite. The British artist somehow manages to make even his well-pencilled panels showing the Son of the Tooth’s scratchy searches amongst his prey’s deserted campfires rather intriguing, as well as clearly depicting just how busy the market area in Khoraja is. Furthermore, when the future king of Aquilonia does finally make his stand, his defiance is entirely palpable, and surely caused many a fan to quickly ensure that they had this ongoing title’s next instalment pre-ordered at their neighbourhood bookstore.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #30 by Ivan Gil