Conan The Barbarian #3 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 3, October 2023

Impressively able to “take the classic Robert E. Howard canon stories and build around them”, Jim Zub’s narrative for Issue Three of “Conan The Barbarian” smacks of everything which has helped make the fictional sword and sorcery hero so beloved since his first appearance in “Weird Tales” way back in December 1932. Indeed, the Canadian writer appears to have mastered all the ingredients needed for an utterly enthralling tale of the Cimmerian, whether it be a seductive female ally, a horde of blasphemous serpent-faced aggressors or a disconcertingly dark wizard who harks back to a long-forgotten age when men were no more than hapless sacrifices to be made to a decidedly grisly god.

To make matter even better though, the Animex Honorary Award-winner doesn’t simply depict the battle of Venarium veteran as a solitary killing machine who is able to mercilessly chop up an insurmountable number of assailants with his blade. But instead, portrays a coldly calculating adventurer, who needs other able-bodied warriors at his side when faced with more than a handful of foes. This practical thinking adds a lot of legitimacy to an evidently fantasy-based plot, and shows that the titular character is already so much more than an ignorant mercenary who simply sells his highly efficient sword arm to the highest bidder.

In fact, “The Fortress” is packed full of compelling examples of Conan’s thoughtfulness and cunning. The future king of Aquilonia is keen to learn all that he can about the black tower he is infiltrating before he is willing to reveal his presence to the powers that be, and even turns down the opportunity to follow some cloaked cultists through a supernaturally-guarded doorway for fear of the move divulging himself and Brissa to their foes much too early; “Before the Cimmerian can ponder the wisdom if that hesitation, his keen hearing picks up voices echoing from different hallway.”

Also imbuing the black-haired barbarian with plenty of mightily-muscled menace are “ravaging” Rob De La Torre’s simply sensational layouts. The panels pencilled to portray the fierce fighter stealthily creeping through the confining corridors of the Citadel of Black Stone are palpably claustrophobic. Whilst his dynamic double-splash of the surviving prisoners bravely battling against a seething tide of Snakemen and undead walking cadavers is absolutely breath-taking in its attention to death-dealing detail.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #3 by Doug Braithwaite