Conan: Battle Of The Black Stone - Titan Comics #4

CONAN: BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE No. 4, January 2025

Having made the shockingly bold decision to kill off this mini-series’ titular character in the preceding instalment, many a bibliophile was probably a bit perplexed that Jim Zub’s opening gambit for Issue Four of “Conan: Battle Of The Black Stone” was to quickly back-peddle on the Cimmerian’s brutal death, and quickly get the barbarian back on his sandaled feet. Indeed, the Canadian author’s decision to have the Sword and Sorcery adventurer shake off his numerous mortal wounds courtesy of Professor John Kirowan sacrificially stabbing out his own left eye with a knife, is easily as bizarre a plot-twist as the act of physical mutilation is disconcertingly gratuitous.

Furthermore, the fictional scholar of the Cthulhu Mythos doesn’t appear to suffer any ill-effects of his self-harm. But instead, uses the traumatic wound to help guide his team-mates straight to the source of the black stone’s power – and somewhat cynically rather neatly bring this comic’s pulse-pounding finale to a semi-satisfying conclusion within its limited page count; “Like Odin the Norseman, I asked for insight… A way to see paths of power normally closed to mortal minds.”

Seemingly just as contrived is this book’s rather inconsistent ending, which sees some of Robert E. Howard’s creations completely forget about their exploits in a Hyborian Age jungle, whilst others haphazardly carry their injuries/disintegrations ever onwards. These disconcerting discrepancies are perhaps best seen with the aforementioned Kirowan and his semi-regular partner. Hurled forward in time to when they first encountered El Borak in his nightclub, neither John Conrad or Francis Xavier Gordon (for that matter) appear to have any recollection that they died horribly during this publication's run, and yet the poor professor is depicted wearing a black patch over his lost eye.

Arguably far more successful than the Animex Honorary Award-winner’s awkwardly erratic storytelling is Jonas Scharf’s first-rate pencilling, which definitely adds plenty of adrenalin-fuelled action to the final battle. Coupled with some excellent colour work by Jao Canola, whose ghastly, green-hued spirits practically leap-off every panel in which they feature, the German illustrator’s artwork completely captivates the reader – to the point where the audience can actually hear Conan’s death-defying war-cry as he starts slaughtering the Picts protecting their demonic god with his deadly sword.

The regular cover art of "CONAN: BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE" #4 by Thomas Nachlik