Titan Comics Conan Titles

[Makernaut]

Has anyone been reading these? I was late to the party and had to scramble to get caught up on back issues just in time for them to expand to a 3rd title.

I have enjoyed the stories and think the creatives involved are doing a groovy job with the character. Seems like sales must be supporting the line since within the first year of publishing they went from Conan the Barbarian and added Savage Sword of Conan. Battle of the Black Stone hit the stands around the start of year two and marked the first time in a loooooong time that I have been showing up at the local shops for New Comics Wednesday.

[MRP]

I've been on board from the get go. After reading the initial FCBD issue in May 2023, I was sold and these have become appointment comics for me. IMO, the main book is the best comic out on the stands right now, and it's the best Conan in comics at least since the Busiek/Nord run at Dark Horse. Jim Zub's passion and knowledge of the character and of Howard's writing not just on Conan shines through in every issue. One thing of not, Titan is only the publisher, they have noting to do with the making of the Conan books, that's done by Heroic Signatures the current incarnation of the REH estate. Titan is their publishing partner in the UK and US, bit other companies publish the Conan comics in other parts of the world.

Sales were over 100K on the first issue, and went up every issue for the first 3 books, with each seeing multiple printings before they leveled out and found their audience.

Rob de la Torre's art is a revelation, and Doug Braithwaite is no slouch either. Savage Sword was announced as a 6 issue bi-monthly mini, but sales were so good it's been extended for at least a second year.

The Battle of the Black Stone builds on links Hoard himself put in his various writings-The ring of Toth Amon appearing in Haunter of the Ring, one of his boxing stories, the Black Stone appearing in several different horror stories, Kull and Bran Mak Morn meeting via supernatural means in Kings of the Night, his occult grimoire-Unspeakable Cults, appearing in several different stories, etc.-to build a Howardverse so to speak, where stories can be told drawing on elements from several Conan tales-in this case the Black Stone being encountered by Conan, Solomon Kane, El Borak, Dark Agnes, and the occult detectives Kirowan and Conrad in different eras and the ensuing shenanigans. There's even a prose novel coming out in November that ties to the Battle of the Black Stone event.

Jim Zub has had his contract with Titan (non-exclusive) extended for 3 years after the success of the first year and will remain the lead writer and architect for Heroic Signatures' Conan.

But yes, I am reading these, and I agree that any week a new issue of Conan comes out, I am there am there to pick it up. Sometimes I cheat too-hoopla, a library service of local library subscribes to and I get access to with my library card, has a large library of comics, including from Titan, and sometimes they get the digital version of the new issue and have it available at midnight the day of physical release, so I read it then and then get the book wen the shop opens the next day so I don't have to wait (and then reread the physical copy as well once I get home).

If you like the stuff, check out the official Conan youtube page and a youtube channel called Stygian Dogs which both offer a lot of content about the series, the creators, and more. Stygian Dogs for example has the full panel with Jim Zub and Heroic Signature form this past SDCC and an interview with Jeff shanks-the archaeologist and Conan scholar who does all the back matter essays in the Conan comics (and wrote the Conrad and Kirowan story in the last issue of SSOC tying into the Black Stone event).

-M

PS note my avatar is from one of Dan Panosian's variant covers (also used as one of the covers of the first trade of the new Conan the Barbarian series), and become my avatar soon after the current series launched.

[Dannyc]

I dig dela Torre's neo-Buscema style a lot!

[Makernaut]

If you like the stuff, check out the official Conan youtube page and a youtube channel called Stygian Dogs which both offer a lot of content about the series, the creators, and more. Stygian Dogs for example has the full panel with Jim Zub and Heroic Signature form this past SDCC and an interview with Jeff shanks-the archaeologist and Conan scholar who does all the back matter essays in the Conan comics (and wrote the Conrad and Kirowan story in the last issue of SSOC tying into the Black Stone event).

Thanks for the heads-up on Stygian Dogs channel. It's a ton of help for getting up to speed and deepening my interest in these books!