[Redo] Comfort Food Comics #6 - Conan the Barbarian by Jim Zub.
The Cimmerian who’s got everything.
We are back, and welcome to our 6th Comfort Food Comics segment! I must admit, this has been a fun experiment, as I speak about comics I love, and what better way to celebrate our milestone than to talk about the greatest warrior in all of fiction, Conan of Cimmeria aka Conan the Barbarian!
A Titan in Fantasy.
Conan has seen many a comic publisher in his time, hopping from Marvel, Dark Horse, back to Marvel, and now with Titan Comics. No matter where he lands, there are some amazing stories that have been told — but no other stories so far have kept me on the edge of my seat since Titan acquired the license. Written by Jim Zub and a rotating cast of spectacular artists within the industry, this book comes at you hard like a supercharged semi truck. I haven’t missed a single issue since it has released, and quite frankly few comics these days can do what this one does. If the industry collapsed today and this was the only book that survived I wouldn’t be surprised cause it’s just that damn good.
Conan’s adventures have been nonstop fun. From the initial arc that introduced a devious black stone that corrupts to adventures on the Black Coast with Belit to the multilayered Battle of the Black Stone, it’s been a wild ride that only Conan can endure. I think Jim Zub was a great choice for this title, as he’s got a good track record with fantasy stories and having written DND comics and his own title Skullkickers. Not only this, but I think having a freedom that isn’t always found in the Big 2 books to tell a story all the way through that is ambitious and new has allowed for all the best things to happen for Conan.
My favorite issue/arc was 13-16, illustrated by Doug Braithwaite, as Conan finds himself in a harsh cold climate engaging in battle and meeting a goddess (or something to that effect). I think this was a version of The Frost Giant’s Daughter, but regardless the visuals and story blew me away. And to be completely honest, I feel like this would’ve been a great Thor comic had Jim been writing one, as this is the perfect writing style and execution that would make it a hit issue after issue for what a high fantasy comic should be. But alas this is Conan, and I would rather he stay on this as he’s doing great.
To put it simply, Conan the Barbarian is a book you should experience for yourselves and don’t just take my word for it. This is a comic that will stand the test of time as one of the best in terms of how great it is written to the stellar artists who work on it.