Jim Zub's Blog
October 7, 2025
Zubby Newsletter #130: A Week To Conquer
Conan the Barbarian #25 oil painted art by Alex Horley.It’s a big week here in Zubville – CONAN THE BARBARIAN #25, our special fully painted anniversary issue, arrives in stores tomorrow and New York Comic Con kicks off starting Thursday! Getting ahead on writing deadlines and prepping for upcoming trips has been a lot to juggle, but I really am looking forward to seeing friends and fans in the Big Apple. Last time I was there (two years ago, time is flying) we were in the afterglow of the Conan launch and now we’re roaring forward into year three of the series.
I’ll be at NYCC on Thursday through Saturday, three days instead of four, because it’s also Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and I want to be home for it. In past years I’ve missed Thanksgiving by staying at the convention through Sunday and always regretted it. Don’t get me wrong, the show is good, but there’s nothing on the last day that’s worth missing that time with family.
Otherwise, check HERE for details on my schedule at the show – Where I’m at, signings, and other events and if you get a chance to check out issue 25 this week please let me know what you think of it!
Dungeon Variant
Speaking of issue #25, I popped by Dungeon Comics in Oakville to sign some of their CONAN THE BARBARIAN #25 shop variants illustrated by Mike Rooth ahead of their release. Mike did up a great image and used the original Marvel logo to enhance the classic feel of this extra-special issue.
If you want to order your own copy, check HERE.
Casually ComicsI’m back on Casually Comics, chatting with Sasha all about our second year of Conan the Barbarian – our extra special 25th issue, the Scourge of the Serpent mini-series event, sales, fans, and more!
The Comics SanctuaryHere’s a livestream interview I did with Alfredo Rueda at El Santuario de los Comics. The site is Spanish but our interview is in English:
• This is your last chance to get the CONAN: BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE action figure from Heroic Signatures – the pre-order period ends this Friday, October 10th! I’ll bring one of the prototypes to NYCC so people can check it out first-hand.
• Kieron Gillen has just started a series of blogposts reminiscing about his 101 Favorite Tabletop RPGs. This is going to be good, and reminds me of when he and I chatted up a storm about comics and games on my YouTube channel (and he talks fast so feel free to use the captions).
• Jackson’s Art Store has an article that covers the history of the pencil. Mundane sounding, I know, but the sequence of events are pretty interesting.
Jim
October 6, 2025
Zub at New York Comic Con 2025
The biggest pop culture event of the Fall is New York Comic Con and I will be there from Thursday through Saturday (no Sunday), set up with the Comic Sketch Art team, at
Conan the Barbarian #25, our oversized anniversary issue, arrives this week as well and Comic Sketch Art will have a convention-exclusive cover available illustrated by Alfredo Cardona:
Here’s my schedule during show hours:
THURSDAY, OCT 9, 202511:00am-2:15pm – Signing – Artist Alley I-342:30pm-3:15pm – Random House Signing – Booth 3021 Free copies of D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide: Artificers & Alchemy while supplies last.5:00pm-8:00pm – Signing – Artist Alley I-348:15pm-9:45pm – Penguin Random House Murder Mystery Party – Room 1C03 An ’80s-themed evening, hosted by PRH, where attendees receive roles and must work together to uncover the true murderer. Authors in attendance will assist throughout the event, be clue holders, and maybe even be the murderer themselves! Each attendee will get a free book from one of our participating authors and have a chance to get the book signed during the event.FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2025
10:00am-12:00pm – Signing – Artist Alley I-343:00pm-7:00pm – Signing – Artist Alley I-34SATURDAY, OCT 11, 2025
11:00am-2:00pm – Signing – Artist Alley I-344:00pm-6:00pm – Signing – Artist Alley I-34SUNDAY, OCT 12, 2025
Not at the show on Sunday!
September 30, 2025
Zubby Newsletter #129: Proper Reading Order
Team Conan Chattanooga – with Tyler Smith and Richard Starkings.I had a lot of fun in Tennesee, meeting new readers and old collectors, and hanging out with industry friends and current collaborators. Over the summer I attended so many four day shows that doing an event that was only Saturday and Sunday felt luxurious and gone in a flash. Good times!
On Sunday, I had breakfast with Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith at Comicraft, who letter all the Conan comics. Richard is the guy who pioneered digital lettering techniques back in the 90’s and I’m thrilled to have him on our series, bringing such depth of knowledge and care to each issue. With so many projects on the go, Tyler is at the forefront working with me on the initial lettering pass and edits, with Richared involved in complex scenes, problem solving, and special font design.
Comic lettering isn’t understood by many comic fans. When lettering works properly it effortlessly guides the reader through each panel and page and we are usually too caught up in reading to appreciate the care that goes into where that lettering is placed, fonts and color choices, or how balloons or caption boxes stack to create clarity, but when lettering is done poorly it is the only thing we notice because the reading process gets derailed.
Conan the Barbarian is unusual in that there are practically no sound effects at all. Writer-Editor Roy Thomas realized right from the first issue in 1970 that endless panels of slashing and screaming onomatopoeia would not effectively translate the power or poetry of Robert E. Howard’s prose to the comic page, so more atmospheric narration was used instead. That lyrical approach, which I continue to use to this day, gives scenes a tension and gravity all their own and makes Conan stand out amongst its peers. It’s a challenge to come up with new and interesting ways to describe sensory information beyond what we see in the artwork, but it’s also worth the extra effort.
Here’s a lettering example from our most recent issue on the flagship series, Conan the Barbarian #24:
Artwork by Fernando Dagnino and Diego Rodriguez.8 text callouts on an action-oriented page is a good balance of reading and visuals. If there’s a lot of action on the page I will throttle text back even more and let the art do the ‘talking’. That said, dialogue scenes can certainly get more dense in terms of lettering. Here’s a page from Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 with 18!
Artwork by Ivan Gil and João Canola.Having each number correspond to the lettering script makes it easy for everyone to reference the document and compare. It also makes it much easier to ask for changes (“Can we add a new line between #4 and 5?” or “Let’s cut balloon 8 entirely because it’s no longer needed”).
Chatting With SalI couldn’t believe it had been more than two years since I chatted on camera with Sal Crivelli from Comic Pop, so when the opportunity came up I jumped at the chance.
It really felt like no time has passed at all and the conversation that rolled out was as fun and energetic as always. Anecdotes and info galore. Make sure you check it out.
Comic Tropes After DarkAnother person I absolutely love talking with is Chris Piers at Comic Tropes. His deep love of comics and optimistic energy is always inspiring. In 30 minutes we cover quite a bit about the last two years of Conan at Titan and our current event mini-series.
Comic Book Club
Rounding out this hat trick of interviews, I checked in with Alex and Justin at the Comic Book Club and we talked about building long term stories and collaborating with amazing artists.
Current + Upcoming Releases
• Last week I made this General Tso’s Chicken recipe from Brian Lagerstrom and it really was better than takeout.
• Dom of X has the first look at the Deluxe oversized hardcover edition of Conan vol. 1: Bound in Black Stone – Check that beauty out!
• Over the years there have been rumors and tall tales spun about how He-Man and Conan are connected, but Shawn Curley is on the case, unravelling the truth from the lies with info right from the source.
• I didn’t know artist Skottie Young had his own YouTube channel, but now that I do know I’m subscribed and digging into all the older videos.
Jim
September 29, 2025
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 Reviews
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1, our new sword & sorcery event mini-series, kicked off last week. What did critics think of this opening issue? Read on and find out-
• 9 Panel Grid: “I think this was a really good introductory issue for the event. I’m really curious to see how they’re going to build on it and I think this has the hallmarks to be even better than the Black Stone event.”
• Brother Lore: “…very well written, the pacing is just perfect, and the narrative and action are very nicely balanced…Just go and get it. It’s 100% worth it. You don’t even have to know anything about the characters. You don’t even have to have read the previous issues.”
• Comic Book University: “This blows my mind…This is some of the best writing, art, you name it. Color choices, everything. This is some of the best I’ve ever read and I’ve read a lot.”
• Comic Culture: “The interiors are just brilliant inside the book. The scenery, the character design, the outfits, the action alone. It definitely sucks you right in…I think they’re just tackling this perfectly on all fronts.”
• Comic Watch: 9.3/10 “Artist Ivan Gil knocks it out of the park with his work…a great start to this mini-series, and a great primer for those unfamiliar with Robert E. Howard’s creations. Whether you’re new to Conan or an old hand, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
• Comical Opinions: 9.5/10 “This issue grabs the reader by the throat and never loosens its grip…The absolute standout is the comic’s ability to juggle three timelines without a stumble, making the complex seem effortless. The pacing snaps and crackles, rendering each era distinct yet part of a devastating whole.”
• Cool Thunder: 8.5/10 “With Jim Zub’s commanding script, Ivan Gil’s dynamic art, and Jao Canola’s rich colors, this debut issue delivers both striking visuals and compelling momentum.”
• Doc Lail Talks Comics: A+ “This book absolutely knocks it out of the park, artwork-wise, story-wise, everything is just extremely strong…Three different eras and they all intersect beautifully. It’s majestic.”
• Evan the Architect: “This is setting up to be another fun epic mini-series. Fantastic art by Ivan Gil. I highly recommend checking it out.”
• Gaming Trend: 9/10 “The story is compelling, with equal parts action, mystery, and supernatural to entice readers new and old…this is a solid first issue in what I believe will be an exciting new chapter for Robert E. Howard’s timeless characters.”
• Gary B the Casual Comic Guy: “A really great setup, a cool cliffhanger…I think Jim Zub really knocked it out of the park in this first issue. Ivan Gil and the whole team just did a fantastic job.”
• Goodreads: 10/10 “This is good; nay, it’s great!…The hits keep coming, and I will keep feasting. Serving up ancient magic, adventure and danger on a silver platter brings me back to my youngest years”
• League of Comic Geeks: “A beautiful book…It’s been a wonderful journey so far and one of the highlights of my year.”
• Nerd Initiative: “Top tier, god-tier stuff for writing, with an incredible series of artists and Ivan Gil jumps right in with mind-blowing art on this book. This was fantastic and I cannot wait to see where it ends up…And no need to worry if you’ve read two years of Conan books to catch up. You can jump right in.”
• Old Man Hyborian: “Zub expertly weaves Howard’s characters together and the art by Ivan Gil is very well done. An excellent issue for introducing Robert E. Howard’s characters to the masses.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “The artwork is amazing. Super solid, stellar work from all parties involved…Conan the Barbarian has cemented itself as one of the best, if not the best, fantasy comics on shelves today and Scourge of the Serpent just shows us why.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Jim Zub, while successfully wielding his own creative sorcery, harnesses Howard’s original prose in what feels like an ambitious love letter to the author’s legacy, and it’s a visually stunning one. Ivan Gil’s pages are densely detailed.”
• Superhero Hype: 9/10 “-a showcase of everything that made Howard’s writing stand the test of time. The action sequences are undeniably intense and well-illustrated by Gil. This series should unquestionably be read by every fan of weird horror, sword-and-sorcery, and quality comics.”
• Thinking Critical: “It’s a fun set-up, meeting these different characters and I want to see how they’re going to be brought together and what will happen when they are. Beautiful art as well…Really damn good.”
• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “There’s a lot of intrigue, a lot of action, and I think overall this entire plot that’s been put together over the last six months is the best Conan has ever been in terms of plot…I think this event will absolutely deliver.”
September 25, 2025
Zub at Chattanooga Comic Con 2025
It’s my first time in Tennessee, appearing at this weekend’s Chattanooga Comic Con, September 27th + 28th! I’ll be set up with the Comic Sketch Art team, at
In addition to signing times at the booth, I’m on two panels over the weekend:
Saturday, September 27th
2:00pm – Story Power: Comics, Characters & Craft with panelists Jim Zub, Alex Segura, Ron Marz, and Brent Forrester.
Sunday, September 28th
1:00pm – Behind The Cowl: Exploring The Caped Crusader with panelists Diedrich Bader, Jim Zub, and Maurice LaMarche.
September 23, 2025
Zubby Newsletter #128: All Transpires Now
This week sees the release of CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT #1, the first part of a 4-issue time-twirling mini-series with Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror, and Dr. John Kirowan confronting snake-sent threats in their respective times and how those events echo and ripple through each other. It’s an epic sword & sorcery adventure using key elements from three different Robert E. Howard short stories to create something new. It also carries the torch from plotlines introduced in last year’s BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE event mini-series, so if you’ve been following along you’ll see where the larger mythic story arc I’m building goes next.
Artist Ivan Gil has been working in the French comic market for many years on intensely detailed historical graphic novels and now brings those skills to bear on our ‘Howardverse’, and the results when paired with João Canola‘s colors are really breathtaking.
Artwork from Scourge of the Serpent #1.Ivan’s pages are imbued with a deep sense of “place”. His environments are lush with detail but in a way that doesn’t distract readers away from the story, it wraps them up in it. Every time new artwork comes in from Ivan I’m impressed by the thought and care he puts into each panel, building rock solid environments while staging both drama and action with intent.
Look at this sneak peek panel from Scourge of the Serpent #2 – seven characters (and a corpse) in an intricately-presented setting and yet all of it is instantly readable and communicates exactly what’s needed for the scene. What a pro!
Line art from Scourge of the Serpent #2.
Working with incredible artists like Ivan (or Roberto, or Doug, or Danica, or Fernando, or Alex, or so many others) is such a pleasure because I see the thought and care they put into every page. It doesn’t matter how good the story I write is, without visuals that communicate it well, the whole thing would be sunk.
Scourge is a complex story with three narratives in three different time periods and, as we move through each one, they build in intensity and emotion. It was a real challenge to set up the plot this way, but even more of the work is on Ivan and João to clarify and accentuate each story beat…and this week readers get to dig into our first chapter and let us know how we did. 
Also in stores this week is PREDATOR: BLACK, WHITE and BLOOD #3. I have a ripping short story in this anthology issue called Demon of the Deep. It’s Predator VS Pirates with artwork by the amazing Pat Boutin and Matt Milla.
Yo ho ho, and a bottle of blood.
In the latest Zdarsky Comic News (#15), Chip interviewed me about Conan the Barbarian and the accompanying illustration is…well, it’s something.
Memorable (even when you wish it wasn’t). Bewildering…Haunting.
The interview is pretty good though.
ZCN is available wherever fine comic books are sold, or a digital version is available if you subscribe to Chip’s newsletter.
Comic WatchI spoke to Chad and Matt at Comic Watch about all things Conan, including some exclusive sneak peeks at artwork from Scourge of the Serpent and Conan the Barbarian #25.
Figuring It OutShawn at Heroic sent me a prototype Conan: Battle of the Black Stone Action Figure (available for pre-order until Oct 10th) so I can bring it to upcoming conventions and, even though I’ve seen a lot of photos and videos of it, it feels extra-surreal having one right here in my office. I’m not even a big toy guy and this is ridiculously impressive:
A slew of other outlets received figures as well. Here are links to their reviews:
The Lethal Collector
Sydney Mcardoso
The Review Spot
Unparalled Universe
and Stygian Dogs :
Current + Upcoming Releases
This weekend I’m at Chattanooga Comic Con in Tennessee. I’m looking forward to meeting readers in a state I’ve never been to before.
• The Thought Bubble Festival is setting up free portfolio reviews so aspiring creators can get feedback on their work, and I’ll be one of the professionals participating.
• A traditional Hawaiian board game called Kōnane is making a comeback thanks to an enthusiast named John Kaʻohelauliʻi.
• Hades II arrives this week and the animation on the launch trailer by the Line Art Team is absolutely stunning. What a great way to bring the hype. If it’s anywhere near as good as the first game, it’s going to be amazing.
Jim
September 17, 2025
Zub Comics Arriving December 2025
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #27
Story: Jim Zub
Line Art: Fernando Dagnino
Colors: Diego Rodriguez
COVER A: NICK MARINKOVICH
COVER B: DOUG BRAITHWAITE
COVER C: JUAN JOSÉ RYP
COVER D: FEDERICO SABBATINI
FC • 32pp • $4.99
On Sale December 10, 2025
YEAR THREE OF THE TITAN/HEROIC CONAN LEGACY CONTINUES!
THE CONQUERING CROWN: The King of Aquilonia has gone mad, or so the rumors say. A tyrant sits upon the throne and all will suffer until he is deposed or dead.
Conan the Mercenary cares nothing for these royal rumors and petty politics, but the Cimmerian’s skill in battle is about to put him in the path of a mad monarch, and his life will be forever changed.
CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT #4 (of 4)
Story: Jim Zub
Line Art: Ivan Gil
Colors: João Canola
COVER A: ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
COVER B: LUCIO PARRILLO
COVER C: MARK BAGLEY
FC • 32pp • $4.99
On Sale December 31, 2025
THE NEW CONAN EPIC EVENT CONCLUDES!
CONAN OF CIMMERIA has encountered Stygian sorcery and snake-sent creatures many times in his grand adventures, but he has never faced the true unspeakable power of SET… until NOW.
The serpent god’s influence coils around the Hyborian Age and every other age linked to it. Three stunning supernatural stories will weave together to answer a chilling question of past and present – What is Set’s grand plan for humanity and, now that it’s begun, can it be stopped?
September 15, 2025
Conan the Barbarian #24 Reviews
Conan the Barbarian #24, the intense snake-sent climax to our Nest of Serpents arc, arrived in stores this week. What did critics think of it? Let’s see-
• 9 Panel Grid: “Top Comic of the Week…Dagnino does an absolutely stunning job. Each scene is just staged perfectly. This is a big action-packed storyline and it just delivers every single time. There are jump scares, there’s moments of brutality, there’s moments of kineticism and action, and he gets to deliver on all of them.”
• Comic Book Corner 2.0: “This book just does not disappoint, right?…Top pick for me, A+. Conan is an awesome, awesome comic book.”
• Comic Book University: “Consistently excellent…This is a story arc you’re not going to want to miss. This is a finale you’re not going to want to skip.”
• Comic Culture: “It’s a really compelling story overall and I love how it’s branching over to Savage Sword as well. There’s just a great vibe with the story in general…I’m really interested to see where this whole Serpent arc is going.”
• Comical Opinions: 9.5/10 “This issue proves that even after all these years, Conan’s ‘gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth’ are just what sword-and-sorcery fans deserve. Next time someone asks for epic fantasy, hand them this comic.”
• Cool Thunder: 10/10 “The combination of storytelling, artwork, lettering, and overall production makes this series shine like one of the gleaming cities of the Hyborian Age. This issue proves once again that Conan the Barbarian is modern sword and sorcery at its finest.”
• Eternal Crusader: “I was pleasantly surprised by Zub cleaning up some loose plot threads that made me question the narrative’s coherence in my last review. But the revelations presented here do make sense, hark back to #20, and bring new tensions into Zula’s and Conan’s already tense comradeship.”
• Evan the Architect: “I can’t wait to see where Jim Zub takes all this because I’m really enjoying it. Of course, fantastic artwork by Dagnino…I come on here every month and I can’t recommend this book enough.”
• Gaming Trend: 9/10 “With plenty of action and no shortage of high stakes, Conan the Barbarian #24 is a fun rollercoaster ride carrying us at a breakneck pace towards a heavy conclusion that carries a promise of something more ahead.”
• Goodreads: 10/10 “The art speaks for itself, but between that and the writing, the Hyborian Age is brought fully to life as always, and the last page in this episode has left me more excited than I thought I was capable of.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “Man, just banger after banger with this book!…The story had an incredibly heartbreaking moment that I didn’t see coming. The art continues to excel in action and drama. Must read!”
• Major Spoilers: 9/10 “I love that Jim Zub is able to craft a story you can step into and understand right away what’s going on and I think Fernando might be my one of my new favorite artists…If you are even slightly interested in Conan, what Titan Comics is doing with the series is really cool.”
• Nerd Initiative: 10/10 “For two years now, 24 issues, this series can stand alongside classic Conan stories. Jim Zub is knocking it out of the park on this book. It is great stuff, and the art from Fernando Dagnino is amazing.”
• Old Man Hyborian: “Overall, issue 24 was well done…Zub’s still cranking out good stories and the artwork is really solid.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “It’s old school mixed with new school and it works so well. This is the best modern Conan book I’ve ever read…This is the s**t and if you’re not reading Conan the Barbarian, you’re not reading one of the best comics on shelves every single month!”
• Stygian Dogs: “From the eerie subterranean nest to Conan’s harrowing loss. Man, I just love this arc. It was great…Issue number 24 delivers a rousing finale, both the peak of the series’ second year and a fitting sword and sorcery capstone to two stellar years of Conan comics.”
• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “We’re back at the best position that Jim usually has. He has a great artist with him to support his endeavors and ready to jump into the Scourge of the Serpent…Very, very good stuff. I can’t wait to read more.”
• Thinking Critical: “Pick of the Week…The final battle in this issue – the setup, holy crap, it is creepy. It is so well illustrated. And the ending to this issue, it is straight up heartbreaking. I completely loved it.”
• Two Guys and A Stack of Comics: “This is a classic in the making and people are going to love it. If you love comic books, this is one to pick up. I thought this was the best issue of the series so far.”
September 10, 2025
Zubby Newsletter #127: The Nest Beneath
Conan the Barbarian #24 artwork by Fernando Dagnino and Diego Rodriguez.CONAN THE BARBARIAN #24, the climax of our Nest of Serpents arc (which, as you can see from the amazing artwork above, is a title that’s both literal and symbolic), is in stores TODAY and, I’m obviously a bit biased, but I think it’s sharp sword & sorcery entertainment. This issue is propelled to amazing heights by the line art of Fernando Dagnino and colors of Diego Rodriguez, with sublime lettering by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith, and a captivating lore essay by the always informative Jeff Shanks.
We’re cookin’ now, kids! Big atmosphere, big monsters, big action.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #25, our fully painted King Conan done-in-one epic anniversary issue, is on Final Order Cutoff NOW so make sure you let your favorite local or online retailer know which cover(s) grab you and get in that pre-order. It’s going to be one for the ages, as will our event mini-series…
Hype Trailer Is Hype…Speaking of which, Titan has put together this teaser trailer for the CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT mini-series. Let Ivan Gil‘s excellent artwork and the pounding soundtrack sweep you up in the excitement of our time-twirled epic. The first issue arrives in stores on September 24th!
Dragon Con InterviewsWhile I was at Dragon Con a couple weeks ago, I spoke to a couple different press outlets:
• Over on the Super Powered Fancast, I chatted about how wild the convention was and comics I enjoyed growing up.
• An English Man in San Diego recorded a short interview with me where we talk swords & sorcery, D&D, conventions, great new comics, and more.
I received this email last week and it took me a few seconds to realize “Rebecca” generated this message with AI. It’s oddly specific yet also vague at the same time.
A quick search of “Rebecca”‘s contact info revealed that they can also tutor my child in Math, compose essays, and write my next resume.
It’s laser targeted at me (and many other authors are receiving similar targeted emails from different outlets), with distinct info about Savage Sword #10 and my career injected with excitement, but there’s also a glossy emptiness to all of it. By the time I hit the sales pitch I already knew it was generated, and also creeped out by how specific it was.
Stay vigilent and don’t fall for this kind of crapola.
Also, this recent comic strip about AI by Riley Wigglewood made me chuckle:
Thrilled to announce I’ll be at New York Comic Con in early October celebrating the release of Conan the Barbarian #25 that week! So excited to be back in Artist Alley with the Comic Sketch Art crew.
• It’s nice to see the new Conan the Barbarian series listed alongside other classics in this article about the Best Conan Comics on Superhero Hype.
• My friend Francis Manapul‘s YouTube channel is packed with great art advice and the latest videos, showing him penciling and inking top notch quality art from his creator-owned comic series The Rocketfellers, is an ideal way to see a skilled artist at work and learn from his technique.
• Equally inspiring to watch is my buddy Dan Panosian‘s YouTube channel. Lots of great traditional and digital technique on display you can learn from.
• Over on the Robert E. Howard Foundation‘s YouTube channel, they’ve posted the first part of a series of videos for Cimmerian September with an all-star panel of writers and researchers talking about the original Conan the Barbarian stories.
• Tripwire Magazine is funding archival volumes of their classic comic creator interviews, a great piece of comic journalism that deserves to be read and preserved.
Jim
September 8, 2025
Savage Sword of Conan #10 Reviews
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #10, a roaring anthology issue with three stories all written by me, arrived in stores as a lead in to our Scourge of the Serpent event. What did critics think of it?
• 9 Panel Grid: “Braithwaite’s unpolished original pencils, inks and ink washes are on full display, considering this is Savage Sword and it’s a magazine format book, and they look awesome…I have to say, seeing it here and seeing what we’ve had in Conan the Barbarian, I like both experiences but this was something outside the norm and really made me appreciate it. “
• Brother Lore: “Jim Zub is really replicating the style and writing of Robert E. Howard very well. Much better than many other authors throughout the years who have tried to write Conan stories either in comic book or prose form….This is an absolutely great read.”
• Comic Culture: 10/10 “Artistically, this book is awesome. There are so many cool things happening in here. Every artist is just spectacular. The black and white art, the newspaper quality, the magazine size is incredible…Conan is absolutely killing it for the past like couple years now. I would say one of the most consistent exciting books that’s on the shelf right now.”
• Comical Opinions: 10/10 “a mesmerizing accomplishment in Robert E. Howard reverence and a demonstration of joy for the pulp era of storytelling. Every short is a winner, from the writing to the art, that showcases why those who follow Howard’s example will reap the rewards.”
• Eternal Crusader: “A slam-bang dose of serpentine goodness. Usually, I have a clear favorite artist for a given issue, but this time it’s a three-way tie. The whole creative team delivered their A-game, resulting in an almost cocky showcase of their talents.”
• Evan the Architect: “It looks fantastic and it’s a fun read. If you haven’t been picking up Savage Sword of Conan, I highly recommend it.”
• Goodreads: “It is indeed good to see a humorous tale with Steve Costigan, with De La Torre’s art giving it that pulpy action that works well.”
• Nerd Initiative: 10/10 “These are great books. This reads just like the Savage Sword from back in the day. I feel like I’m 10 years old again…These comics are absolutely fantastic.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “I loved it. I thought it was great. This was a super solid issue of Savage Sword of Conan. And guess what? It gets the smell of the week cause it smells like nostalgia, freshness, and badasserie.”
• Stygian Dogs: “I’ve got to say, all in all, this issue made me happy…We get a full Conan feature from a most-deserving Doug Braithwaite in a story with satisfying connections to the recent issues of the monthly series and enough mystery to carry us into the Scourge of the Serpent event series.”
• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: 9/10 “I think Jim did a great job with all these stories. I think all of the artists did great as well…I think my favorite story here was the Sailor Steve Costigan story.”
• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “Book of the Week…it’s such a joy to read a book that has things plotted out, has the events that matter, and has building blocks in there. It really seems like Conan is playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers…The art is top notch. The storytelling is top notch.”
