The Savage Sword of Conan (2024-) #12

The Savage Sword of Conan (2024) (Single Issues)

by Chris Ryall, Gabriel Rodríguez (Artist), Mirko Colak (Artist)

Featuring a cataclysmic CONAN story from writer Chris Ryall and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, a twisting BRAN MAK MORN prose tale from writer Fabian Nicieza, the return of EL BORAK from writer Patrick Zircher and artist Mirko Colak, captivating covers from Adrian Smith and Geof Isherwood, plus art pin-ups and more, SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #12 closes out its second year in a sword-swinging style!

Genres: Comics, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2026

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

And thus ends season 2 within this magazine called the Savage sword of Conan in glorious black and white art. The art in this magazine is once again of quality and does certainly add to the pleasure of reading. this magazine comes with two drawn adventures of Conan and Al Borak, another Robert E Howard hero, plus a written short tale starring Bran Mak Morn placed in the Roman times in Briton.

The heart of Darkness starts with a mortally wounded Conan. After being cured he feels obligaties to go on a quest to free some damsels. And so he enters a underworld with a group of rogues and a wizard and there of course the mayhem starts. Conan is no fan of wizards or anything supernatural and always sees a solution when het is armed with a sword, he is no diplomat more a man of action.
These new b/w TSSoC magazines with originals remain their quality and offer great pleasure to Conan fans old and new.

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable issue. The feature was a Conan story with plenty of elements that intrigued so many Savage Sword fans of the 70’s. The artwork was a little different than most Conan stuff, but many past Savage Swords were the same. Not bad, just a bit different than most.

The second piece was a 3 chapter short Bran Mak Morn prose only story. A good one indeed.

The last was an El Borak story with an interesting twist. I like the artwork. It brought a certain grit to match the story and the character. Good.

[Andrew Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

With cool pin-ups and an illustration by Tom Raney and Patrick Zircher, Ivan Gil's murky swamp battle pin-up is alive with zombies, a brawny bull, and a raging equine, and I like it a lot.

Conan: Heart of Darkness
Writer: Chris Ryall
Art: Gabriel Rodriguez
"I'm not built for speed, wench, but rather to take all you've got and give back even more."
A wild story, with fair art, some interesting mythology, and dark magic. It's a bit more superhero-y in the action and fighting than I like for such sword-and-sorcery, and way more talking, including Conan's inner monologue, but for what it is, it's entertaining. The characters are too trusting throughout but are an intriguing fellowship venturing down into the Mines of Moria ... I mean ...

Bran Mak Morn: The Precipice
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
"Credit for his audacity, demerits for his stupidity."
A heartfelt, yet tragicly ironic, tale that shows a resilient man, a leader, and the consequences of his humanity contrasted and partnered with the yearnings of his heart. To some degree, it felt like a Howard tale in the dark realm of Bran Mak Morn's ponderings.

El Borak: Curse of the Golden Calf
Writer: Patrick Zircher
Art: Mirko Colak
The Swift can't seem to keep himself free of trouble, outrunning a vengeful tribe, rubbing elbows and then butting heads with Orakzai raiders, and facing off with a mythical figure from the Quran, who actually seems to be a mix of Samiri and Samaritans, a rebellious follower of Moses who tried to lead the Israelites astray and the Samaritans (Keepers of the Law). Interesting fable and folk lore and OK art but the lighter shading of the whole wasn't fully appealing.

#1, March 2024
#2, May 2024
#3, August 2024
#4, September 2024
#5, November 2024
#6, January 2025
#7, March 2025
#8, April 2025
#9, July 2025
#10, October 2025
#11, December 2025
#12, February 2026

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strong read from front to back. The main Conan story delivers exactly what I want from this title — a tight, self-contained adventure with a memorable supporting cast and plenty of momentum. The visuals do a lot of the work here: dynamic fight choreography, striking settings, and character designs that feel dangerous and lived-in. Conan’s impulsive decision-making is on full display, but it fits his nature and keeps the story moving in unpredictable directions.

I was pleasantly surprised by how effective the Bran Mak Morn segment was. It doesn’t take long, but it carries more emotional weight than expected and leaves an impression well beyond its page count.

The El Borak story also stood out, especially visually. The heavy use of shadow and bold linework creates a moody, oppressive tone that suits the material perfectly and gives the tale a distinct identity.

Taken together, this issue does exactly what Savage Sword should do — delivers variety, atmosphere, and confident storytelling without overstaying its welcome. A very satisfying read and an easy recommendation. And again, love the pin-ups! 4.5⭐️

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic art in the main story, but the plot and characters felt a bit too “D&D” like.

[Michael Daines · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5)

Issue twelve of “The Savage Sword of Conan” has three solid stories of three different characters. The Conan story has him joining with a small party that includes a wizard. The prose story of Bran Mak Morn is a dramatic adventure tale pitting the Pict king against a Roman messenger. And the El Borak tale combines an interesting subdued art style with a mythical encounter.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically rendered art by Rodriguez elevates a script that sometimes feels more like a 90s superhero team-up issue than a Howard story. But, that's okay when there is plenty of gross creature attacks and magical weirdness to keep things moving. The Bran Mak Morn story is short, tragically ironic, and a really cracking good time. El Borak is the REH character I am least familiar with but the smudgy heavily shadowed art was intriguing and pulled me into the story's vintage exoticism. This Savage Sword series is a masterwork and I am thankful for every month's issue.

Read as a single issue with a gorgeous cover.

[Richard Radgoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

terrible cover. passable (only art) meh story.

[Bertazzo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the first comic written by Chris Ryall I've ever read and I hope the last.