A mysterious eye symbol etched in black stone creates nightmares and chaos across time. An unspeakable evil looms over the Hyborian Age and every age connected to it… and it will take more than a lone barbarian to stop its relentless march upon time, space, and sanity. Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1 brings together Robert E. Howard‘s creations in the first event from its new publisher Titan Comics.
The relaunch of Conan the Barbarian at Titan Comics has been amazing. In his own series, as well as Savage Sword of Conan, the storytelling and art have been top notch. Generally guided by writer Jim Zub, it’s been a renaissance of sorts for the classic character. Slowly, Titan has teased the return of Howard’s other creations to comics and with Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1 we see the grander worlds coming together.
I’m not a Howard expert, and that’s where Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1 stumbles somewhat. The mystery, the setup, it’s all fantastic. More than enough to come back for more. But, beyond Conan the Barbarian and Solomon Kane, my knowledge of the characters is non-existent. And that’s the divide of the overall enjoyment of the comic. For those “in the know,” they’ll likely be far more excited about the prospects of what is to come. For those new to the world, the mystery is interesting but the anticipation due to who is included might not be there. It’s both an event that can be enjoyed by new readers but also one that’ll truly be enjoyed by aficionados of Howard’s work.
The art by Jonas Scharf is fantastic. With color by Joao Canola and lettering by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith, the comic keeps up the solid work that has lead up to this point. What’s impressive is how the style works so well for each of the time periods and really adds to the horror-like aspect of the debut issue.
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1 is an interesting start. It builds a mystery across time and works for both new readers and long time fans. As the first event for the new launch of Robert E. Howard’s creations, it opens up a lot of possibilities of what’s to come.
Story: Jim Zub Art: Jonas Scharf
Color: Joao Canola Letterer: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.95 Recommendation: Read
Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
