Conan the Barbarian #33 review

The sea is a mysterious place, full of untold dangers both human and otherwise. So it should come as no surprise that Conan the Barbarian would find his way into its watery expanse in his endless quest to sate his unquenchable wanderlust. Thus it is that we find him at the beginning of Conan the Barbarian #33, having traded in his days roaming the land, in search of battle and adventure, for a life of piracy amongst the most feared crew to sail the infamous Western Sea. But while the sea holds more than its share of known enemies to test his blade and brawn against, it is the unknown that Conan should be wary of. For here there be monsters, and Conan knows not what dangers await him when the storm strikes. 

*Mild spoilers ahead for Conan the Barbarian #33*

The Western Sea is a lawless place, full of pirates ready to stain its waters red in their quest for riches. Amongst such dangerous company, none are so feared as the Red Brotherhood. So, of course, this would be the crew that Conan the Barbarian finds himself a part of, alongside the smooth-talking swordsman Morley and the fearsome warrior Valeria.

Zub wastes no time introducing us to this dreaded crew, throwing us into the action immediately as they attack a Zingaran military vessel. The crew make quick work of the ship, cutting down the soldiers with ease and forcing the surrender of their captain, albeit far too quickly for the Cimmerian’s liking. Nevertheless, the military vessel’s stores are theirs for the taking, and the survivors are sent to further the infamy of the Red Brotherhood. 

That night the crew relishes in their spoils, drinking and reveling into the night until a storm is spotted growing on the horizon, putting an early end to their fun. The crew retreats belowdeck, save for Captain Quinn, the first mate, and Conan, who feels a strange unease that has nothing to do with the growing storm. Something is wrong, and he has fought in more than enough battles to know to trust his instincts. 

The source of his unease is revealed all too soon, in the form of burning red eyes that appear out of the pouring rain just before ripping out the throat of the unsuspecting first mate. The creature then turns its hate-filled eyes upon the Cimmerian, who stands firm against the unseen enemy’s gaze. The Barbarian has faced his share of supernatural enemies, and has survived them all. But can even he manage to defeat an enemy he can’t see while also battling the formidable might of the storm?

The newest arc of Zub’s Conan the Barbarian run is off to an exciting start. While still a Conan story at its core with all the familiar tropes one would expect from it, the change of setting provides a breath of fresh air after the last few arcs. Not that the recent arcs haven’t been plenty entertaining, but it’s nice to break the norm, even if Conan is still…well, Conan, regardless of the setting. 

The issue is packed with action, from the initial attack on the Zingaran military ship to the friendly swordfight between Morley and Valeria aboard the Briney Wren, to the desperate battle against the unseen enemy upon the storm battered deck. Zub provides just enough of a break between bouts to catch your breath before throwing you into the next conflict. But these aren’t simply for the sake of filling the story with action. The first provides a fitting introduction to those fighting alongside Conan in this adventure, with the second further exploring them. Through this, Zub shows us their skills naturally rather than simply implying or telling us how skilled they are. 

Likewise in the final battle, Zub gives us a taste of the dangers Conan and his new allies will be coming up against in the months to come. We're given very little at the moment, other than that something supernatural is at play (potentially something of the eldritch horror variety, if the issue’s final page is anything to go by). But this small taste is more than enough to whet our appetites for what’s to come. 

But the issue isn’t all action, even if those moments do fill many of its pages. In the few calm moments we spend with the crew between bouts we’re given a greater sense for who these characters are beyond the battlefield. In particular, Zub spends a fair bit of time on the interactions between Morley and Valeria, whose back-and-forth banter serves to add some nice levity to the story before things escalate, allowing that moment to hit harder.  Both of these characters are plenty interesting in their own right, and I appreciate that Zub spent so much time on them rather than have the entire issue focus on Conan (who by this point we’re well acquainted with). Captain Quinn receives a bit less attention than those two, but when he does appear it becomes easily apparent why Conan would follow the pirate captain. For those who have played it, think Blackbeard from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, and you’ll have a pretty decent impression of the character (minus the fuses burning beneath his hat, at least for the moment).

With a nice balance of action and levity, interesting characters, and a supernatural mystery looming, Conan the Barbarian #33 is a great start to what promises to be one of the best arcs Zub has given us. 

Conan the Barbarian #33 is available now from Titan Comics.