Conan the Barbarian #34 review

Even for the hardiest of sailors, there are few things that can prepare you for being shipwrecked in an unfamiliar place far from home with no easy way back. Trapped with limited supplies (if you’re lucky) and facing untold dangers, survival depends upon one’s strength of will as much as it does skill. Such is the challenge facing Conan and the crew of the Briney Wren as they come ashore upon a forgotten island whose only hint of civilization is a horrific monolith of damned souls. Can the Barbarian and his pirate comrades band together to find their way away from this terrible place of nightmares? Or will the terrors lying in wait within its depths prove to be the end of the Cimmerian?

*Mild spoilers ahead for Conan the Barbarian #34*

Corpses, trapped forever in their dying screams within a tower of strange green stone. This is the sight that greets the Red Brotherhood as they come ashore. Their ship, the Briney Wren, lies sinking in the water a short distance behind them, its hull irreparably broken by the vicious storm that pummeled it in the previous issue. Before them, past the horrific monolith, lies only jungle, teeming with unknown dangers. A dire situation if ever there was one, though hardly a situation unfamiliar to Conan, whose infamous wanderlust has carried him to untold parts all throughout the world of the Hyborian Age. So it is that he boldly leads the crew into the jungle in search of food, water, and shelter that they might survive to sail another day. 

As I said in my review of the previous issue, seeing Conan in a setting such as this is a refreshing change after so many stories placing him in environments that felt largely the same but with different names. This, meanwhile, feels like a completely different world, providing a breath of fresh air while still fitting neatly into the world. From the moment the crew sets foot on the island there’s a sense of mystery in the air, immediately stirring questions of what might be lurking in this forgotten place. 

Putting Conan into an unfamiliar environment such as this allows Zub a perfect chance to showcase the Cimmerian’s formidable skills beyond the battlefield. Having journeyed far and wide across the ancient world, Conan is no stranger to having to survive off of the land in unfamiliar parts, and here his hard-won talents are put to the test. Granted, much of this comes as little surprise, as by now Conan’s impressive skillset is as familiar to readers as his loner tendencies. Over the course of Zub’s run on Conan the Barbarian, we’ve seen the Cimmerian take on all manner of challenges and live to fight on. Such has been the overarching plot of practically every Conan tale, and we all know it. The trick, therefore, is giving us challenges that continue to excite us. In this aspect, Zub once again succeeds, by giving us a battle I didn’t see coming: Conan versus dinosaurs. 

Yes, you read that right.

Leaning into the forgotten island idea, Zub brings the Barbarian and the Red Brotherhood face-to-face with the reptilian kings of the ancient world in a fast paced scene that is pure chaotic fun, further showcasing Conan’s formidable skill as well as that of the supporting cast. 

Speaking of the supporting cast, they continue to shine in this issue. From the swordswoman Valeria to the silver-tongued Morley to the veteran captain Quinn, the supporting cast prove just as intriguing and entertaining as Conan. Perhaps moreso, in some scenarios. Honestly, I could have read the story with just them and been just as drawn in. Each of them feel distinct and yet familiar despite only being with us for two issues thus far. It’s undoubtedly the best supporting cast Zub’s Conan series has seen yet. 

And then there’s the unexpected twist at the end of the issue. As exciting as it was to watch Conan and the crew battle dinosaurs on a lost island, it’s here that my attention was fully seized. Zub played it masterfully, giving little hint of what was coming, and even then only really in hindsight. The result is a cliffhanger ending that is sure to pull readers back for the next issue.

Conan the Barbarian #34 is available now from Titan Comics.