Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone review — A legendary team-up of Robert E. Howard’s legendary characters

Conan the Barbarian is a character that needs little introduction. Created in 1932 by Robert E. Howard, Conan first appeared in Weird Tales magazine, and has gone on to appear in numerous other stories, comics, movies, and video games. Now, Conan is back for another adventure, and he won’t be facing it alone. 

*Mild spoilers ahead*

Written by Jim Zub, Battle of the Black Stone opens with another creation of Howard’s, writer James Allison, sitting in his Texas home. Allison stares at a blank page in the typewriter before him, takes a contemplative drag of his cigarette, then utters an unrevealed word, at which point he is confronted by something truly horrific. Before what that horror is can be revealed, however, the story jumps to the Hyborian Age, where Conan is busy doing what he does best: fighting and killing. Spoiler: Conan wins.

The battle is short lived, but in the aftermath Conan comes upon a strange talisman adorned with an arcane sign that stirs something buried deep within him. And he’s not alone. Throughout the ages, numerous other characters come upon the sign. Solomon Kane. Dark Agnes de Chastillon. El Borak. And Professor John Kirowan. A legendary cast of characters, all created by Robert E. Howard, all haunted by the same mysterious sigil. A sigil that soon leads to an unlikely team-up of epic proportions.

Whether you’re familiar with these characters or not, there’s no denying this story is fun. It’s a perfect combination of fantasy action and mystery that I found almost impossible to put down. From intense fight scenes with an eldritch foe the likes of which none of our heroes have faced, to surprisingly tender moments between Conan and a long-lost ally, to shocking twists that genuinely caught me by surprise, this story has everything. 

Not only that, but it reads so easily without holding your hand. It doesn’t assume you know who everyone in this incredible cast is, but neither does it interrupt the flow of the story to explain everything. It simply pushes onward and hopes you’re still holding on. Which, given that it takes place over just four issues, is a good thing, as it wastes no time on retelling old tales and instead focuses purely on best presenting the story being presently told.

I’ll admit, I was unfamiliar with several of the characters, and yet Zub’s writing quickly gave me an understanding of who they were and what drove them without feeling like I was being given forced exposition. He simply let the characters live in the story, behaving as they would naturally and introducing readers to them as much through their own actions as through the eyes of the other characters. Whether it’s a tense moment brought on by the stubbornness of Conan’s battle-hardened demeanor colliding with the religious fervor of Solomon Kane, or the intellectual observations of Professor John Kirowan with his associate John Conrad as they journey through the unknown wonders of the Hyborian Age, one quickly gains an understanding of each character that rapidly grows into a familiarity that feels as if they’ve followed these characters for years rather than just been introduced to them. 

Adding to this is the fantastic artwork by Jonas Scharf. Whether it’s the intensity in Conan’s eyes, the stoic graveness of Solomon Kane’s demeanor, or the fearless ferocity of Dark Agnes de Chastillon, Scharf’s illustrations showcase the characters’ personalities just as much as Zub’s writing, making them feel real. The same goes for the story itself. Whether it's the sinister air surrounding their horrifying enemy, the warmth and lightness of tender moments between the characters, or the chaotic intensity of battle, Scharf nails it every time, adding a layer of emotion to the panels that dialogue or actions alone can’t. 

Though not a very long story, I feel Battle of the Black Stone actually benefits from its shorter length. As stated above, it doesn’t waste time on needless exposition of its characters, nor does it unnecessarily deviate from the main plot just for the sake of adding length. Zub simply tells the story he intended to tell as best as he could without distractions that would otherwise weaken it. And it works. The story is fantastic, whether you’re a long-time fan of Conan the Barbarian or a newcomer potentially interested in getting into his extensive catalog of stories. The stakes feel very real, and the heroes’ desperate journey feels all the more intense and frantic because of the faster pace created by the short length of the book. And though it’s short, the ending doesn’t feel rushed or unearned, but rather comes at exactly the right time to provide the highest stakes and a satisfying payoff that opens itself up to future stories while also feeling complete in itself. 

Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone is available now from Titan-Comics.com!