The Free Comic Book Day prelude to this Fall’s epic event: Conan: Scourge of the Serpent!
Jim Zub's A Simple Steal
A microscopic prequel to Robert E. Howard's The God in the Bowl.
The Hyborian Age of Conan.
We are in Numalia (city in Nemedia). A young, 17-year-old, cash-strapped Conan of Cimmeria is trying his hand at being a thief.
Conan easily breaks into Aztrias "scented dog" Petanius (the governor of Numalia's nephew)'s manor and gives the attack mutt a tasty treat.
The Barbarian spots an interesting scintillating strongbox... But it's too heavy to carry and cannot be smashed.
Conan is discovered by Aztrias. Conan knocks out the young aristocrat's guards.
Conan forces Aztrias to open his coffer... but alas, it is empty.
Aztrias informs Conan that he is now poor... so poor that he won't be able to remunerate his guards or his gardener anymore.
The guards overhear this and leave.
Aztrias mentions Kallian Publico's Temple and a Zamorian diamond goblet. If Conan could nab the goblet, Aztrias could easily sell it to pay off his gambling debts.
The Thurian Age of King Kull, Kingdom of Valusia.
Pictish warrior, Brule the Spear-Slayer is seen wearing the gleaming, mystic armlet of the dragon (from The Shadow Kingdom).
Back to the Hyborian Age of Conan.
Thoth-Amon (from Conan the Barbarian #18) is seen wearing the ancient and accursed Serpent Ring of Set.
Boston 1934 (this takes place before the events depicted in the Battle of the Black Stone mini-series).
Professor John Kirowan (from The Haunter of the Ring) is seen inspecting Evelyn Gordon's copper ring (that should look like a scaly snake coiled three times, with its tail in its mouth and yellow jewels for eyes).
What is Set's grand plan for the puny humans of planet Earth?
Will Howard's heroes be able to stop the slithering snake demon's scheme?
To be continued in Savage Sword of Conan #10 and Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1.
What I did like:
Conan does not kill an animal.
Thoth-Amon is emulating Thanos.
A "bande dessinée franco-belge" version of Conan the Barbarian.
Character designs by artist Ivan Gil.
The ouroboros logo for Scourge of the Serpent.
Nice cover by Roberto de la Torre.
Nice Map illustration by Francesca Baerald.
Archaeologist Jeffrey Shanks introduces us to Conan, Robert E. Howard, the Howardverse, Thoth-Amon, the ancient snake god Set, Kull of Atlantis, occult investigator John Kirowan and Solomon Kane.
This September, every single page of Conan the Barbarian #25 will be fully painted by Alex Horley! THE NOMAD: Conan the King welcomes a strange visitor with an even stranger mission. Can the Ruler of Aquilonia prove his mettle or will the mysterious wanderer’s incredible power change the course of history?
What I did not like:
Not new reader friendly at all.
The Cimmerian spits on a portrait of Ostorio Bragorus. Out of character.
Stygian sorcerer Thoth-Amon and Evelyn Gordon say ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Lazy writing.
Evelyn Gordon's copper ring is not illustrated correctly.
Once again the editor is not doing his job.
This new event feels less grandiose, less Homeric. The stakes seem lower.
No Brissa!
No Tarnasha!
No Sha-Kabet (from Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring)!
Where's Kull the Conqueror?
The Fangs of the Serpent dagger and the Serpent Men are MIA.
No Galvatron? No Cyclonus? Not written by Simon Furman?
I give it a 7/10. Another must get FCBD issue from Heroic Signatures & Titan Comics! Zub is setting up the board once again... but this time around, with less pieces. Will the Ontarian storyteller strive to find ways to tie up some of his loose story threads from last year's miniseries? Let's hope for the best. Download Conan the Barbarian: FCBD 2025, HERE, it's completely free!
