Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is once again exhibiting another brand new issue of SSOC!
Sixty-four startling pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint paper!
Inside this attractive magazine you will find the following:
Puritanical art pin-ups:
Solomon Kane by Luke Eidenschink
Solomon Kane by Ace Continuado
CONAN: THE BLUE ORCHID by Roy Thomas and Roberto de la Torre
An ancient Hyrkanian castle on the Zaporoska river, recently seized by Yezdigerd the Prince of Turan.
Atta of Shadizar (a Zamorian thief) and Conan cannot locate the Blue Orchid diamond (a gigantic jewel from Khitai, supposedly acquired months ago in Makkalet (Conan the Barbarian (1970) #26) by Yezdigerd), so Atta helps himself to a vase and some gems and Conan nicks a necklace.
Zaria and three Hyrkanians (Sulimar, Arafam and Stafah/Stapha who are also interested in obtaining the Blue Orchid) witness Conan and Atta emerging from the river.
Turanian horse archers kill the three Hyrkanians. Atta, Conan and Zaria flee on horseback.
Atta is utterly smitten with Zaria, he mentions Burgun and the Unknown Corinthian city-state (Conan the Barbarian (1970) #10).
Zaria wants Conan and Atta to purchase her town of Shukhan, they play dumb, she disappears with the horses within the Mountains of Night (the mountainous range in western Khitai from The Return of Conan (1957) by Björn Nyberg). No longer hunted by hungry steppe wolves, Conan and Atta reach Shukhan and enter the Toco (toucan) bar.
Atta mentions Nabonidus (aka Nabonides in Spain) the Red Priest from Rogues in the House (adapted in Conan the Barbarian (1970) #11).
The current owner of Shukhan, Skol Abdhur aka The Butcher (who perished way back in Conan the Barbarian (1970) #27) enters the bar looking for Zaria.
Conan gets into a bar brawl, he wakes in an old woman's hut, she mentions that the Blue Orchid diamond lies hidden in the SWAMP OF DEATH.
Atta of Shadizar has purchased the town of Shukhan for Zaria; obsessed with finding Zaria, he imprisons Conan with Skol Abdhur's severed head.
The old woman frees Conan, she wants the Blue Orchid diamond to oust Atta and reclaim Shukhan.
The old woman and Conan reach the bog, Swamp-Dwellers attack, Conan kills them all.
The Guardian of the Blue Orchid diamond attacks, Conan subdues the creature.
The old woman finds the huge gem, she becomes young again, she's actually Zaria. Zaria explains that she's really an old woman who uses spells to change her appearance AND to remain alive.
The Guardian (who cannot die) comes back for round two. Conan is able to escape in one piece... without the diamond, with around 8% of Zaria.
SOLOMON KANE: THE WOLVES OF DUNDALK by Enrique Dueñas and James A. Castillo
Kane deals with a goblin infestation in 16th century Ireland, unaided.
What I did like:
A dragon from Red Nails appears as a skeleton.
Khitan fireworks mentioned.
Erlik, Tarim, Mitra, Ishtar & Ymir mentioned.
The humour.
Eiglophian Mountains and Himelians mentioned.
The Barachan Isles, Hyperborea, Vendhya, Ayodhya, Darfar, Nemedia and Brythunia mentioned.
A letters page.
Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant mini-series by Patrick Zircher, announced.
Kull mini-series by John Arcudi, announced.
The completion of Becky Cloonan's Dark Agnes mini-series (started in 2020), announced.
Conan the Miniseries: The Original Comics Years Omnibus Hardcover, announced! Collects: Conan (1995) #1-11; Conan the Barbarian: Stalker of the Woods #1-3; The Usurper #1-3; River of Blood #1-3; Lord of Spiders #1-3; Return of Styrm #1-3; Scarlet Sword #1-3; Death Covered in Gold #1-3; Flame and the Fiend #1-3.
Conan The Barbarian: The Nomad Deluxe Edition Hardcover (64 pages), announced. Conan the Barbarian (2023) #25 is forged anew! Featuring the fully painted, special extended strip The Nomad, alongside EXCLUSIVE bonus content that includes UNSEEN artwork, interviews and more.
Conan the Barbarian: Tides of the Tyrant-King #0 will be in stores May 2, 2026!
Bran Mak Morn will appear in future issues of Conan the Barbarian and in next year's event mini-series.
Bran Mak Morn: The Road to Isca by John Arcudi and Leno Carvalho will appear in a future issue of The Savage Sword of Conan.
Stories by other authors!
A woman appears on one of the covers.
Compelling covers by Alex Horley and James A. Castillo!
What I did not like:
Still no Miraaj in The Savage Sword of Conan, after all these years, she deserves an origin story.
Needed more pin-ups!
No removable poster in the middle of the magazine! When are we getting a pull-out poster of the Robert E. Howard Group Shot by Rafael Kayanan?
No advert for Conan: Gold for Dark Gods (a Tides of the Tyrant-King novel) by Jonathan French!
Still No announcement that the CONAN NEWSPAPER STRIPS are getting collected in stunning hardcover volumes!
I give it a 10/10. Roy Thomas and Rob De La Torre reintroduce us to Skol Abdhur and his giant Kushite guards! Enrique Dueñas González and James A. Castillo show us that a Solomon Kane animated movie would be a blast. The best sword-and-sorcery mag on the stands today, bar none! Support the Savage Sword! Purchase this issue, today!
