Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is once again displaying another brand new issue of SSOC!
Sixty-four startling pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint paper!
Inside this magazine you will find the following:
Art pin-ups:
Conan the Barbarian by Liam Sharp (Conan: Tattered Wings)
The Nemedian Chronicles by Simon Jacob (Armoured Gideon)
Conan the Barbarian by Chris Campana (The Vultures of Whapeton II)
Breckinridge Elkins by Roberto de la Torre
CONAN: THE EXCHANGE by Jimmy Palmiotti (Conan and the Daughters of Midora), Amanda Conner (Conan the Barbarian (2023) #13 Cover B), Andy Belanger (Dark Agnes: Matrimony) and Juliette Uliana
Sea Captain Brock orders Rodak to check up on the prisoners (Conan, Tadia Brazoria, Anker and others), then Graigg to check on Rodak. Conan frees himself, kills Rodak, beheads Graigg, and with the help of the other prisoners, he takes over Brock's vessel.
Captain Brock explains that King Cyrus (of the Isle of Maldyra)'s demented son (Edgart) wants Tadia's head and that Orm Bohun (a Kothian cuckold, aka The Destroyer) has put a price on Conan's head.
Tadia was a cookery maid pregnant with Edgart's child, King Cyrus poisoned princess Katiryn (Edgart's barren wife) so that he would have to marry Tadia. Tadia escapes on a ship, losses her child, reaches Zingara and becomes the apprentice of Darek the Blacksmith. Captain Brock killed Darek and kidnapped Tadia.
Captain Brock's ship arrives at its destination: The Isle of Maldyra (far off the coast of Zingara). Conan and Tadia jump off and swim to shore, Anker sets Brock's ship and Brock alight.
Conan slaughters the guards of Edgart, Edgart is frustrated that Tadia and his child were not aboard Brock's ship. Conan gives Edgart the news about Tadia's child and murders him. Conan frees the two captives (Yara and Amira) of Edgart.
Uncle Bergil brings Tadia to Orm's favorite watering hole, Tadia offers her Aunt Lili's necklace to pay for Jacen's debts, a badly burned Captain Brock stops Tadia from murdering Orm.
The Wild Boar tavern. Orm knocks Conan out. The Cimmerian wakes next to Tadia in King Cyrus's dungeon. A ginormous, starving, sightless serpent is released.
Yara and Amira shove King Cyrus, Cyrus's queen and Captain Brock into the lair of the serpent, the serpent devours all three.
Conan uses King Cyrus's crown to disable the monstrous snake, Tadia and Conan find a way out, the displeased serpent follows, it escapes out of the exit, sending Tadia, Conan and itself into the ocean below. The snake falls on jagged rocks, Tadia saves Conan from drowning.
Conan regains consciousness in King ORM'S palace, ORM has usurped the throne and has made Conan his new admiral.
Conan prefers to go back to Kordava (capital of Zingara), Tadia decides to tag along.
THE GHOST KINGS, a poem by Robert E. Howard illustrated by Juan Alberto Hernández (Conan: Songs of the Slain)
An homage to H. Rider Haggard.
BRECKINRIDGE ELKINS: THE TWO-TON TERROR! by Tom DeFalco (Conan Saga (1988) #14), Ron Frenz (King Conan (1980) #12) and Patrick Olliffe.
Humboldt Mountains (Nevada). Breck's father has a craving for Turtle soup, he sends his son to Misery Swamp to catch some snapping turtles.
Glory McGraw warns Breck of The Two-Ton Turtle of Misery Swamp.
Breck catches some baby snappers, Two-Ton attacks, Breck's coonskin cap (Cappy) runs away and the baby turtles escape. Breck terminates The Terror.
What I did like:
A confirmation that a CONAN NEWSPAPER STRIPS OMNIBUS will be published in 2027!!!
A SDCC Exclusive INKS cardstock cover by Alex Horley.
Bel and Mitra mentioned.
Hyrkania and the Black Kingdoms mentioned.
The blade-priests of Yezud (city of Zamora) mentioned.
Jimmy Palmiotti mentions Valiant's Eternal Warrior from his youth.
A letters page!
A woman appears on one of the covers.
Plenty of pin-ups!
Covers by Alex Horley and Esad Ribić (Conan the Barbarian: Exodus (2019))!
What I did not like:
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?
The killing of an animal is not funny.
It's Amanda Conner, not Connors.
I give it a 9.5/10. The spectral double-page spread by Juan will leave you gasping in awe. The power couple of Jimmy & Amanda prove that women can play just as hard as Conan. Tom's tall tale needed a cleverer conclusion. Support the Cimmerian! Purchase this unmissable summer treat!
