Jim Zub's Cursed Shores Beyond part 3: Thralls of the Rift
Deep beneath The Isle of Dread, the crew of the Briney Wren (Captain Quinn Corvaxis' shipwrecked ship) are the prisoners of Morley and a cult. Morley wants to offer Conan to his eldritch god/master... Jaggta-noga (sorcerer Zukala's favourite demon from Kull: The Curse of the Golden Skull and Conan the Barbarian (1970) #5).
Still on the loose on the island, playing the role of The Predator (1987), the infatigable CONAN OF CIMMERIA slays dozens of cultists (who need Conan alive for their ritual). Conan even takes the time to burn a big pile of his victims to draw even more cultists to him.
The cultists somehow know that Conan dispatched Thulsa Doom in the past (way back in Conan the Barbarian (2023) #12).
Valeria kills her torturer, and slips out of her shackles.
Giant humming crystals and an invocation from a servant of Jaggta-noga open a violet fissure in the firmament, tentacles grab Captain Quinn, like the previous Red Brotherhood prisoners, Quinn is absorbed by Jaggta-noga.
Powered by Jaggta-noga, Morley fights Valeria once more.
Morley is about to finish off Valeria when he realizes that Conan is next to him and that ALL of his cultist companions have been slaughtered... by the Cimmerian.
À suivre!
What I did like:
No announcement that Conan will be rebranded as "Super Conan".
Fernando Dagnino Guerra's art!
Mighty covers by Gerardo Zaffino, Nick Marinkovich, Ashleigh Izienicki & Benito Gallego.
Valeria appears on two covers.
A female character appears, actually speaks and has a name.
Gary Gianni draws Black Zarono.
Archaeologist Jeffrey Shanks talks Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, The Black Pirate (1926 film), The Pool of the Black One, The Black Stranger, the Brethren of the Coast coalition and The Hour of the Dragon.
What I did not like:
We learn very few things about Valeria (whose deeds are celebrated in song and ballad wherever seafarers gather): she hates her body, she wishes to be treated as a man, she endured sexism and she thinks that Conan is awesome.
Another woman who praises the Cimmerian.
"the last captive" has no name. Lazy writing.
None of the cultists are developed. What is their connection with Thulsa Doom?
Lovecraftian tentacles in the sky. We've never seen that before.
Shoggoth (At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft) becomes ShUggoth from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Morley does not turn invisible.
Morley uses the Schwartz.
Conan is invincible and doesn't need to sleep.
Conan doesn't push boulders, he throws them.
No letters page!
I give it a 7.5/10. Violence and action, nothing else matters? An implausible story solely for those who like their Conan SUPERPOWERED and villains from Star Wars. Last issue, Conan had Wolverine's regenerative healing factor, this time around, the barbarian has Wolverine's enhanced strength and stamina.
