Conan is a character always on a quest. Like a shark, if he isn’t moving forward, he dies. Maybe not literally, but his stories require an impetus for continual motion. Often this is some kind of MacGuffin, that’s usually either incredibly valuable or world ending. Indeed, It was this kind of object that launched the current arc – ‘Thrice Marked for Death’. But in the third part – ‘Haunted’ – we’ve moved beyond simple treasures as motivations. Now Conan’s journey is one deep into his past, and even his own psyche.
Haunted is an apt title for this comic. More than just a supernatural enemy, Conan is struggling to deal with visions of his past. We watch him taking two journeys, one we’re used to; there are foes to be slain and fights to be won, and he goes from one to the next. The second journey, one possibly even more interesting, is through his own psyche. When this whole story began Conan was trying to deal with the loss of his love by ignoring it, simply getting drunk. The Cimmerian, unbestable on the battlefield, was brought low by this very different enemy: depression.
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But now the world has forced him to deal with his memories. As the pages turn we’re able to enjoy watching the very Freudian unconscious mind trying to break through, to make itself heard, to force our hero to deal with it. But don’t worry, this isn’t all a bunch of psychobabble. There are still plenty of former allies now possessed and infused with supernatural strength, trying to rip Conan limb from limb. In short, there is plenty of good old fashioned hack and slash action as well.
All of this has been capped off with a cliff-hanger that will leave those new to the adventures of the barbarian as well as long time fans equally mesmerised. Conan appears not just utterly defeated, but by one of the great names of the mythos: Thulsa Doom. Though created by Howard, like many of the icons he was hugely fleshed out by the comics Howard’s work inspired. However, it was Krull – a name that has cropped up already in these stories – who Doom faced, not Conan.
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Fans of the Schwarzenegger film might recognise the name as well, being the main antagonist played to great effect by James Earl Jones. However, that Doom was somewhat different to the one created by Howard and the comic book version. It will be interesting to see how this latest incarnation of the sorcerer unfolds.
It’s wonderful writing from Jim Zub, who really has brought another level to his storytelling. His collaboration with artists Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez feels like a return to the golden age of Conan Comics, and it has to be hoped that Titan Comics realise what a phenomenal title they currently have on their hands.
Conan the Barbarian #7 is out now from Titan Comics.
