Conan the Barbarian #33
"Cursed Shores Beyond" Part 1 - "Perilous Waters"
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Fernando Dagnino
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Cover Artist: Roberto de la Torre
Pirates are cool right now.
Actually, pirates are always cool.
Anyway. I like pirates, what can I say? In fact, I have Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced installed on my XBox Series X right now. So you could say the start of a new story arc that focuses on Conan's time as a pirate was serendipitous.
Let's board the vessel and talk about it.
Dead Men Tell No Tales
The Red Brotherhood. A feared band of brigands and buccaneers, feared across the Western Sea. Among their current number are Conan of Cimmeria and the warrior woman Valeria.
We find Conan and his new Brotherhood boarding a Zingaran ship, where the Cimmerian fights through much of the crew on his own. Not to be outdone are his former lover Valeria and the smirking swordsman called Morley, who are having a bit of a competition of their own. In far less time than Conan would have liked, the battle was over, and the crew surrendered.
That night, as the Red Brotherhood celebrated aboard their own ship, a fierce storm interrupted a contest (foreplay?) between Valeria and Morley. Given the jealous expression on Conan's face, it's probably best for the swordsman that they didn't get to finish their duel.
The storm drives the crew below decks, but the stubborn barbarian remains to assist the captain and first mate. It is then that he encounters a mysterious individual who is invisible to the naked eye! Can Conan defeat a foe he cannot see, and should the ship survive its attack and the storm, where will the crew find themselves?
Pirate Booty
Another month, another killer issue of Conan the Barbarian. After the brutal battle with the Son of the Tooth in the last story arc, a pirate adventure is just the right change of pace. Although we don't get to see much of them, the Red Brotherhood seems to be a compelling addition to the supporting cast. Morley in particular, is an enjoyable character, occupying the "arrogant swordsman who can't help himself with the ladies" that these kinds of stories always demand.
Speaking of the ladies, it's always good to see Valeria pop up in a Conan tale. A fierce fighter in her own right, she is more than a match for our favorite Cimmerian, and that always makes their dynamic a ton of fun. Here she enjoys flirting with Morley, even though she acts like she doesn't, and you can see that it drives Conan wild. I don't think he loves her or anything, but he doesn't like sharing his "conquests" with another man. Of course, she'd stab him if he actually called her that.
There are several different action sequences in this issue, including one where it's the Red Brotherhood versus the Zingarans, and another where it's the ship versus the storm while Conan faces the invisible intruder. Each is unique and compelling in its own way. When Conan and company board the ship at the start of the issue, you don't feel for one second that they're in any danger, such is their prowess with their blades. But when they face the storm, and then the invisible assailant comes into the mix, now you get a feeling that anything could happen.
As is the case with all Conan stories, we know that he will survive this because we have seen many stories from later in his life. But that never means that he will escape a situation completely unscathed...
All Hands On Deck
Jim Zub has perfected the Robert E. Howard-style narration. Here, there is a lengthy sequence in the center of the issue—the portion with the storm—where there is no dialogue, just sparsely written narration telling a tale to back up the artwork. It's written so closely to Howard's style that you could remove the artwork and it would still unmistakably feel like a Conan tale.
However, if you did remove the artwork, you'd be missing out on the wonderful work of Fernando Dagnino. His Conan towers over the other crewmates, but still isn't a hulking beast. Valeria is as beautiful as she is deadly. Morley appears very much as the Errol Flynn-type that he is. There's a page where they are having a friendly duel, and he makes them part of the actual page composition—it's an incredibly cool and unique visual. The violence is well-choreographed, and the storm appears utterly vicious. You genuinely find yourself wondering how they will get out of this one, so fierce is the storm on these pages.
The colors of Diego Rodriguez perfectly support the art. The scenes are well-lit by the glow of either the sun or the moon. When the storm hits, the colors help add to the feeling of just how overwhelmingly it comes. The seawater and the strange lightning give everything a greenish tint that demonstrates how something isn't "normal" about this storm. The sunrise once it passes gives hope to a literal new day's dawn, which is shattered when the crew finds out just where they find themselves.
Boarding Party
Conan the Barbarian #33 is a terrific start to the new story arc, this one focused on Conan and Valeria's time as pirates. The initial action scene is great to see, but the real meat of the issue comes with the mysterious and severe storm as well as the invisible assailant who strikes during it. There is an intriguing mystery set forth that will challenge the Cimmerian in the issues to come. All in all, this book seldom disappoints, and this issue is no exception.