Conan the Barbarian #35
"Cursed Shores Beyond" Part 3
"Thralls of the Rift"
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Fernando Dagnino
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Cover Artist: Gerardo Zaffino
Publisher: Titan Comics
Conan and Valeria's high-seas adventures have become a fight for survival against cultists worshipping a Lovecraftian horror.
I hate when that happens...
Most Dangerous Game
Betrayed by the swordsman Morley, Valeria and the rest of the Briney Wren's crew have been captured and prepared to be sacrificed to the dark entity Jaggta-Noga. The only crewmember who has evaded capture is Conan of Cimmeria...
Oh, those poor cultists.
While Conan does his best impression of the Predator crossed with Kraven the Hunter, Valeria breaks free and crosses blades with Morley. But the eldritch horrors she witnesses may be too much for her...
In the Mouth of Madness
No matter what mood I'm in, a good Conan story never fails to bring a smile to my face.
At first, I was disappointed by how quickly this story arc shifted from "piracy on the high seas" to "shipwrecked and hunted by dark forces," but it's fitting that this issue comes out in October and is filled with horrible beings like you'd see in an H.P. Lovecraft story.
I'm a little disappointed that Morley seems to have lost his swashbuckling persona and shifted to a more traditional "true believer" cultist, but I get that the swashbuckler was just a facade. I'm just a sucker for that type of character.
It's pretty cool how much screen time he and Valeria get in this issue, though. I'd say a good half of the issue is devoted to them and their sparring, both verbal and physical. If you didn't know the character of Valeria, based on this story arc alone you would understand why she is one of the few women who's ever been a match for Conan.
Speaking of our favorite Cimmerian, he's in rare form this issue. He's gone full hunter mode, sneaking around and taking out the cultists one by one. It's so easy to forget that Conan is not just a muscle-bound brute—he's actually crafty, cunning, and smart—so it's always nice to find a story that remembers all that he can be. The island runs red with the blood of his enemies, and it's awesome to see.
I do have to ask—the cultists know who Conan is, and they know he's the man who slew Thulsa Doom. And yet they decide that sinking his ship, capturing his crew, and pissing him off is the best play? I get that he'll make a better sacrifice for Jaggta-Noga, but maybe an easier sacrifice would still give a "pretty good" reward? Just seems like the risk outweighs the reward here.
Then again, maybe that's why I never get invited to join a cult...
Crossing Blades
Jim Zub gets to show his Lovecraftian chops this time around, and they're pretty solid. Jaggta-Noga is a bit of an odd name, but it's very much in the style of the Cthulhu Mythos creatures. Conan and Valeria are both perfectly characterized here, showing their true mettle and why they are so drawn to each other. It's always a treat to see Conan hunting his foes instead of vice versa, and Zub knows that here. Pacing-wise, things are a little slowed down this month, but it's in the interest of building atmosphere so it still works pretty well.
Fernando Dagnino gets to really cut loose with the visuals this month. Jaggta-Noga is creepy and horrible in the best Cthulhu Mythos kind of way, and you can feel the terror Valeria experiences when she looks upon it. As for Conan, he's like a force of nature working his way through the cultists one-by-one and spraying the landscape with blood. The splash page of him appearing, covered in blood, to face Morley with a sword in one hand and a severed head in another is an epic image.
Diego Rodriguez brings a much darker edge to the colors this issue, as the tone of the story grows ever-bleaker. The caverns that Valeria and the rest of the crew find themselves in are shrouded in heavy shadows, with only torches to light them. The eldritch horrors of Jaggta-Noga are made ever more unnatural by his color choices, and the red light of sunset adds a dangerous feeling to the island itself. And we can't forget the fountains of blood Conan spills from the many cultists that he hunts down.
How to Get Ahead in Life
Conan the Barbarian #35 brings eldritch horrors that would be at home in an H.P. Lovecraft story to the forefront of this story arc, pitting Conan and Valeria against things that no one should have to face. Fortunately, her will is strong, and his indomitable, so the cultists have their work cut out for them if they wish to give their dark god a sacrifice. Conan the hunter has been unleashed, and woe be to any who dare get in his way.