Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #2
"The Desperate and the Drowned"
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Jesus Merino
Colorist: Jao Canola
Publisher: Titan Comics
The evil of Thulsa Doom knows no boundaries—not time, not space…
Don’t Drink the Water
In the Hyborian Age, Conan of Cimmeria escorts the mysterious woman Zuleika on a quest to save her dying lover. Meanwhile, the barbarian is stalked by former clansman Hydallan, who has become a thrall to Thulsa Doom.
In 1932, drug-addicted former soldier Steve Costigan tries to help a mysterious woman named Zuleika and ends up becoming a thrall to Thulsa Doom.
Green water is bad for you, folks…
Phantom Stranger
Conan isn't the type of character who has a lot of recurring foes, but for the ones he does, none is worse than Thulsa Doom. The immortal sorcerer from the times of Atlantis, he was slain by the Cimmerian but returned and continues to haunt the world even into the modern era.
It's through Thulsa Doom's dark magic that the various players in this tale come together. Zuleika exists in two times simultaneously thanks to her connection to the Tyrant King's dark powers. Hydallan, Conan's Cimmerian brother, found new life after death. Steve Costigan overcame drug addiction only to become hooked on his new power.
There's definitely a "power corrupts" theme at work here.
I find it a bit odd that it seems like the story of Hydallan falling prey to Thulsa Doom's dark powers, as told here, contradicts the version from Savage Sword of Conan somewhat. Here he returns to his people and later dies, only to rise again. In Savage Sword, I thought it read as him coming out of the waters under Thulsa Doom’s thrall already. Given that both issues are written by Jim Zub, the differences confuse me—I don't think I misread the Savage Sword tale, at least.
I also find myself wondering exactly what the main conflict of this event series is. We're already halfway through, and I'm not sure where things are going. We have Conan and Zuleika's quest, but I'm wondering what the twist there is. Hydallan pursues Conan, so there is still that battle to look for. As for Steve Costigan, I don't understand where that story is going or how it will connect to the Conan portion.
There’s a cool scene later in the issue where Conan faces a pack of wolves, and Costigan faces a group of guard dogs—Conan with his blade, Costigan with his fists. Conan takes no joy in what he must do, while Costigan is almost drunk with his new power (he is an addict, after all). It’s a great way to show the differences between the two leads of this tale.
Animal Control
Jim Zub is bringing together threads from all the way back to the start of his Conan run, and it’s very cool to see. That being said, I do have two issues with this book. First, the pacing is pretty leisurely for what I believe is only a four-issue series, and I’m not sure how all these plots can be brought to a conclusion in that time. Second, I think Conan talks too much here. I’m not saying he never talks in good stories, but he’s not one for big speeches or long explanations, and that’s what we get here. None of it feels out of character—Zub is too good for that—but it’s just a really high word count for Conan dialogue.
Jesus Merino has a more “traditional comic book” art style—like you would associate with a superhero book. It seems like an odd fit for a modern Conan book, but it works well here. He sells the contrasts between the Hyborian and Modern Age, and the emaciated state of Costigan shows his sorry state of addiction, before the powers of Thulsa Doom change him.
The colors from Jão Canola really bring it all home, with the Hyborian Age being bright but dirty and the present day being dimly lit and eerie, since we mostly see drug houses and nighttime excursions. The many green glows of Thulsa Doom’s power stand out as alien and wrong. And the twin battles of Conan and Costigan against packs of animals are incredibly bloody and showcase the power of the two men.
Rising Tides
Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King #2 is another strong issue of this event title, though it’s not without some issues of its own. The contrasts between Conan and Steve Costigan are well-presented and drive the story forward. I do find myself wondering how this can wrap up in the remaining issues, but that’s not going to stop me from enjoying the ride.