Conan the Barbarian #30
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
Colors: Diego Rodriguez
Last issue, we met the terrifying Son of the Tooth - a Hyrkanian assassin who claims eyeteeth as trophies from his victims, which allow him to absorb part of their souls and add to his own power.
This time, in Conan the Barbarian #30, the Son has been given his next target: Conan himself…
Tendering Resignation
For weeks, the Son of the Tooth has followed his prey. Over windswept plains, through sun-drenched meadows, across wind-whipped gorges and mist-swallowed fields. If Conan was on foot, so was the Son. If Conan mounted a horse, so too did the Son. At last, the trail leads to the trade city of Khoraja, where Conan seeks work as a mercenary.
In the absence of work, a good brawl will suffice for the barbarian. The Son finds his prey - arrogant, careless, and crude - brawling with a Kothian by the name of Dunick. The fight is short, the Cimmerian victorious. His spoils? The comely barmaid. As Conan and his “conquest” retire to a room, the Son of the Tooth watches and waits. He could finish the Cimmerian off right then, but he finds himself baffled - how could this uncultured brute have accomplished everything the stories tell of?
The next morning, Conan finds Dunick ready for a rematch - this time with three mercenaries in tow! This time the battle is no mere barehanded brawl, but rather blades are included. The outcome is no different, however - Conan once again stands victorious. His four opponents, on the other hand, will never stand again.
After the battle, the Son watches Conan as he enjoys a meal and laughs with the locals. The assassin finds the ease with which the barbarian moves from murder to mirth utterly infuriating. He will enjoy killing this one. As the sun begins to set, and Conan has had more than his fill of wine, the assassin prepares to make his move - only to find the barbarian waiting for him, having known that he was being watched the whole time! Each side is aware that there is no talking the other out of this confrontation - and so the battle is joined!
Murder and Mirth
This is a classic no-frills Conan tale, but the addition of the Son of the Tooth’s observations give it a different spin. To an outside observer like the Son, Conan appears to just be a brutish barbarian, with minimal manners, culture, or use in a civilized society. This could not be further from the truth.
If this were all that Conan was, then the character would not have endured for these past 93 years. If he were just a “mere” barbarian, then he would not have been able to become a thief, a pirate, a king. In a way, the Son of the Tooth can be seen as a stand-in for the people who are not familiar with Robert E. Howard’s most famous creation, and the preconceptions they have because of the “barbarian” portion of the title.
Philosophy of preconceptions aside, this was a great issue. We continue to get insight into this new foe, the Son of the Tooth, through his internal monologue and his process of stalking his prey. At the same time, we get to see Conan in both a bare-knuckle brawl and a bladed fight for his life, all in the span of a few pages.
Now that the Son of the Tooth’s character has been firmly established and contrasted with Conan’s, we can look forward to what should be a bloody battle next issue. The city of Khoraja is about to become so much collateral damage as these two foes clash for the first time.
Mercenary Band
Jim Zub might as well be the modern “Mr. Conan” at this point, so true is his voice for everyone’s favorite Cimmerian. His stories genuinely feel like something that Robert E. Howard could have written, and this one is no exception. The Son of the Tooth is an interesting new foe - he’s not outwardly supernatural like Thulsa Doom, but he isn’t totally a mundane human either, which makes him appear to be a match for the exceptional Conan. Zub keeps the pacing tight, giving moments just enough time to breathe but never enough to wear out their welcome. And his Conan is a man of few words, just like Howard’s.
Doug Braithwaite is a terrific choice of artist for this arc. His style is detailed but everything has this dirty, grimy look to it, which works perfectly for our hero and the man hunting him. Even when Conan is at rest, he still looks as though his every muscle is coiled and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. And when he does spring into action, it’s sudden and brutal. There are some panels where he gets a bit carried away with creases and lines in characters’ faces, which can be a bit distracting, but it doesn’t detract from the overall presentation.
The color work by Diego Rodriguez is much more muted this issue, but that fits with the dirt and grime of the city that Conan and the Son of the Tooth spend much of the issue in. He still maintains the dream-like tones to the Son’s ghostly images, and Conan’s bursts of violence are loaded with the blood and gore you would expect.
Crossed Blades
Conan the Barbarian #30 is another titanic tale from Zub and Braithwaite that would be right at home amongst the original Robert E. Howard stories, with the titular Cimmerian in top form and the new foe the Son of the Tooth poised to be a great challenge. It has all the components you’d expect from a Conan tale, while adding new elements such as the Son to the mix. Time and care has been given to establishing this new foe as a legitimate threat to our favorite Cimmerian, so this doesn’t feel like a throwaway tale featuring a disposable antagonist.
Month in and month out, this title is a highlight of my reading pile, and as long as Zub and company remain at the helm, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Conan himself may be prone to gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, but when I read this comic each month, I just feel mirth.