Conan the Barbarian #34
"Cursed Shores Beyond" Part 2
"An Isle of Dread"
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Fernando Dagnino
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Cover Artist: Esad Ribic
Publisher: Titan Comics
Marooned on a mysterious island, Conan and his comrades must battle for survival.
Plus, just what is behind that strange hatch in the jungle?
Oh wait, that was Lost, not Conan, sorry about that…
If We Can't Live Together, We're Going to Die Alone
Having lost their ship to a fierce storm, Conan, Valeria, and the rest of their surviving crewmates have washed ashore onto a mysterious island. They are immediately greeted by a strange and horrifying crystalline tower filled with corpses whose faces are locked in expressions of agony!
They split up into smaller groups in order to better hunt for food and shelter. Before long, they encounter monstrous dinosaur-like creatures, who thin the herd even further. It takes all of them, working together, to bring down one of the beasts. Many of their number, including Conan himself, are wounded in the attempt—but at least they know they will eat well tonight.
As the crew rests for the night, the dashing swordsman Morley makes another move on the warrior woman Valeria. She rejects him once more, and in the darkness they are attacked by dark and terrible forces—leaving Conan standing alone once more. Just how he likes it…
Not Penny's Boat
I have to admit up front that I'm a little disappointed. We were promised a "pirate adventure" story arc. We did get pirate action in the first part, but then the ship sank and now we're doing more of a survival story on an island. Not very "piratey" in my book.
That being said, what we do get here is still great.
The island immediately has a dark and foreboding atmosphere, and not just because Conan and company arrive at night. The dinosaur-like monsters they encounter are some great visuals, and also present a foe that Conan cannot easily overcome on his own. They also help cut down on the supporting cast so I don't have to remember too many names—I'm really bad with names.
As the crew makes camp for the night, they swap tales around the campfire. One such story, about an invisible killer, hits a bit too close to home for Conan. He insists that everyone be vigilant, and that no one do anything alone for the night. Morley takes this as an invitation to hit on Valeria some more, which isn't very surprising. The charming ones that know they're charming are the worst—they can be simply incorrigible.
Except there's more to him than first meets the eye…
It really is funny how, no matter where Conan goes—even when he gets shipwrecked on an island that literally no one could have known he'd land on—the forces of darkness always manage to find him. Here, there's a little bit of a betrayal, and before you know it, our favorite Cimmerian is the only person not captured or killed. That's really not going to work out well for the bad guys…
One of the things that I really enjoy about this current run of Conan is the dialogue. Conan himself has very little of it. The other characters can talk to their hearts' content—and some, like Morley, do—but Conan himself is like Kurt Russell in the movie Soldier. Very, very few words are uttered by him at any time. Instead, we get a large amount of very Howardian narration, and that gives us whatever insights into the Cimmerian and his thinking that we might need.
You'll Understand Soon Enough that There Are Consequences to Being Chosen
Jim Zub is so good at that Howardian narration style, his stories almost always feel like they could have come from the creator himself. I already expressed my disappointment in how quickly the pirate parts of this story went away, but the survival story that he's giving us instead is a good one. The pacing is terrific as always, making sure that the quiet moments and the blood-soaked ones are given equal time. And as I mentioned above, he's got Conan's voice (or lack thereof) down to a science.
Fernando Dagnino's artwork is fantastic, and I hope that we will see more of him on this title in the future. His style just fits so well. His Conan is larger than life, but not a hulking brute, and since he speaks so little you have to glean so much from his facial expressions. Valeria is beautiful and fierce, so you can immediately see why the men are so drawn to her (most of them from a safe distance). Morley is very much the Errol Flynn type, and the look comes across perfectly. The flashes of violence are quick and brutal, with plenty of blood being spilled onto the pages.
The color work of Diego Rodriguez takes that artwork and brings it to the next level. The island is full of green jungle, which can be deceptively bright from the outside, but it's black with shadows within. The dinosaur-like monsters are familiar enough in look, but the coloring renders them as something else entirely—something more horrific. And again, there is plenty of blood spilled on these pages, and it always stands out.
We Have to Go Back
Conan the Barbarian #34 is another great issue in a book that rarely misses. I am a little disappointed that the pirate portion of our tale gave way to a survival story so quickly, but the strong characters and promise of Conan alone against their foes keeps me engaged.