The first issue of Conan the Barbarian has debuted, and Titan Comics hopes it helps them seriously invade the American market!
CONAN GETS A NEW ALLY TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE
Until recently, Marvel was able to use Conan in its storyteller. David Pepose wrote something of a farewell for the Barbarian recently there, and it went over very well.
Now, the long-lived warrior has moved over to Titan Comics, which is based in the UK. Titan has been making inroads in the United States for decades, using their well-known properties including Judge Dredd, to attract American fans to their publications.
Until now, however, they haven’t been able to sway many fans in the States to pick up and support their products in any substantial way.
That may all change with Conan! Here’s the description for that debut issue:
“Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders?”
They face an uphill battle! Many stores here prefer to give their shelf space to the House of Ideas, DC, and Image, then they parcel out the remaining space to other companies including Indie producers. However, if anyone can win that fight, it surely could be the Cimmerian!
I’ve asked around at several stores, and some did indeed order the new Conan title. However, they pretty much asked for copies they knew they could sell through requests. Not many had copies left for the store shelves. If you didn’t order the book, you may be hard pressed to find one in good condition! Of course, the Titan company website can accommodate you as long as you’re willing to wait for it to ship here!
WHAT ABOUT THAT FIRST ISSUE?
As someone who can access some comics for reviews and interviews, I got the chance to read Conan the Barbarian #1.
If you like “barbaric” tales with lots of battles and blood, I’m sure you’ll like this book! I have a problem with comics in which you measure the blood in quarts or if the color red is a dominant one on the pages. I liked it well enough, but I haven’t been a big Conan fan over the years. I have read several Cimmerian stories over time, but I haven’t followed his adventures as much as I would have liked to.
Jim Zub has written Conan before, and he’s back, telling a story in which the Barbarian is looking to go home so he can actually rest for a while after many victorious fights (and some not so great). The issue starts off with a big battle, and it doesn’t slow down much at all during this premier issue.
The art from Roberto De La Torre has a distinct feel of John Buscema to it, which makes sense since John remains well known for his Conan artwork over the decades. Thus, the team is a strong one to start out this series.
SOMETHING NEW TO ME
One thing that immediately caught my attention was the introduction of a female warrior named Brissa of the Gurian Tribe.
I haven’t seen Conan fight side-by-side with many women over the years, so this is something pretty new to me. She has her own backstory, and the fact that she actually helps Conan overcome an enemy helps her win his respect.
Also, we see a “new” set of foes challenge Conan. Shades of The Walking Dead—the Cimmerian fights a group of apparent zombies, the undead, or whatever they should be called.
They’re more difficult to stop than living enemies, so they require more “barbarian” means of battle. Of course, Conan is up for that, but he’s not ready for the surprise Brissa is going to lay on him about his homeland!
Of course, the debut issue of a comics series NEVER ends in that initial book, and that’s true here with Conan the Barbarian #1. However, there are interesting extras there this time, and that includes an article about Robert E. Howard and Conan by Jeffrey Shanks. There is also a cover gallery (lots of them, naturally) and a letters column with responses from several talents who received the #0 issues (seen on Free Comic Book Day) and apparently digital versions of this initial book.
TITAN EXPANDING
The important thing for Titan is to increase its presence in the States. They have a goodly share of the U.K. (and hopefully in Europe), but the U.S. continues to be an important market for comics companies. Let’s face it—there is a lot to be made selling comics in America by comparison.
Given Conan’s long-lived popularity among fantasy and “barbarian”-style stories, this comic certainly could be a launching pad for Titan. The question is, how to do that? More “barbarian” characters? Promote Titan’s long-term properties like Dredd and such? A combination of both?
In my estimation, Titan could get too close to Dynamite, which already has a bunch of “barbarian” books around, including those with Red Sonja. I don’t know how much fantasy comics sell in relation to other genres. If they only command a certain portion of the market, which is pretty likely, too many comics in that genre could flood the fans and make them pick and choose what books to buy. If you are a fantasy fan, having a lot of product to choose from is great, I’m sure! But the companies that lose out when it comes to being ordered will sour on the genre eventually.
If they re-introduce Dredd and others, that’s a gamble because many of us have already known about them for years. Unless something big were to happen, like a Dredd storyline that really caught fan attention around the world, I’m not sure the demand is there for them.
New product then? If so, what?
I’m glad I’m not the one making these decisions for Titan because I’m frankly stumped! But I will be watching to see what happens! I am rooting for them and more success in the States!
What do you think? Do we need more fantasy/barbarian characters in comics? How many fans of Conan can these books support? Are there properties Titan could promote in the U.S. to expand their line? Whatever your opinions, be sure to share them in the space below!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.