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“Battle Of The Black Stone”
“A Stone’s Throw Away”
Jim Zub begins this issue of Savage Sword Of Conan with a preface of back history, so to speak. In this introduction, we find out just what inspired the writers and producers at Titan Comics in the pre-production days of their Conan revival. Zub also explains that in the beginning, Robert E. Howard had centered his characters around a dark source of power, that of which strongly involved the infamous black stone (Obsidian).
Through Howard’s writings, all of his main characters seem to come into contact with the material either directly or through some mystical power calling forth from their past. The Thurian Age was the catalyst. Each age thereafter was burdened with the curse.
“Conan: Birthright In Black”
Conan has been spirited back to his proper timeline of the Hyborian Age. However, the Cimmerian is still haunted by that damnable obsidian stone. Are the cold necromaniac energies of Thulsa Doom entwined with Conan and his soul over vast oceans of time? A Nemidian soldier awakes the shuddering barbarian from his nightmarish sleepwalk.
(This story continues in Conan The Barbarian: Battle Of The Black Stone#01)
“Solomon Kane: Blood From A Stone”
It was a time of war. Emperor Ferdinand had engaged in conflict with Suleiman the Magnificent over lands once controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Now, Turkish forces have increased their control over portions of Hungary, leaving the monarchy with little choice but to use mercenary forces to prevent total annexation.
Among the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, a pocket of resistance has spent the past month raiding supply lines. With their numbers dwindling to a force of only five men, the Hungarian Captain, Janos Kodaly, continues to lead his unit deeper into enemy territory. With their own survival now in question, Ferdinand’s mercenaries have begun to question the motives of their commander. One of these men, a Puritan known as Solomon Kane, quietly suspects supernatural forces at play.
“Brissa: Ever And Never Beyond”
The last thing Brissa of the Gurian Tribe remembered was fighting the ghoulish remains of her countrymen deep within the Black Stone Citadel. Elsewhere inside the towering edifice, her love, Conan of Cimmeria, had just slayed a dark sect of lizardmen poised to resurrect the ancient sorcerer known as Thulsa Doom.
Then, somewhere within the bowels of the catacombs, an explosion erupted, toppling everything around the Pictish scout. Brissa and her combatants were sent falling through floor after floor of the demolished structure, until the flash. Then the dark was replaced with bright, radiating sunlight.
Brissa’s environment had completely changed. She no longer stood in the frigid northlands roamed by the Cimmerian tribes. No. The rolling fields and dry arid heat which surrounded her now came as a shock. Was she even in Hyboria? The architecture of the small wooden building a short distance away looked very alien to her. But it was the strange looking carriage which sat near the front entrance that disturbed Brissa. Who could craft such metalwork? And where were the horses to pull such a luxurious coach?
“Conrad & Kirowan: Horror From The Tomb”
Success! That is what Steve O’Donnell’s letter to Professor John Kirowan had implied. For the past year, the famed treasure hunter had been searching for a mysterious pre-Egyptian civilization in the Sinai Peninsula. It appears that he had finally found something big.
It took Professor Kirowan and his associate, one John Conrad, several flights, train rides, and the company of two ornery camels to reach the dig site. But when they arrived early that morning, both men found the camp deserted. Where did the workers go? Better question, why did Steve O’Donnell abandon his work when he was so close to proving the existence of the lost civilization of Stygia?
“Dark Agnes: Matrimony”
Agnes De Chastillon had fought foul Englishmen, bloodthirsty pirates, daring cutthroats, and even Ottoman soldiers. She had been trained by the best sword master in all of France, but even Guiscard De Clisson could not prepare her for the cold vice-like grips of Duke Ilya Kursonovich and his vampiric servants. In a black church, under the French city of Dinan, Black Agnes will finally test her swordsmanship against a dark sorcerer of Stygia. Will she escape a forced wedding, or die trying?
“El Borak: Black Oasis”
Across the Arabian sands, the bandits did race. Their prize: the only son and heir to a rival Chieftain. In a world of tribal conflict, to gain power and influence, sometimes hostages must be taken. Unfortunately for these vagabonds, the boy’s father has unleashed El Borak upon the perpetrators. It would be there a legend would be born.
Reviewer Notes
It has been decades since the fans of Robert E Howard have been exposed to his lesser-known characters. Thanks to Titan Comics, the Savage Sword of Conan has just revived six of those lost adventures for a new audience to enjoy. As Conan faces the dark sorcery of Thulsa Doom in the past, it is the black stone of the Stygian serpent god which will preserve his powers for future generations. It will be up to the likes of Agnes De Chastillon, Solomon Kane, and El Borak to stop the dark magic from spreading across the globe.
This was an interesting read for sure, but I felt a little disappointed. I was expecting some type of interaction between the characters, even if it was only temporary. Not so in this case. Not so at all. It’s unfortunate, as each story either seemed rushed, or used only as a vehicle to advertise future products. Too bad, as I really wanted to learn more about each of these obscure characters. I give issue four of Savage Sword Of Conan a solid three out of five stars. All roads seem to lead back to the Conan the Barbarian comic book series. Will post-Hyborian Age characters end up in the main title series? I guess we will have to wait to find out.
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