Zub Tales

Conan: Battle of the Black Stone launched this week, kicking off our pulp-infused epic mini-series. What did critics think of it? Let’s find out-

• 9 Panel Grid: “Jonas Scharf’s artwork is really, really bold and dynamic. There’s a lot of kinetic energy that comes with it when he’s working with the action set pieces…If you’re a Conan fan, you’re gonna love this. If you’re not a Conan fan, it might be time to dive in because this was a heck of a ride.”

• Comic Culture: “Really dramatic scenes, brutal environments, a really great book. Just full of action and adventure and I just can’t wait to see where this book goes from here. If you’re not reading Conan, you have to be reading this one.”

• Comical Opinions: 10/10 “Defines the word ‘epic’ at pretty much every level…If you love Conan, if you love Solomon Kane, if you love any and all of those characters in that pulp era of adventure storytelling, this is a top notch, first class, grade-A comic. You will love it!”

• Comics Beat: “Scharf illustrates each character with a heaviness that captures the tone Zub is going for. They look and feel grandiose, but also mortal. It’s especially noticeable in the eyes. A lot of emotion is afforded to them to really communicate a sense that fear is creeping in just under the surface, and that the heroes are trying their best to keep it from pouring out.”

• DC Patrol: “This book is glorious. I enjoyed every fiber of it…Wicked, wicked. Love it.”

• Doc Lail: “If you are looking for adventure, action, explosive storytelling, then I would prescribe this to fix those ills and I would get it in high doses.”

• Goodreads: 5/5 “There is a fury of pulp power conjured on each page of this newest issue, kickstarting one of the most meaningful and interesting expansions of Robert E. Howard’s mythology in decades. Do not fool yourself into thinking you can skip this.”

• Graphic Policy: “It builds a mystery across time and works for both new readers and long time fans. As the first event for the new launch of Robert E. Howard’s creations, it opens up a lot of possibilities of what’s to come.”

• League of Comic Geeks: “I’m thrilled to report that this works insanely well…Zub does a fantastic job at highlighting how the stone effects all of our heroes in different ways while still letting each of them feel distinct.”

• Lord Samper’s Library: “Not a lot gets to Conan but a mysterious sigil is doing just that and it swiftly proves to be an intriguing setup for whatever comes next…I enjoyed how all these events play out against the encroaching darkness in the background, makes it even more intriguing. Nice work from Scharf and Canola.”

• Major Spoilers: 5/5 “It is really well done. It is really well written as far as we have all these little tableaus, and each are experiencing these time dilations or time shifts brought on by Black Stone…I just can’t gush enough about it.”

• Mighty Thorngren: “I’m having so much fun with this stuff, more than I have been with comics in a decade or two. I’m just absolutely thrilled and always have a reason to go to the comic shop.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “Really cool stuff. The art by Jonas Scharf is absolutely fantastic, the story pacing is great. The way it bounces back and forth from the Hyborean Age to the 20th century and to other eras, it all freaking works and it works masterfully well.”

• Quest Wise: “The first issue is brutally beautiful in its writing and craftsmanship. The artwork is beautiful. The storyline is beautiful. The blending of different characters is beautiful…I highly recommend it.”

• Stygian Dogs: “A thrilling start to Jim Zub’s ambitious project to unite Robert E. Howard’s ‘Heroes of Man’ as they confront an ancient eldritch evil. Upon its conclusion it promises to just get better. Adding to this, it’s a must-read celebration and exploration of Howard’s creations.”

• Superhero Hype: 10/10 “Fans of the current Conan comic will find Battle of the Black Stone #1 to be a fine continuation of the monthly series. Newcomers will enjoy it as a welcome entry to the weird tales of Robert E. Howard. Most of all, it is a worthy tribute to the Bard of Cross Plains, which truly honors his remarkable legacy.”

• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “I’m very, very excited. This was a great issue, this was a nice cliffhanger…It’s phenomenal. A great starting event for this new iteration of Conan.”

• Thinking Critical: “There are some amazing images from Jonas Scharf…This is a solid opening chapter to a big event crossover.”