THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #6, by Titan Comics on 12/11/24, delivers three tales of pulp action-adventure when King Conan goes against his nature, Young Conan faces a Lovecraftian horror, and Dark Agnes meets a legend.
Credits:
- Writer: Jason Aaron, Matthew John, Michael Downs
- Artist: Geof Isherwood, Piotr Kowalski
- Letterer: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith
- Cover Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander (cover A)
- Publisher: Titan Comics
- Release Date: December 11, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $6.99
- Page Count: 68
- Format: Anthology Magazine
Covers:
Analysis of THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #6:
First Impressions:
The Savage Sword Of Conan #6 is a super-strong capper to the first volume in the anthology series that gives multiple creators a chance to delve into Robert E. Howard’s catalog of pulp fiction greatness. Jason Aaron’s tale of witches and witchhunters takes up the majority of the anthology, but all the stories have unique offerings that make this issue memorable.
Plot Analysis:
King Conan: The Ensorcelled, Part Two
The two-parter concludes when King Conan makes his way down the untouched mountains of Graaskal after the events of The Savage Sword Of Conan #5. Soon, Conan encounters Faither Flail and the Witchhunters, looking for Xyleena to purge the land of the last witch. King Conan tells them Xyleena is dead, but the tense chat turns deadly when King Conan sees one of the witchhunters carrying the sword of one of the Black Dragons of Aquilonia. King Conan attacks to avenge his Black Dragons, and he cuts the holy men down easily, but he’s stopped in his tracks by Father Flail and the indomitable power the witchhunter possesses.
Jason Aaron begins the last half of King Conan’s adventure by explaining Father Flail’s tumultuous rise to power as a witchhunter and inquisitor who sought to overcome his father’s reckless dabbles in magic by becoming a deadly sorcerer in his own right. It becomes clear very quickly that Father Flail may be the most dangerous sorcerer Conan has ever faced.
King Conan cleaves Father Flail in half, but a blow that would normally kill any man only slows the zealot down. King Conan rides back up the mountain until he finds Xyleena and her pack of protective polar bears. There, King Conan explains the nature of Father Flail and his path to find Xyleena. In turn, Xyleena reveals that Conan has a bit of magic in his blood after countless confrontations with witches and demons. To defeat a great magic, King Conan must, for once, call on a greater magic.
Jason Aaron, regularly known for “subverting expectations,” applies a narrative twist to Conan by forcing him into a corner to embrace that one thing he truly hates – magic. However, Aaron’s penchant for subversion works for once.
When Father Flail arrives, the battle begins. The main story concludes with a beautiful sword born of ugly prayers, a Lovecraftian battle, “From Hell’s Heart I Stab At Thee,” and a different kind of scream.
Overall, Jason Aaron does a fine job presenting a King Conan story with overwhelming challenges, epic battles, and solid character work. Further, Geof Isherwood artwork looks amazing.
Conan: Madness On The Mound
Shortly after the events of the Frost Giant’s Daughter, young Conan accompanies Niord and the Aesirmen on a trek through the frigid wastes to return to civilization. Exhausted and low on provisions, Niord directs Conan to scout ahead to find a small village where a cousin of Niord resides, intending to encamp the men before a storm overtakes them.
When the group reaches the village, they find all but a few elders are gone. A hunting party left days ago, and the remaining villagers feared their warriors were killed by a rival Vanir called Thorfinn. After a brief rest, Conan and Niord follow the trail of the hunters only to find an Eldritch horror waiting for them, a horror that arrived from the stars, Hell, or both.
Matthew Johns’s short story capitalizes on Conan’s time with the Aesirmen for a pulp tale that blends aspects of Creepshow, the Color Out Of Space, and The Thing to confront Conan and his allies with a body horror monster the hero won’t forget anytime soon. Johns’s vivid descriptions and urgent pace are a winner.
Dark Agnes: The Head Of St. Denis
Dark Agnes runs through the woods of France, pursued by soldiers in service to Captain De Valance, who in turn serves Duke D’Alencon. As she runs, Dark Agnes recalls how men who travel with her don’t live very long, but in this case, she will be the cause of death to the men who chase her.
As the moon rises, the soldiers close in, but they are unprepared for Dark Agnes’s skill with a sword and pistol. After the soldiers lie dead at her fight, and the woods grow still in the moonlight, a strange visitor approaches Dark Agnes, giving life to the old phrase, “By the Head of St. Denis.”
Michael Downs presents a brief tale to give readers unfamiliar with Dark Agnes a sense of her skills and the types of supernatural adventures that define her lore. That said, the voluminous narration drags the pace down a lot, and Piotr Kowalski’s artwork, which we know best from his work on Titan’s Bloodborne series, doesn’t suit the B&W format well.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
We mentioned in the last review that The Savage Sword Of Conan #6 is the end of the first volume, but the next issue had not yet been scheduled. We’re pleased to confirm that the series is continuing, and The Savage Sword of Conan #7 is due for release on February 26, 2025.
Final Thoughts:
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THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #6 ends the first volume with a hard-fought pulp adventure against witches, otherworldly monsters, and more. Jason Aaron’s extended King Conan story is a worthy addition to the Cimmerian’s mythology, and the short stories from Matthew John and Michael Downs are excellent.
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