Jim Zub is no stranger to Conan the Barbarian.
Starting with work for Marvel back in 2020, on a story called “Into the Crucible”, and continuing through to the relaunch of the series under Titan Comics’ banner, Zub has worked diligently to establish himself as a pre-eminent voice on the beloved Cimmerian. And with good reason: his first story at Titan, the FCBD issue, is one of the best fantasy comics of the last few years. The issues since have done little to dissuade anyone of the notion that Zub knows what he’s doing when it comes to weaving stories centred on Conan.
That goes for the readership and, clearly, Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures themselves who have just extended his contract on the title for multiple years.
Jim Zub’s multi-year partnership with Conan the Barbarian
Announced in his newsletter, Zub confirmed that the multi-year deal means that he will continue to author issues of the ongoing Conan the Barbarian series, as well as contributing stories to Savage Sword of Conan and other titles.
The first of these other books is titled Conan: Battle of the Black Stone – a four-issue mini-series that will weave ‘a tale that transcends time and space’. Other Robert E. Howard characters, such as Soloman Kane, are set to appear.
Of the extension, Zub was ‘ecstatic’:
‘Working on such an important character and building out this vibrant mythology over a longer span is both an honor and a privilege, one that I don’t take for granted’
Zub Newsletter #73: Mid-Marathon
Talking specifically about the length of this extension, the writer also confirmed that this will be a 3-year deal. As Dean Simons pointed out in his coverage for Comicsbeat though, ‘2028 is potentially when Robert E. Howard’s signature creation is expected to enter public domain’.
Could this signal that Zub’s extended tenure on the character, prior to any public domain expansions, will end in some grand event to see things off?
Is Jim Zub a Conan the Barbarian exclusive writer now?
The contract Zub has signed with Heroic Signatures is non-exclusive, meaning he is not prevented from working with other publishers in the meantime.
Given the size of his commitment to the property, and the number of titles he’s working on, it’s unlikely we’ll see too many books under his pen that don’t star Conan, but by all accounts he could well be credited on any number of upcoming Marvel or DC comics.
What’s coming next for Conan the Barbarian?
Given this news, the Conan the Barbarian publishing slate looks the healthiest it has in a very long time.
Ongoing Series
First, the ongoing Conan the Barbarian series will continue into its second year, with Zub already making plans for year three.
Conan the Barbarian #14 releases later this month, marking the second issue of the fourth arc. In it, Zub and artist Doug Braithwaite take Conan into an arctic climate to face his deadliest challenge yet.
Then, there’s news for the Savage Sword of Conan – the oversized, black and white anthology magazine. A second year of content is coming our way, with Roy Thomas pairing with Roberto De La Torre on a new, main black and white story. Jason Aaron also returns to the character alongside Geof Isherwood for a new King Conan tale.
Event Series – Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone
As mentioned above, there will also be event series written during Zub’s now-extended tenure. The first of which is Conan: Battle of the Black Stone.
Written by Jim Zub, with art by Jonas Scharf (Dark X-Men, Basilisk), this is a four-issue limited series that pits Conan against foes from across time and space, and potentially of eldritch origins if the covers are anything to go by.
Releasing September 4th, fans can expect Conan to face one of his toughest challenges yet, if the solicitation text is to be believed:
‘An unspeakable evil looms over the Hyborian Age and every age connected to it… and it will take more than a lone barbarian to stop its relentless march upon time, space, and sanity.’
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1, League of Comic Geeks
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