CONAN THE BARBARIAN #21 / Script by JIM ZUB / Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO  / Colors by DIEGO RODRIGUEZ / Letters by RICHARD STARKINGS & COMICRAFT’S TYLER SMITH/ Published by TITAN COMICS

Trust is a rare commodity in the Hyborian Age. There are few Conan of Cimmeria will trust with either his money or his life. It is for this reason that he and he alone is suspicious when he, his comrades, and his latest romance wander into a village that welcomes them with open arms, claiming they believe hospitality to be the greatest of virtues. Conan is right to be suspicious, however, for this friendly village foreshadows a new threat to his liberty and his soul!

Conan the Barbarian #21 is another triumph for Titan Comics. Once again, Jim Zub delves deep into the lore of Conan, spinning a story that is a direct sequel to a classic Robert E. Howard tale. In this case, however, it feels like lost story by the Bard of Cross Plains. Some may argue it is too derivative of Shadows of Zamboula, though I see it more as a worthy tribute than a derivative work.

The artwork is similarly involved and detailed. Fernando Dagnino has begun to establish himself as one of the great Conan artists of the modern era. His figures are detailed without being cluttered and his character designs memorable and unique. His work is well enhanced by both the colors of Diego Rodriguez and the letters of Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Tyler Smith.

If you’ve not read any of the current wave of Conan the Barbarian, this is a fine place to start. If you have been reading the current series, expect more of the same amazing art and epic adventure that has defined the Titan Comics era.