2024’s Battle of the Black Stone miniseries was an unprecedented event. The story teamed multiple characters created by author Robert E. Howard on a quest that sent them through time and space. The crossover continues this year in Conan: Scourge of the Serpent. This time, however, the story is even more deeply steeped in the lore of Howard’s world.
The plot of Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 centers around three separate stories, set at different points in time. These seemingly unconnected moments are united by a common evil — the Serpent Men, who once ruled humanity in the earliest days of the Earth.
The first story concerns King Kull of Valusia, whose court has been infiltrated by Serpent Men in disguise. The second centers around Conan the Barbarian, who first encountered the Serpent Men’s machinations as a young thief. The third and final story concerns Professor John Kirowan, who uses his academic studies of ancient lore to combat the Serpent Men’s sorcery in the early 20th century.
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent adapts three stories perfectly
The action of Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 will be familiar to fans of Howard’s work. The issue directly adapts three of his short stories: The Shadow Kingdom, The God in the Bowl, and The Haunter of the Ring. This is unsurprising given how deeply writer Jim Zub drew on Howard’s works in earlier comics. What is surprising, however, is how Zub and artist Ivan Gil find ways to twist the classic stories into new forms.
This is most apparent in the sections based on Professor John Kirowan and The Haunt of the Ring. The artwork teases Kirowan being tormented by a vision of a woman as he inspects the titular ring. The original text only references “an unaccountable repulsion” in this scene. This seems to be Zub and Gil foreshadowing Kirowan’s lost love, who is mentioned later in the original story.
Beyond that, Conan: Scourge of the Serpent is a showcase of everything that made Howard’s writing stand the test of time. The action sequences are undeniably intense and well-illustrated by Gil. This series should unquestionably be read by every fan of weird horror, sword-and-sorcery, and quality comics.
Grade: 9/10
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on September 24, 2025.
