Title: Conan: The Barbarian # 34
Publisher: Titan Comics
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Fernando Dagnino
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Esad Ribic, Roberto De La Torre
Cover: Esad Ribic
Variant Covers: Jesus Merino, Nicola Scott, Juan Alberto Hernandez, Esad Ribic
Price: $ 4.99 US
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Website: www.titan-comics.com
Comments: The shipwrecked crew of nine must survive, and to do so they need three basic things: food, fresh water, and shelter. Then the creatures attack, and suddenly there are eight.
Two of the pirates provide some fun as they flirt with each other. This adds a nice lighter side to the harshness of the adventure. Morley and Valeria interact well together, giving the story some much-needed moments of levity.
The crew are all survivors, and they understand the value of teamwork. Unfortunately, a traitor within the group leads to a deadly confrontation involving the traitor and Valeria.
Somehow, the original nine survivors eventually become ten, even though one of them has already been eaten. This is a small continuity mistake by the writer, but it is noticeable.
There is fighting throughout the story, although most of it is short-lived. The best action comes when the pirates go up against the dinosaurs. Those battles provide some of the most entertaining moments in the book.
A lot of the artwork is presented in shadows, with what feels like too much black filler. While this works for creating a darker atmosphere, there are times when the heavy use of black makes some of the artwork harder to appreciate.
Conan and the Captain are written as though they share authority over the group. The Captain has earned his position because he was the captain of the ship, while Conan naturally commands respect because he is a powerful warrior. The Captain is a hard man, but he also has a good head on his shoulders. Conan helps make sure he keeps it there.
Conan works surprisingly well as a man of the water as well as a warrior on dry land. Whether he is aboard a ship or fighting on solid ground, he is clearly a warrior who is comfortable in either environment.
Overall, this is a survival adventure with dinosaurs, pirates, betrayal, and Conan. It has some good character interactions and entertaining action, even if a few story inconsistencies and the heavy use of shadows hold the book back.
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