In Review: Conan the Barbarian (2023-) #31 – Relentless

Synopsis: A relentless new foe hunts Conan the Barbarian, tracking his spirit wherever he travels – a killer with keen blade in hand and teeth from old prey strung ‘round his neck.

The cult of the Black Stone WANTS REVENGE against the Cimmerian and the Son of the Tooth is their weapon of choice.

The Story

Picking up from the previous issue, Conan has been pursued by the Son of the Tooth into the Kingdom of Khoraja. Having just witnessed Conan dispatch a group of hired assassins, the Son of the Tooth challenges the barbarian to a fight that quickly becomes a relentless brawl through the city streets.

When one of the kingdom’s sentry guards attempts to intervene and mediate the conflict, the Son of the Tooth responds by hurling one of his weapons, impaling the unfortunate guard through the head. Believing his opponent weakened after losing a weapon, Conan makes a deadly mistake. He soon discovers that the Son of the Tooth can reap the souls of the dead, stealing their strength and turning it against his enemies.

The battle rages on and spills into a nearby tavern, where even more souls are harvested to fuel the Son of the Tooth’s growing power. Realising he cannot win through brute force alone, Conan is ultimately forced into a tactical retreat in order to find another way to end the fight.

The Artwork

Doug Braithwaite continues to flex his artistic muscles here with some fantastic artwork as we see swords clash and Conan begin to struggle under the overwhelming strength of an opponent who is using people’s souls like a relentless source of power.

The second page, which features a stunning full-page splash of the two warriors locked in combat, is only the beginning of the visual spectacle on offer. The momentum never lets up, carrying the reader through a series of beautifully staged action sequences.

My favourite moment comes when Conan and the Son of the Tooth crash through the walls of what had been a peaceful tavern, turning a place of refuge into yet another battlefield. I also loved the panel in which the Son of the Tooth gazes upon the night sky that has been haunting his nightmares, a brief but powerful moment that hints at the mysteries still surrounding the character.

Overall

This was a solid issue in which we get a nicely paced sword fight, infused with just the right dash of the supernatural, as the action rages through the streets of Khoraja. Packed with great artwork, brutal action, and a few intriguing story beats, it’s another strong entry in Titan’s Conan run.

It’s also just the sort of comic you need after a vindaloo and three lagers.