Comics featuring Conan the Barbarian and other characters by Robert E. Howard are currently published by Titan Comics, together with entertainment studio Heroic Signatures. Their collaboration to publish comics, graphic novels, and omnibus collections of older Conan comics started in 2023, after Marvel lost the license in 2022. The first ongoing series is Conan the Barbarian which started in August 2023. With crossover events and spin-off mini-series featuring other Robert E. Howard characters, such as Kull of Atlantis or Solomon Kane, they created a shared universe which is sometimes called the Howardverse.
Publications
Conan the Barbarian
The first ongoing series Conan the Barbarian was introduced during Free Comic Book Day 2023 with an in issue that served as a prologue, followed by an ongoing series that started in August 2023. The series is written by Jim Zub, and started with Roberto De La Torre and Doug Braithwaite as artists alternating between story arcs. Danica Brine served as guest artist for two issues during the fifth story arc, and Fernando Dagnino joined the artist rotation for the sixth arc, starting with issue #21. For the milestone issue #25, Alex Horley painted an oversized King Conan story.
The Savage Sword of Conan
The Savage Sword of Conan was announced in July 2023 as a limited series, to be published in black-and-white and magazine-sized format. The first issue was released in February 2024 with issues published every two months. Each issue features comics, prose stories, poems, and art pages, starring Conan as well as other characters by Robert E. Howard. The magazine is edited by Chris Butera. Titan Comics initially committed to six issues, but announced at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con that the series would be extended to a second year, and in 2025 it was further extended to a third year.
Howardverse crossovers
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone was a crossover event with Conan and other Robert E. Howard characters, namely Solomon Kane, Dark Agnes, James Allison, El Borak and Conrad and Kirowan. It started with a Free Comic Book Day issue in May 2024, written by Jim Zub and art by Jonas Scharf. This was followed by a collection of short stories in The Savage Sword of Conan #4 and a mini-series titled Conan: Battle of the Black Stone published from September to December 2024.
A second crossover event titled Conan: Scourge of the Serpent, written by Jim Zub with art by Ivan Gil, started publication 2025. The event kicked off with a Free Comic Book Day issue in May 2025 and was followed by a mini-series series starting in September 2025. The story features various Howardian characters and takes place in three different times that are "metaphysically linked": the Thurian age with Kull, the Hyborian age with Conan and the twentieth century with John Kirowan.
A third crossover event titled Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King is being published in 2026. It features Thulsa Doom against Conan and his allies, and is again written by Jim Zub, with art by Spanish artist Jesús Merino. The event began in May with a Free Comic Book Day issue, followed by a mini-series in September 2026.
Solomon Kane
After positive responses to a serialized Solomon Kane back-up story by Patrick Zircher in the first three issues of The Savage Sword of Conan, Heroic Signatures greenlit a four-issue mini series titled Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring, written and drawn by Zircher and published in 2025. The story takes place in the 16th century in southern Europe and Africa and features the ancient "Serpent Ring" from Thoth-Amon (also featured in the Robert E. Howard stories "The Phoenix on the Sword" and "The Haunter of the Ring", which take place during the Hyborian age and in the 1930s, respectively).
Due to the success of the first Solomon Kane comic series, a second series titled Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant and is being published during summer 2026. It takes place a few years after the first series and depicts Kane traveling to India where he has to face new evils.
Kull of Atlantis
A comic series centering on Kull of Atlantis was first announced at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con. Further details were released at the SDCC the following year: it will be a four-issue mini series published in early 2026 and will be written by John Arcudi with art by Mark Buckingham.
Ongoing series
Title Issues Writer(s) Artist(s) Colourist(s)Editor(s) Debut date Conclusion date Conan the Barbarian 1– Jim Zub Roberto De La TorreDoug BraithwaiteFernando DagninoDanica BrineAlex Horley Dean WhiteDiego RodriguezJosé VillarrubiaJão CanolaMatt Murray (1–6) Chris Butera (7–) TBA
Limited series
Title Issues Writer(s) Artist(s) Colourist(s)Editor(s) Debut date Conclusion date The Savage Sword of Conan 1–18 various (anthology format) various n/a (black and white) Matt Murray (1)Chris Butera (2–) TBA Conan: Battle of the Black Stone 1–4 Jim Zub Jonas Scharf Jão CanolaChris Butera Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring 1–4Patrick Zircher Patrick ZircherPete Pantazis Conan: Scourge of the Serpent 1–4 Jim Zub Ivan Gil Jão Canola Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant 1–4Patrick Zircher Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King 1–4 Jim Zub Jesús Merino Jão Canola TBA Untitled Kull series 1–4 John Arcudi Mark Buckingham TBATBA TBA
One-shots
Title Writer Artist ColouristEditor Release date Free Comic Book Day 2023: Conan the Barbarian Jim Zub Rob De La Torre José VillarrubiaMatt Murray Free Comic Book Day 2024: Conan: Battle of the Black Stone Jonas Scharf Jão CanolaChris Butera Free Comic Book Day 2025: Conan: Scourge of the Serpent Ivan Gil Jão Canola Conan the Barbarian: Eastern Horizons Walt Simonson Jerry Ma (digital only) Free Comic Book Day 2026: Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Jim Zub Jesús Merino Jão Canola
Collected editions
Trade paperbacks
Volume Title Collects Pages Release date ISBN Conan the Barbarian 1 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 1: Bound in Black Stone Free Comic Book Day 2023: Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian #1–4 128 2 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 2: Thrice Marked for Death Conan the Barbarian #5–8 112 3 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 3: The Age Unconquered Conan the Barbarian #9–12 112 4 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 4: Frozen Faith Conan the Barbarian #13–16 112 5 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 5: Twisting Loyalties Conan the Barbarian #17–20 112 6 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 6: A Nest of Serpents Conan the Barbarian #21–24 112 7 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 7: The Conquering Crown Conan the Barbarian #25–28 128 8 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 8: Ghosts and Echoes Conan the Barbarian #29–32 112 9 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 9: Cursed Shores Beyond Conan the Barbarian #33–36 112 The Savage Sword of Conan 1 The Savage Sword of Conan, Volume 1 The Savage Sword of Conan #1–3 208 2 The Savage Sword of Conan, Volume 2 The Savage Sword of Conan #4–6 208 3 The Savage Sword of Conan, Volume 3 The Savage Sword of Conan #7–9 192 4 The Savage Sword of Conan, Volume 4 The Savage Sword of Conan #10–12 208 5 The Savage Sword of Conan, Volume 5 The Savage Sword of Conan #13–15 192 Howardverse crossovers – Conan: Battle of the Black Stone Free Comic Book Day 2024: Conan: Battle of the Black StoneConan: Battle of the Black Stone #1–4 128 – Conan: Scourge of the Serpent Free Comic Book Day 2025: Conan: Scourge of the SerpentConan: Scourge of the Serpent #1–4 128 – Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Free Comic Book Day 2026: Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-KingConan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #1–4 128 Solomon Kane 1 Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring #1–4 112 2 Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #1–4 112
Hardcover
Volume Title Collects Pages Release date ISBN 1 Conan the Barbarian, Volume 1: Bound in Black Stone Deluxe Edition Free Comic Book Day 2023: Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian #1–4 144 – Conan the Barbarian: The Nomad Deluxe Edition Conan the Barbarian #25 64
Reception
Accolades +YearAwardCategoryNomineeComic(s)ResultRef.2024Eisner Awards Best Coloring Dean WhiteConan the Barbarian Best Lettering Richard Starkings Tripwire Awards Best New Series — Best Writer Jim Zub Best Cover Artist Dan Panosian 2025 Ringo Awards Best Anthology — The Savage Sword of Conan
See also Conan (comics) Conan (Marvel Comics) Conan (Dark Horse Comics)
References