COMIC REVIEW: The Savage Sword of Conan: Reforged #1

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN: REFORGED #1
Various contributors
Available October 22

The new Savage Sword of Conan comics from Titan have been a delight to read, and a wonderful on-ramp for new readers. But there's nothing like revisiting the classics, and now the publisher is releasing upgraded — "reforged" — versions of classic comics from yesteryear.

This first issue kicks off with two essential stories in the Cimmerian's lore: "The Frost Giant's Daughter" and "Tower of the Elephant." Whether you're familiar with these classic tales or just now encountering them, this is a fantastic way to see them.

The restorations of the stories are vivid and gorgeous. Atali, the dangerous beauty from whom "The Frost Giant's Daughter" gets its name, bears a striking similarity to Jeanne in Kuni Fukai's Belladonna of Sadness layouts (with the former predating the latter by two years). "The Tower of the Elephant" shows its retro beauty in a different way, evoking a sci-fantasy that will embed (and certainly has embedded) itself deep in the minds of fantasy gamers and writers. Both are very different in style, but vividly restored in a way that preserves rather than attempting to "improve."

Between the two stories are two bonuses. First, Patrick Zircher muses on the appeal of Conan the Barbarian and its adjacency to the hobby of tabletop gaming. These prose musings in various Conan editions from Titan have always been a favorite inclusion of mine, bringing more context to these long-lived stories.

After this comes a lushly illustrated interpretation of Robert E. Howard's poem "Cimmeria." The dark and stormy colors, coupled with a straightforward battle scene, evoke that "land of darkness and the night" described.

While it's always great to see new additions to and interpretations of the canon, we're very fortunate to get these restorations. Thanks to the Reforged edition, new fans can experience that vibrant, in-the-moment excitement decades later. I'm very hopeful about future issues and collected volumes.

TEA PAIRING: Serene Sage

Don't let the name fool you: this earthy, herby tea is a perfect match for the Cimmerian's adventures. Use my code KARA15 for 15% of this and other teas from Chapters!