Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King Free Comic Book Day 2026

From Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day 2026 at Most Excellent Comics and Gaming, Enfield CT USA.

Title: Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King Free Comic Book Day 2026
Issue: 1
Date: May, 2026
Publisher: Titan Comics
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Jesus Merino
Colorist: Jao Canola
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Tyler Smith
Editor: Chris Butera

This was a really interesting introduction with parallel stories of Conan fighting as a mercenary along the border of Zingara and Argos back in the Hyborian Age, and 20th century soldier fighting in World War I, and surviving as a veteran of that conflict. American soldier Stephen Costigan isn't the mythic hero that Conan is, but he survives horrors just as brutal as those of Conan's time, and eventually in the aftermath of the war, he steps into his own encounter with the dark magic of the Hyborian Age. The parallel stories are fun, and they're very nicely presented in the artwork. To make this more intriguing, the 20th century plotline is actually adapted from Robert E. Howard's pulp story "Skull-Face", which had its own references to Howard's own mythos.

The story is just an introduction, but it does a good job of setting up both timelines, and an essay at the end explains the connection to Howard's pulp writings.

Conan isn't a title that I pick up expecting to find something new and innovative, so this was a pleasant surprise, both because of the innovation and because it was honoring Robert E. Howard's legacy in doing so.

Rating: 7.5/10

Batman #4

Slowly catching up on the DC backlog. Today I start the #4's.

Title: Batman
Issue: 4
Date: February 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Jonathan Glapion
Colorist: FCO
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Katie Kubert, Harvey Richards, Mike Marts
Cover: Greg Capullo, FCO

Dick Grayson visits the Batcave, concerned that the Batman has been pushing himself too hard on the Court of Owls case. Interestingly, Bruce is the skeptical one. He is not convinced that the Court is real, even after finding evidence that they have been active for centuries. Dick and Jim Gordon are open to the possibility.

Why is Bruce unconvinced? Well, the answer is revealed in an incident from Bruce's childhood, right after the deaths of his parents. It might be considered his first attempt at detective work and it turned into a hard lesson and one that the boy who would become the Batman never forgot.

The flashback seemed a bit contrived, but it still held my interest as most additions to the origin story do. It's interesting how writers always seem to come up with gaps in the Batman's past that are in need of stories.

Other than the flashback scene, this issue was mostly transitional, bridging the gap between the closing peril of last issue and some new imperilment to end this one. The interaction between Bruce and Dick seemed a little bit forced. And the action consisted mainly of the Court being one step ahead of the Batman in the way that ancient and powerful conspiracies often are.

Rating: 6/10

Batman #3

Title: Batman
Issue: 3
Date: January 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Jonathan Glapion
Colorist: FCO
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Katie Kubert, Harvey Richards, Mike Marts
Cover: Greg Capullo, FCO

The Batman begins to uncover the secrets of the Court of Owls, and their generations-old conspiracy to control Gotham.

This was a good issue for plot-thickening, both in terms of developing the backstory of the Owls and their connection to the Wayne family, and also in terms of developing some of the current post-New-52 Gotham underworld.

The actual gimmick of the hidden lairs of the Court (based on the idea that owls use the nests of other birds) was a bit implausible, but made for a fun revelation. There wasn't much action in this issue, but writer Snyder kept the pacing fast and I didn't find myself wishing for more fight scenes.

Rating: 6.5/10

Batman #2

Title: Batman
Issue: 2
Date: December 2011
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Jonathan Glapion
Colorist: FCO
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Katie Kubert, Janelle Asselin, Mike Marts
Cover: Greg Capullo, FCO

Lots of plot-thickening as a mysterious and possibly super-powered assassin targets Bruce Wayne, and an old legend of Gotham reemerges.

In fact, this issue is steeped in Gotham lore, with an excellent opening narrative on the history of Wayne Tower and its 12 (make that 13) gargoyles.

The surprise twist that ended the first issue is now twisted again into a new direction.

This had some really solid action sequences (although one was a bit of a throwaway), and a lot of detective work. But it was the Gotham City history and mythology that really made it stand apart from the typical Batman vs. generic-assassin fare.

I'm definitely interested in seeing where this is headed.

Rating: 7.5/10

Batman #1

Alternating between indy books purchased at recent shows and "New 52" debuts from DC. Here's the first issue of the new Batman series.

Title: Batman
Issue: 1
Date: November 2011
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Jonathan Galpion
Colorist: FCO Plascencia
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Katie Kubert, Janelle Asselin, Mike Marts
Cover: Ethan Van Sciver

I bought the (gorgeous) variant cover with artwork by Ethan Van Sciver (pictured above).

Opening introduction references a Gotham Gazette feature where random people complete the sentence "Gotham is _____" in three words or less. It's a really nice introductory reflection as we shift from a montage of Gotham nighttime scenes into the Batman taking on a full-scale riot at Arkham Asylum... With the Joker fighting alongside him!

This is the kind of surprise that I like to see from a new Batman book, and the explanation, when we finally get to it, is at least reasonable. Even better is the Batman's response when Jim Gordon questions him about what he saw in the security footage.

Batman has the trust of Gordon here, and we're in "present" time (as opposed to the "five years ago" setting for Justice League and Action Comics; my reviews are here and here respectively btw). Bruce Wayne is in full playboy socialite mode, but he's got his own plans to save Gotham in his civilian identity as well, and the scenes with Bruce Wayne do a good job of capturing his style and charisma. There's also a brief scene with Bruce and three Robins (Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, and Tim Drake), and a really amusing bit involving the Batcomputer identifying the security access levels of the various sidekicks and former sidekicks. It's amusing to see who outranks them.

The mode quickly shifts back to gritty as the Batman helps the GCPD investigate a gruesome (and unsubtle) crime scene. Harvey Bullock! Now if we could just get Renee Montoya back. There is a mysterious prediction found at the crime scene, but the really shocking twist comes when the DNA evidence is analyzed and the Batman realizes that he's dealing with a mystery that hits close to home.

This was a really good Batman story, with elements of mystery, good action sequences, and excellent use of the supporting cast. It lays the seeds for several subplots and delivers a satisfying twist at the end.

Rating: 8/10

Teen Titans #28

Continued from my previous review: This is the second of a two-part Teen Titans story arc that Joe McGlone, artist for the webcomic Entripor, passed along for me to take a look at.

Title: Teen Titans
Date: November, 2005
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Rob Liefeld
Colorist: Matt Yackey
Letterer: Comicraft
Editor: Jeanine Schaefer, Joan Hilty

Kid Flash makes it onto the cover this time, but still no Beast Boy.

We skip a bit from last time and cut right to Robin wallowing in the team's trouncing at the hands of Kestrel, even though it was more of a hit-and-run than a real trouncing. Kestrel has captured Raven's soul-self and fled back to his realm with the two third-rate villainesses he recruited last time, conveniently leaving a gaping-open dimensional rift for the Titans to follow him through.

I don't know much about Kestrel, but I can't help but wonder whether he came about because somebody demanded that DC have a character with claws that are EVEN BETTER THAN WOLVERINE'S!!! I can see the conversation now:

DC Editor #1: "Wolverine's claws are made of adamantium! They can cut through anything! How can we ever top that?"
DC Editor #2: "I know! We'll make up a guy with claws so sharp they can cut through the FABRIC OF TIME AND SPACE!!!"

So, it's off to find Kestrel in his home dimension (a fairly generic version of Hell). I did like Beast Boy laughing at the "mirror that shows our greatest fears". Clever.

Kestrel sends his new recruits into battle throws his new recruits to the wolves. Fight scene ensues. Server Aja kinda gets lost in the shuffle for the second time out of two fight scenes she's appeared in. I'm beginning to suspect Liefeld doesn't like drawing her. Probably because she's wearing clothing.

So this scene basically boils down to a fight between Cross Christina and Wonder Girl, although fight isn't really the word for it as that would imply some level of competitiveness. Christina eventually realizes that hitting Cassie's fists with her face is not really getting her anywhere and surrenders.

Meanwhile, Robin, demonstrating that he's the tactician of the group, has decided to sneak off to fight Kestrel on his own. This is after repeatedly warning everyone last issue that Kestrel is so dangerous that even their combined powers might not be enough to beat him.

They do some mindgame stuff with an illusion of Tim's dad (they've got a Father's Day theme going on here, remember?), but that quickly gives way to brawling, and they actually start to do a pretty cool thing. You see, Kestrel, an agent of chaos, uses a chaotic and nearly-impossible-to-predict fighting style. And Robin is all about training and discipline. I loved Tim's line "Let's show him the dangers of the orderly mind." Brilliant.

Unfortunately, though, they feel the need to get back to the full-scale team brawl, so Kestrel regains the upper hand just in time for the rest of the Titans to show up and save Robin.

More fighting follows, and then a "shocking" twist that I could see coming a mile away. We quickly move into epilogue mode.

Oh, and Liefeld manages the seemingly impossible feat of drawing Starfire wearing even less than she usually wears.

That being said, I do have to give props for the final page, which is a genuinely sweet and tender scene between Cassie and the wounded Raven. More of this next time, please.

And less Kestrel.

Rating: 5.5/10

Teen Titans #27

Joe McGlone, artist for the webcomic Entripor, recently gave me a couple of issues of Teen Titans to review. Well, as it says on the cover of the first of these (Issue #27): Come on... You KNOW you want it!

Title: Teen Titans
Date: October, 2005
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Rob Liefeld
Colorist: Matt Yackey
Letterer: Comicraft
Editor: Jeanine Schaefer, Joan Hilty

So, all of the creative team here are listed as "guests". This is the first of a self-contained two-part arc, but other than that I have no idea how or if this fits into the grand continuity scheme of things. I also don't know all that much about the Teen Titans. They're not something I read all that much of. This looks like a pretty classic version of the team, though: Robin (Tim Drake), Cyborg, Wonder Girl (Cassie), Raven, Kid Flash (not on the cover for some reason), Beast Boy (also not on the cover) and um... Hawk and Dove (on the cover!)? Except that they're both women. Okay, whatever.

Some super-powered jobbers have hostages on the roof of a building, and we're off and running with a fight scene that starts out as a good old fashioned WCW jobber squash, then gives us a brief hope spot for the heels (yes, I do realize that it's normally the babyfaces that get the hope spot, but that's really what it looked like) before the tables get turned and the Titans go back to squashing the heels. There's also a brief cutaway to the Lords of Chaos and some villain.

Interesting detail: Robin takes a jumping kick from the supposedly super-strong Cross Christina (no, really, that's her name; she slightly resembles Domino from Marvel except that she wears even less). Robin then hits back with pretty much the exact same kick for the KO. Boy. Girl. Same kick. Girl is the one with the super strength. Girl hits first. Boy gets back up. Girl is knocked out. Sexism? Or just sloppy fight choreography? These days at DC it can be so hard to tell.

Best line of the comic: "Cyborg's hand, smelling slightly of liquid polymer and molybdenum." Really? Robin can smell the distinctive odor of molybdenum? I want THAT power! I wonder if it smells better or worse than tungsten. Or yttrium.

So, as it turns out, it's Father's Day, so it's back to HQ for some parent-themed character development and bowling. Look, I may not be taking this scene seriously, but they're the ones who are bowling.

Oops! We interrupt this comic for a seven-page Bionicle comic. Here's the first line of dialogue:

"The time is drawing near. Almost all of my threads have been spun. And I wait only for my prey to rush headlong into the trap. Always remember this, Little Hordeling... Though I am not a Visorak, I too can weave a web."

The remaining six pages are pretty much just like that line. The artwork is pretty difficult to figure out, and the characters are all generic-looking lego robots. But, apparently, the thrilling conclusion of this can be found in the October issue of Sports Illustrated For Kids. This is getting more surreal by the moment.

Meanwhile, back in the DCU, some heavily-armed cops are transporting the previously-captured villains. Excessive violence follows. Some off screen and some on. The actual villain (Kestrel) makes his presence known. We rush right into fight-mode and end on a cliffhanger.

Kestrel is pretty much everything that's wrong with like 90% of DC villains these days. All sadism and viciousness with no actual personality or any kind of complexity. The Titans are more interesting, and I did really like the little glimpse we got of this version of Hawk & Dove.

The story felt rushed and choppy. Liefeld's art was decent. A bit exaggerated, but that's what you expect from him. Simone's writing managed to ratchet the intensity up to 11 by the end, but the path getting there could have been a lot better.

Rating: 4.5/10