CONAN #0 FREE ISSUE AND MORE NEWS

One of the comics given away this year during the annual Free Comics Day was Titan's first look at their new title, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, shown below in its entirety. Following is a newsflash announcing Titan's new SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, as well as news of print-run sellouts of CONAN.

Conan the Barbarian Sets All-Time Record as Savage Sword Spin-Off Announced

Conan the Barbarian has set an all time sales record for Titan Comics, just in time for the launch of his second title, Savage Sword of Conan.

By Shaun Corley | July 24, 2023 | screenrant.com

Conan the Barbarian has set an all-time sales record, just in time for the premiere of Savage Sword of Conan! Titan Books, best known for their line of Doctor Who comics, acquired the rights to produce comic books based on Conan last year. The publisher has hit the ground running, launching not only a flagship Conan title, but resurrecting Savage Sword of Conan in its original format - and if that was not enough, the former book has hit a sales record.

Titan Books unveiled more information about the forthcoming titles at San Diego Comic Con. Titan’s Conan the Barbarian will be written by Jim Zub and drawn by Roberto De La Torre, following Zub chronicling Conan’s adventures over at Marvel. In addition to the regular Conan the Barbarian title, Titan has announced a spin-off, titled Savage Sword of Conan. Savage Sword, unlike its companion book, will be magazine-sized, featuring stories in black and white, and will feature what Titan describes as a "murderer’s row" of artists, including Howard Chaykin, Patch Zircher, John Arcudi and Richard Pace. Finally, Titan announced that Conan the Barbarian #1’s first printing was the publisher’s biggest book to date, with confirmed sales over 80,000; in addition, Titan has already commissioned a second printing, and a third printing is a possibility. These multiple printings will push Conan the Barbarian’s print run over 100,000, making it one of the best-selling titles of the decade.

Titan’s new line of Conan comics is the latest chapter in the Cimmerian’s long history. Conan’s creator, Robert E. Howard, wrote for the classic pulp magazines of his day, and created Conan in 1932. The character became popular with fans, and after Howard’s untimely death at the age of 30, other writers picked up the thread and continued the character’s adventures. In the early 1970s, Marvel licensed the rights to produce comics based on Conan. The book was a hit and inaugurated a line of titles, including the black and white Savage Sword of Conan. Sold as a magazine to help skirt the oppressive Comics Code Authority, Savage Sword featured more adult-oriented storylines, keeping it more in line with Howard’s original vision.

And now, this groundbreaking publication has returned - in its original format. Fans fondly remember the classic Savage Sword of Conan, and Titan Editor Mike Murray revealed that many have asked for its return. When Marvel reacquired the Conan license in 2019, they did relaunch Savage Sword - but as a regular-sized, color comic book. Fans had been clamoring for a return to its classic format and now Titan has given them their wish. The original Savage Sword featured some of the top artists of the day, including Barry Windsor-Smith and John Buscema, and the new incarnation will keep that tradition alive, with Patch Zircher confirming a huge array of talent on Twitter. Jim Zub likewise celebrated the move, revealing that fans at SDCC were raving about the new series.

Titan has generated a great deal of excitement over its new line of Conan the Barbarian books. The first issue of the flagship title will become one of the best-selling comics of the decade, showing that fan interest in this book is at an all-time high. Titan will also honor the classic Conan comics by continuing to reprint them in gorgeous new editions. With Savage Sword of Conan returning in its classic format, and the regular book breaking Titan's sales records, now is a great time to be a Conan fan.