Conan the Barbarian returned to the pages of Marvel Comics more than two years ago in what was promised to be a revival of sword & sorcery comics, which last saw a heyday in the 1980s when both Warlord and Conan were still popular monthly series. Unfortunately, like nearly every series following that decade the explosion of new Conan material has simply produced more of the same—reproductions of Howard’s familiar take on brutal men slaying thugs, challenging magic, and bedding women. Even as a reader who appreciates the past work of Mike Grell and Barry Windsor-Smith, it all feels too derivative to merit much attention. Thankfully, Barbaric #1, from writer Michael Moreci and artist Nathan Gooden at publisher Vault Comics, recognizes that repeating the past is a surefire recipe for mediocrity and provides the first exciting new sword & sorcery series to hit comic book stores in many years.
