CONAN: SERPENT WAR

[Deleted]

Preview:
www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2020/01/03/marvel-preview-conan-serpent-war-3/

[Deleted]

Episode 52: An Interview with Marvel Comics Writer Jim Zub

Welcome to the first Fancast of the new year and this episode features an interview with Marvel Comics writer Jim Zub. Mr. Zub is the prolific writer of titles like Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda, Conan: Serpent War, Dungeons and Dragons: Infernal Tides, Avengers: No Road Home and much more. He also has tutorials on his website www.jimzub.com designed to help new writers break into the business. You can follow him on Twitter jimzub

Link to interview:
www.superpoweredfancast.com/episode-52-an-interview-with-marvel-comics-writer-jim-zub/

[Deleted]

Reviews:

CONAN: SERPENT WAR #3
Conan: Serpent War feels like it's going through the motions and is perhaps telling a bigger story than its built for. Jim Zub uses the character of James Allison to summarize the adventure of the four lead characters, but doing so robs readers of the experience of seeing the characters interact. That summary isn’t all that thrilling as its amounts to little more than the character traveling from one place to another to collect and destroy artifacts that, for being so vital, are shockingly easy to procure. For example, the leaders of a Set cult store their hearts in common jars and send them to a vault, but they’re transported in a poorly-guarded merchant’s wagon. It’s a wonder that common bandits didn’t slay the zealots before Conan and Dark Agnes got around to it. The artwork doesn’t do much to enhance the issue, with inconsistent anatomy and awkwardly placed shadows that turn whole portions of the page into negative space. What should be an exciting cross over adventure is becoming a chore. -- Jamie Lovett

Rating: 3 out of 5

Link:
comicbook.com/comics/2020/01/08/new-comic-reviews-dc-marvel-image/#3


Jim Zub continues with the penultimate issue of CONAN SERPENT WAR #3 as our heroes are sent with the task to destroy twin bracelets across time itself. Conan and Dark Agnes are focusing on the bracelet from the Hyborian Age while Solomon Kane and Moon Knight are taking care of its twin in the 16th Century. Nonetheless, James Allison is somehow communicating and guiding these four warriors on what appears to be his death bed. Does this sound confusing? Well, that’s because it is!

Zub initially captured this reviewer’s attention by mixing these contrasting four warriors together in what appeared to be an epic story ready to unfold. However, after witnessing this penultimate issue, this reviewer left more perplexed as to who the villain is, the direction of the narrative, and it’s the actual purpose. In all actuality, the driving force behind Zub’s story simply appears to be to access four unique characters that may (or may not) have their own series on the horizon.

After rereading this issue multiple times, as well as the prior two issues, this comic fan continues to be confused as to who the narrator is and often times wonders if the narrator’s voice continues to change. The four main characters aren’t growing together and the personalities of both Conan and Moon Knight (who this character knows the best) don’t appear to fit with any of their personality traits and characteristics. The plot has more holes than a screen door on a battleship and this reviewer departs from the issue extremely concerned for Jim Zub’s future CONAN THE BARBARIAN run. Again, who really is Set? Who is Wyrm? What does Set ultimately want? Why were these specific characters chosen? Is Set actually the villain? Readers, there are simply too many questions to make heads or tails of throughout this issue that it would definitely be time to bale on this series. However, with one issue to go, I genuinely would like to see how Zub leaves this series.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As this series approaches its end, the only clarity that remains is that not only are our main characters getting bamboozled but so are the readers. This issue seems overly convoluted and the purpose seems lost with only one issue to go. The strength of the storyline seems to be lacking cohesion and depth simply making this a lackluster tale. At this point with one issue left, there is no reason to hop on board CONAN SERPENT WAR. If you’re searching for Conan or even Moon Knight stories, merely dive into some back issues to get that craving you desire. As of right now, this reviewer would not recommend the issue or series moving forward. (by DISPATCHDCU)

6/10

Link:
weirdsciencemarvelcomics.com/2020/01/08/conan-serpent-war-3-review/

[Char-Vell]

My local comic shop put 1-3 of this in my file. so I went ahead and bought 'em.
Not too bad, really. Art could have been better.
Moon Knight is petty cool, and I like how the fit James Allison in.

*spoilery stuff?*


I like how the priestess of Set was shown caring for the sick, tending children, and otherwise being a positive force in her community, rather than a one dimensional villain.

I know I bitched about the art, but the James Allison/Wyrm parts had a creepy Junji Ito vibe. pretty nice.

[arcadian]

This series has been disappointing for reasons that I think are laid out pretty well in the two reviews Hun quoted. I can't say Zub gets the characters wrong but the story is paced slowly and uninterestingly. It's often wordy and pompous, and the sense that something incredible is happening is unearned. How much of this is the artists and how much is the writer I don't know. I also think multi-person cross-overs are difficult to get right. Howard leads might be a little more difficult because they tend to be aggressive loner-types, which generates a lot of sniping.

I'm still getting all of the Marvel Conan stuff that is not in the Marvel superhero universe; though I guess Moon Knight places this on the boundary. If this were a continuing series, I would drop this from my subscription list now, but it wouldn't be because of Moon Knight. He's fine; I'm not sure I know very much about who he is, which is probably would other readers might be thinking about Kane, Allison and Agnes.

[Deleted]

Preview:
comic-watch.com/news/sneak-peek-exclusive-preview-of-marvels-conan-serpent-war-4-of-4-the-wyrm

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2019 10:06:26 GMT -5 @hunnu said:

CONAN: SERPENT WAR #4 (OF 4)

JIM ZUB (W) • LUCA PIZZARI & VANESA DEL REY (A)
Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Variant Cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
CONNECTING VARIANT Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (4 OF 4)
VARIANT COVER BY MIGUEL MERCADO

• At last - AGNES, KANE, and MOON KNIGHT join CONAN in the Hyborian Age for the final showdown between SET, the WYRM, and…KHONSHU?!
• JAMES ALLISON brought them together, but will KHONSHU tear them apart?
• The thrilling conclusion to the ages-spanning saga that will have ramifications on the future of the assembled cast!


32 PGS.
Parental Advisory
$3.99
Release Date: 22 Jan 2020

IN STORES NOW!

[jbruel0]

Good run indeed...

[Deleted]

Mixed reviews for this issue:

CONAN: SERPENT WAR #4
Marvel’s big Moon Knight meets Conan and some other Robert E. Howard characters has proven to be a structural mess. The first three issues spent so much time introducing the characters and having them trudge through a rote quest that the final issue, which finally brings all four heroes together, barely has pages to spare on the climactic battle, let alone a moment for the characters to speak to each other. There’s an irony to Jim Zub’s narration, which waxes poetic about the power of the written words without providing a memorable phrase for itself. Vanesa Del Rey’s dreamlike opening pages on beautiful, and Ig Guara gets in a nice page or two of gnarly monster-god action, but its not enough to carry the weight of this overwrought chore. -- Jamie Lovett

Rating: 2 out of 5

comicbook.com/comics/2020/01/22/new-comic-reviews-dc-marvel-image/#4



Review by DISPATCHDCU

Readers, this was an incredibly tough series to review. Let me state it this way: many (many) years ago I went to watch the movie FROM DUSK TO DAWN. Now, at this time in movie history, we didn’t really have internet spoilers, online reviews, and media outlets to share secrets and info about movies as we do now. Point is: all we had was commercials and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY! Well, this reviewer had no idea what this movie was about and saw no previews before entering the movie. This was the time in movie history where we could just show up and watch a movie. Well, to my chagrin, I was blown out of my seat when I found out this movie (spoilers) had $&@$ vampires in it! At the time, this was the coolest movie I have ever seen from the sheer shock and spin that knocked my socks off!

So, let’s flash forward to now. Why do I bring this up? Well, like FROM DUSK TO DAWN, I had no idea what this issue would be about other than Conan, which it was named after. So, finding out after reading that Moon Knight and some other characters would be involved in the story was a pleasant surprise. Furthermore, wild twists and entering into a comic blind can be an amazing thing. Sometimes, far out, otherworldly, and utter craziness makes for a remarkable adventure, like FROM DUSK TO DAWN did for this reader. However, after reading this series and the final issue, I couldn’t tell you what happened, why it happened, what exactly the big reveal was supposed to be, how our heroes succeeded, and how I was supposed to feel as the story ended. In the last issue, the big reveal was that Wyrm was the real villain all this time and Set, who they’ve been trying to kill actually wasn’t. The reveal in FROM DUSK TO DAWN was not only epic but it made sense and connected to the plot and background of the story. The difference in CONAN SERPENT WAR; Jim Zub made the twist and involved two beings that we know very little about. There was no care in this reveal. Readers knew nothing about Set or Wyrm for that matter so the shock was gone and the story lacked any merit, weight, or purpose.

In this issue, Zub tries to piece everything together but absolutely fails to hit the mark. The twist was meaningless without feeling connected to either supernatural being. Plus, the utter confusion leading up to which godlike being was which, added extra confusing layers that were unnecessary to the story. Furthermore, the end battle involving all the heroes made no sense and frankly took place almost all off-panel. The build-up for the entire series involved and AMAZING splash page of Wyrm by Ig Guara, Moon Knight doing something with a piece of the moon, and then multiple illustrations involving the faces of our heroes over dialogue. Tada … the battle is done and everyone is back to their own time like nothing happened. So, what was the point of the series?

Readers, this story was over-complex, utterly confusing, and lacked any connection other than the character choices, which is why I personally dove into the series. I haven’t read Moon Knight for the longest time. Plus, this reviewer absolutely loves Conan right now. Point is: I picked this series up to see these two characters work together only to discover that they hardly see each other at all while given little explanation as to any of the rules and regulations within the issue, as well as how any of the pieces of the story fit together. Jim Zub is an extremely talented writer who has written so many amazing things. However, I left this issue scratching my head saying… what was the point?

FINAL THOUGHTS

Again, what was the point of this series? Absolutely nothing was accomplished and the status quo is basically back to normal as the series ends. All that was gained from this series was a means to get heroes together who normally would never meet. If that’s your thing, then this series and issue are totally up your alley. However, if you’re looking for a story that makes sense, has a purpose, and strategically incorporates an eclectic group of heroes across time in a way that means something, this series simply isn’t for you. Maybe if it was six issues instead of four Zub could have ironed out more of the details and better explained how everything pieces together? But as of right now, I would not recommend this series to anyone, including Moon Knight fans salivating simply to see him in a comic again.

5.8/10

weirdsciencemarvelcomics.com/2020/01/22/conan-serpent-war-4-review/


Review Deron Deron Generally

The Rundown: With the Wyrm getting the pieces in place for its final victory, James Allison will use one final act to snatch victory from the mouth of impending defeat. The four warriors brought together to save the world still don’t trust each other and things get even more tense when Conan confronts Moon Knight and his master Khonshu. It will take the moon gods considerable power to convince the Cimmerian that they are allies as Set’s priestess works to remove the poison from Conan’s physical body.

With all the heroes brought together for one final battle against the newly reformed Wyrm, Marc Spector will be granted new powers that will hopefully help him strike the final blow as his compatriots prepare for what might be their final battle against evil.

The Story: Jim Zub brings this epic tale to a satisfying conclusion filled with sword, sorcery and action. The story deftly utilizes its eclectic cast of characters to showcase four different types of heroism and how they can unite under a common cause. The pacing is thrilling and the story unfolds like an epic fantasy. I loved the story and its ideas and how immediate the action and plot felt as I read it. A great conclusion that leaves the door open for more stories like it in the future.

The Art: Ig Guara and Vanesa R. Del Ray bring some beautiful and breathtaking visuals into this issue. Everything from the battles to the characters looks amazing and the details throughout capture the eye and the imagination.

9.3

www.superpoweredfancast.com/conan-serpent-war-4-review/

[Deleted]

Look at this wonderful artwork introducing Kull in this issue 

[wulfhere]

Once upon a time Conan had great art from the likes of Buscema and Alcala. This new "art" is just pathetic.

[kemp]

Some of the faces in the comic panels are kind of goofy looking. 

[mindboggled]

Zub can write these characters well enough, but the direction the story went sucks; characters banding together to save a multiverse...or some similar shit has been done to death in both superhero comics and fantasy prose.
It's a premise I never liked, and it does not fit well with Conan or any other of Howard's characters. This has slightly diminished my hope for Zub's CTB run.

[robp]

Not a fan of this style of artwork.

[Jason Aiken]

This was a pretty solid series. I like the concept and wasn't against the time traveling as REH did it, too. The artwork was fantastic and I think Zub did a good job on Conan. This gives me some hope for him taking over the ongoing.

I was surprised Kull showed up at the end in a cameo. Everyone kept the lid on that pretty well.