The Savage Sword of Conan (2024-) #9

Savage Sword of Conan 2024 - #9

by Patrick Zircher, Sean Chen (Artist), Fabian Nicieza

Patrick Zircher slashes into the Hyborian Age with a tale of high adventure starring Conan and Valeria, whilst Fabian Nicieza and artist Sean Chen craft a high-stakes assassination story starring Kull. Also featuring instant-classic covers from Alex Horley and the late Neal Adams, incredible pin-ups, and more!

Genres: Comics

Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2025

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This B/W comic honours the old series by Marvel with the similar title and content. This installment fits easily in the old series and is a nice stand alone long story.
Straight in the finale of Robert E Howards brilliant "Red Nails" we find Conan and Valeria still covered in blood from battle. As they move on out of the city they find themselves in another court where the are ordered on a quest for some ancient amphora which could end the draught in and around the city of Argulun.
And so begins an epic journey ending in battle for Conan and Valaria.
The story is fine and the art impressive as should be with a title like TSSOC.

The second story fearures another REH creation namely King Kull with the title "unvisible assassin " and is a bit of fun to read.

once again Titan does deliver with TSSOC #9 and the fans of this grand magazine are not left disappointed . Looking forward to #10.

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story is an extra long piece with Conan and Valeria right after Red Nails. They accept a quest of a Shemite King and are happy to escape with their lives. Great story and artwork.

The second was a Kull story with bad artwork and a short mediocre plot. I really love Kull and Thurian age, so this was a disappointment.

Definitely worth it due to the first story.

Mine was a print copy, not Kindle.

[Machiavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal, bloody, and bursting with classic sword & sorcery energy, Savage Sword of Conan #9 is a showcase for Patrick Zircher at his best. Writing and illustrating the core tale, Zircher delivers a ferocious blend of savage combat, dark magic, and monstrous threats. The pacing is tight, the atmosphere is thick with dread, and the visuals are as sharp and unforgiving as Conan’s blade. A must-read for fans of old-school pulp with modern bite.

[Philip James Ahlschlager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zircher knocked it out of the park with his big story here.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two tales this time, one featuring the storied Valeria and the other a re-introduction to Kull. The first story has a nice dose of creature feature grossness and eroticism, the Kull has a good twist and sort of informs the type of adventures that series might take on—even if it was a tad predictable.

Read as a single issue.

[Andrew Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
Zircher's tale is rich with mythology showcased in a dangerous environment of morbid savagery, partnered with erotic implications and outright feminine beauty (until it's not). He brings it to life through his art. Valerio Giangiordano's cosmicly epic pin-up is pretty cool. Nicieza's tale is an intriguing cultural introspection on War, Peace, and complacency, but I wonder, as territory that has been tread many times before, would I still find interest in it without the variety of a Red Slayer, a Black Legionaire, mystical armor, and the promise of a bloodied assassination? It's a thoughtful read to see more of. Geof Isherwood's chaotic meleé pin-up is also cool.

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Reference:
Conan & Valeria: The Sunless Isle
Story and art by Patrick Zircher
"That fear does not overcome them is as much testament to their undying will as their physical prowess."
The Red Nails of Stygia blossom a romance but also leave a sour taste in the mouths of Conan and Valeria. Asgalun fares no better with a devastating drought and the hopeless masses still humoring a rebellion upon their newest king. A magical relic may hold the answer for quelling the uprising and returning the rains but a dangerously erotic trek may see Conan and Valeria with crabs ... umm ... you know what I mean, right?

Kull: The Invisible Assassin
Story by Fabien Nicieza, art by Sean Chen
"It is a chore to be the adult among us, I assure you."
Outcasted from his homeland, Commander Kelkor has found camaraderie in the Red Slayer's of Valusia. Boys will be boys as men of action still find time to test their prowess against each other, as Commander Tolahn of the Black Legion does with Kelkor. Pai-p'u-yen gifted armor is like a new toy for the soldiers but the almost unbelievable skills of an unseeable assassin put all skills to test. The question remains, who is the threat? Who are they fighting to obtain Peace from?

#1, March 2024
#2, May 2024
#3, August 2024
#4, September 2024
#5, November 2024
#6, January 2025
#7, March 2025
#8, April 2025
#9, July 2025

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Savage Sword of Conan (2024-) #9

The main feature here is a Conan and Valeria story, "The Sunless Isle", written and drawn by Patch Zircher who has regularly been contributing to this magazine in the form of short Solomon Kane backups. Told in three parts, the story follows Conan and Valeria on an adventure to claim a lost treasure known as the Amphora of Mhareel, an item of symbolic power to the Kingdom of Asgallun that has been suffering a long bout of drought. The king presses Conan and Valeria into his service to claim this treasure as a means of keeping the populace hopeful for the end of the drought, but the journey to reclaim the amphora is wrought with challenges and the treasure itself is guarded by a horror of the old world. One of the strongest feature stories in this modern iteration of The Savage Sword of Conan, with Zircher's clean, near-cinematic art style working so well in black-and-white and fitting the classic sword-and-sorcery aesthetic well.

[Gary Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan and Kull

The first story in this issue has Conan and Valeria of the Red Brotherhood together, and it takes place after the Red Nails story

The second story is about King Kull and has a twist of its own.

The artwork is well done and definitely recommended for those that have been following this series. Would also recommend the Red Nails story, for a little background, but it isn't necessary

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new Savage Sword continues to deliver. This one feels very inline with the classic series, Patrick Zircher does a fantastic job on the art and script. The story starts immediately after the end of Red Nails, literally still dripping in blood and surrounded by bodies. I like seeing more of Valeria.

The Kull story by Fabian Nicieza and artist Sean Chen is a tad silly but fun. Cool to see a cover by the late great Neal Adams.

[Riccardo Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conan and Valeria story was really good, the Kull story was a little bit Saturday morning cartoon for my liking.
Great artwork and happy we have the title back but this feels a little light and the lesser of the series so far.

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5