Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus: Complete Guide

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The Savage Sword of Conan is, in my humble opinion, the best Conan comic series ever published. If I had to pick just one line of omnibuses to own, it would be these.

That might be controversial – plenty of fans would put the colour Conan the Barbarian series first. But Savage Sword offers something the regular comics couldn’t: faithful Howard adaptations, mature content, longer stories, and some of the most stunning black-and-white art in comics history.

What is Savage Sword of Conan?

Savage Sword of Conan was a black-and-white magazine published by Marvel from 1974 to 1995 – 235 issues over 21 years. The magazine format meant it wasn’t bound by the Comics Code Authority, so the stories could be darker, more violent, and include nudity.

Roy Thomas took writing duties for most of the run, supported by artists like John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. Their detailed black-and-white illustrations are legendary – honestly, some pages belong in art galleries.

Unlike the colour Conan the Barbarian series, Savage Sword doesn’t follow Conan chronologically. Stories jump around his timeline. You might get a young thief story followed by a King Conan tale. This makes each issue feel like a self-contained adventure.

Why I Prefer the Savage Sword

I think it’s a bit more faithful to Howard (but still not perfect). The colour comics mixed original stories with adaptations. Savage Sword leaned heavily into adapting Robert E. Howard’s actual prose – and it shows. The tone feels right.

It’s better for dipping in. Life is busy and sometimes I don’t want a whole saga. Because the stories don’t follow a strict chronology, you can pick up any volume and enjoy it. Perfect for reading a story here and there rather than committing to a multi-volume saga.

The art. John Buscema’s work in black-and-white is a different beast to his colour pages. Without colour, every line, every shadow, every texture has to carry weight. And the inking is breathtaking. I’ve literally spent hours poring over and comparing his work when it’s inked by Acala, DeZuniga, The Tribe or even himself!

Mature content done right. This isn’t gratuitous – it’s atmospheric. The Hyborian Age feels genuinely dangerous and primal in a way the Comics Code-approved colour series couldn’t quite capture.

The Art: Buscema and His Inkers

John Buscema pencilled the vast majority of Savage Sword, but the inkers shaped the final look as much as anyone. The B&W format meant inking wasn’t just finishing work – it was half the art.

Alfredo Alcala is the legendary pairing. His hyper-detailed inks add texture to every surface – skin, stone, cloth, shadow. The Buscema/Alcala issues in Volumes 1–4 are among the finest comic art ever produced. Gruesome, gorgeous, and utterly distinctive.

Tony DeZuniga brought a different energy. His Conan is leaner, more sun-bronzed, with zip-a-tone patterns and greytones creating depth. The Buscema/DeZuniga team dominates Volumes 3–5 and rivals Alcala’s work. Their “Beyond the Black River” adaptation is a high point.

The Tribe – a collective of inkers including DeZuniga – handled the epic “A Witch Shall Be Born” in issue #5. The result is one of the magazine’s most iconic stories.

Pablo Marcos has a distinctive wash style that’s immediately recognisable. Ernie Chan (who also inked Conan the Barbarian) brought consistency and reliability. Rudy Nebres added his own Filipino-school flourishes to the mix.

Interestingly, Buscema reportedly didn’t like anyone’s inks except his own and his brother Sal’s. But whatever his personal preferences, the collaborations produced some of comics’ greatest art.

The Savage Sword Omnibus Editions

Titan Comics (continuing from Marvel’s original omnibus line) is collecting the complete Savage Sword run in oversized hardcovers. Each volume is approximately 12–15 issues plus relevant specials.

For shopping, Amazon seems to have good prices in the US, and I always like Forbidden Planet in the UK. My fave shop in Europe is without a doubt Comics Bugle!

Are the savage Sword Omnibuses good?

The first four volumes represent the peak of the series – Roy Thomas at his most energetic, Buscema/Alcala at their finest. But quality remains strong throughout, and later volumes include interesting material like film script adaptations.

Volume	Issues	Key Stories	Notes
Vol. 1	SSOC #1–12, Special #1, Savage Tales #1–5	A Witch Shall Be Born, Red Nails, Black Colossus	Essential. Peak Buscema/Alcala.
Vol. 2	SSOC #13–28, Marvel Comics Super Special #2	Conan the Liberator, Beyond the Black River	Great double-parters. DeZuniga arrives.
Vol. 3	SSOC #29–43	Iron Shadows in the Moon, Queen of the Black Coast	Bêlit material. Buscema/DeZuniga peak.
Vol. 4	SSOC #44–57	The Slithering Shadow, Treasure of Tranicos	Strong Howard adaptations throughout.
Vol. 5	SSOC #58–72	The Devil in Iron, Moat of Blood	Quality stays high.
Vol. 6	SSOC #73–87		Solid middle-period material.
Vol. 7	SSOC #88–101	Devourer of Souls debut	March 2026.
Vol. 8	SSOC #102–116		June 2026.
Vol. 9	SSOC #117–132, Witch Queen of Acheron GN		Titan printing had quality issues – check copies.
Vol. 10	SSOC #133–145, Conan the Reaver GN		Some out-of-character Conan stories. Completists only.
Vol. 11	SSOC #146–158, Skull of Set GN	Horn of Azoth (original Conan the Destroyer script)	Film adaptation material.
Vol. 12	SSOC #159–171, Horn of Azoth GN		August 2026.

The later volumes include graphic novels that were published separately – notably adaptations of unused film scripts, which offer a fascinating “what if” glimpse at Conan movies that never were.

Volumes 13-18 will follow over the coming years.

Pricing and Availability

Each omnibus is $125 USD. They’re oversized hardcovers, typically 600–800 pages of restored black-and-white art.

Earlier volumes (1–6) were originally published by Marvel before their license expired. Titan is reprinting them, but availability varies.

Are the Savage Sword Omnibuses worth it?

In my opinion, absolutely yes. These are the pinnacle of Conan comics. You don’t need to get them all at once, I’d start with one and see if you like it (and I bet you will!).

Where to Start

If you want the classics: Volume 1 is the obvious choice. It includes some of the finest Howard adaptations – “A Witch Shall Be Born” and “Red Nails” are essential reading.

If you want a great standalone read: Volume 2 has excellent double-part stories and is often easier to find. It’s actually my favourite of all the omnibuses as it includes The Tower of the Elephant, Beyond the Black River, People of the Black Circle and many more!

If Vol. 1 is unavailable: Start wherever you can. Seriously. The non-chronological format means any volume works as an entry point. You’ll pick up Conan’s world quickly.

Savage Sword vs Conan the Barbarian

Both are excellent. The choice depends on what you want:

Savage Sword	Conan the Barbarian
Black-and-white	Full colour
Non-chronological stories	Chronological arc
More faithful to Howard	Mix of adaptations and originals
Mature content	Comics Code approved
Best for dipping in	Best for following Conan’s life

If you only buy one, and you’re a Howard purist who wants standalone stories, get Savage Sword. If you want to follow Conan from young thief to king in a continuous narrative, get Conan the Barbarian.

I own both. No regrets.

You can see how the Savage Sword omnibuses differ from the Conan omnibuses here.

And one extra to think about: the King Conan omnibus series.

The Reforged Editions

Titan has also started releasing “Savage Sword Reforged” – taking classic B&W stories and colouring them for the first time. The first volume includes “The Tower of the Elephant” and “The Frost Giant’s Daughter” in colour, and they look stunning.

These are trade paperbacks rather than omnibuses – a cheaper entry point if you want to sample the material before committing to the full hardcovers.

Frequently Asked Questions