I finally finished everything. The Free Comic Book Day prelude. The Savage Sword tie-in. The build up in CtB. All four issues of the mini-series. The Tim Waggoner novel. The Solomon Kane spin-off. Even the Fang & Spear story in Savage Sword #10.

See here for the complete Scourge of the Serpent reading order, there are various moving parts to it!

So, back to the task at hand: is Scourge of the Serpent worth your time and money? Short answer: yes. Long answer: it depends which parts you’re asking about (but still yes).

Here’s my full breakdown – part by part – with ratings, honest criticisms, and whether you should bother with the optional stuff. And little to no spoilers!

The Overall Verdict: 8/10

Scourge of the Serpent is the most ambitious thing Titan has done with the Conan licence. It spans three time periods, adapts three classic Robert E. Howard stories, and weaves them into a single narrative about Set’s influence across the ages.

It mostly works. Jim Zub is a great writer and clearly understands Howard’s world, and the core mini-series delivers exactly what it promises: epic serpent-cult action with Conan at the centre.

But let me break it down piece by piece.

A Note on My Bias

I should be upfront: I’m predisposed to love anything set in or around Stygia.

I studied ancient history, and Egypt has fascinated me since I was a wee nipper. Howard’s Stygia – a sinister, sorcery-steeped civilisation built on serpent worship really hits the spot.

The temples, the priests, the Set iconography – it’s ancient Egypt through a dark fantasy lens, and I love it. Robert E Howard’s Hour of the Dragon is a masterpiece, and I wish we had more original Conan stories set in Stygia!

So when a Conan event centres entirely on Set and his cult? I was always going to be interested. Take my enthusiasm with that grain of salt.

The Core Mini-Series: 8/10

Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1–4 is the heart of the event. Written by Jim Zub with art by Ivan Gil, it tells three interconnected stories across different ages:

• Conan in the Hyborian Age, facing the serpent cult directly
• King Kull in the ancient Thurian Age, confronting the original serpent men
• John Kirowan in the modern era, dealing with the cult’s lingering influence

Each thread adapts a classic Howard tale. The Conan sections draw heavily from “The God in the Bowl” – one of Howard’s best short stories. There’s a prequel to it that starts in the Free Comic Book Day 2025.

The Kull material is essentially based around “The Shadow Kingdom,” the tale that introduced the serpent men to fiction. It’s one of the best sword and sorcery stories ever written. Check out the King Kull guide if you haven’t already and get reading!

The Kirowan story adapts “The Haunter of the Ring,” which I hadn’t actually read before this event and was pleasantly surprised by.

The genius is how Zub weaves them together. The serpent god Set exists outside of time, so events in one era ripple into others. It’s ambitious, and it largely pays off.

What works: The pacing is tight. The art captures the horror of the serpent cult without becoming silly. And the climax delivers – it feels like a genuine epic confrontation, not just another fight.

What doesn’t: Jumping between three time periods can be disorienting if you’re not familiar with all three characters. Kull fans will be delighted; readers who don’t know him might feel lost.

Is it good? Yes. It’s one of the strongest Conan events Titan has produced.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. The trade paperback collecting all four issues comes out in May 2026 – that’s the best way to read it.

If you’re in Europe like me, then I highly recommend Comics Bugle. They offer free delivery and have the DM editions, even the glow in the dark version! In the UK, Forbidden Planet are very reliable and have a wide range. Amazon was the joint best price I found in the US.

Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring: 8/10

This four-issue mini-series by Patrick Zircher is technically optional. It shares thematic DNA with Scourge of the Serpent but stands alone as its own story.

And it’s excellent.

Zircher writes and draws the entire thing, and you can feel his love for the character on every page. A young Kane follows the Serpent Ring of Set from the Barbary Coast through Southern Europe to Venice – a travelogue of early modern Europe with swords, sorcery, and Puritan righteousness.

The art: It’s stunning. Some of the best work in the entire Titan line. Zircher’s Kane is gaunt, grim, and utterly convincing. His work in Savage Sword of Conan is also incredible. Zircher’s line work is incredible, even more so in black and white!

The story: A solid adventure that stands on its own merits. You don’t need to read Scourge of the Serpent to enjoy it, and vice versa. It made me like Kane even more as a character.

Is it good? Very good. If you’ve never read Solomon Kane, this is an accessible starting point.

Is it worth it? Yes – especially if you want a break from Conan while staying in Howard’s world.

Spawn of the Serpent God (Novel): 7/10

Tim Waggoner’s tie-in novel sits in interesting territory. It’s officially part of the Scourge of the Serpent event – there’s a byline on the cover – but in practice, it’s almost standalone.

The story follows Conan and a thief named Valja as they’re recruited by Mitra’s priestesses to stop a sorcerer named Uzzeran, who’s creating human-serpent hybrids at a corrupted monastery. It’s dark, it’s pulpy, and it has some genuinely unsettling moments.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did a good job.

What works:

The characters are strong. Valja is a compelling companion – far more interesting than the generic sidekicks you often get in Conan pastiches. The Red Sonja novel (not part of this event) felt flat by comparison; this book has actual personality.

The villains are surprisingly nuanced. Shengis, a low-caste Stygian slave who ends up merged with the spirit of a serpent man, is a standout. He’s not cartoonishly evil – you understand his motivations, even sympathise with him.

He’s trapped in his circumstances as much as anyone else, serving masters he didn’t choose. The internal conflict between his human and serpent natures is compelling. That moral complexity elevates the book beyond standard Conan villainy.

There’s a temple robbery sequence early on that’s wonderfully evocative of the 1982 film – naked orgy, forbidden treasure, the whole aesthetic. There’s also a nice callback to “Rogues in the House” with the appearance of Thak’s people, the mountain apes. Waggoner clearly knows his Conan.

The fight scenes are solid. And the climax escalates into something genuinely epic, with multiple gods intervening in the final battle – Mitra, Ishtar, and even Zath the spider god join forces against Set. Snakes versus spiders, ancient rivalries playing out through mortal champions. It’s more “epic fantasy” than lean Howard-style sword and sorcery – but I don’t think that’s a bad thing overall. More on that below.

What doesn’t work:

The novel spends too long away from Conan. Extended sections follow Valja, Shengis (the Stygian slave), and other secondary characters. It’s not badly written, but when I pick up a Conan novel, I want Conan.

The connection to the main Scourge event feels tenuous. Is the Eye of Set gem found in Numidia the only link? The novel works as a standalone adventure in a serpent-themed year of Conan content, but don’t expect it to be essential reading for understanding the Scourge comics.

Is it sword & sorcery or epic fantasy?

This is an interesting question. Howard’s Conan stories are lean and punchy – but don’t mistake brevity for simplicity. Howard was a master of worldbuilding, conjuring entire civilisations in a few paragraphs. The Hyborian Age feels vast and lived-in precisely because Howard knew when to suggest rather than explain.

Novels naturally expand that. Perhaps they have to. Or maybe not. Waggoner’s book involves multiple gods, large-scale battles, and sprawling casts. It reads more like epic fantasy than traditional sword and sorcery – the scope is bigger, the stakes more cosmic.

Can they coexist? I think so. The short story and the novel serve different purposes. Howard’s originals are perfect for dipping in; novels like this offer deeper immersion. The lean intensity of sword and sorcery and the broader canvas of epic fantasy aren’t mutually exclusive – they’re different tools for different stories.

Is it good? Yes – with reservations about pacing.

Is it worth it? If you’re a completist or you enjoy Conan novels, definitely. If you only want the essential Scourge experience, it’s optional.

Fang & Spear (Savage Sword #10): 8/10

This short story in Savage Sword of Conan #10, written by Jim Zub with art by Mike Rooth, sent me down a rabbit hole I didn’t expect.

The title is a deliberate inversion of “Spear and Fang” – Robert E. Howard’s first ever published story. Not his first Conan story – his first story ever published, period. It appeared in Weird Tales in July 1925, seven years before Conan debuted. It’s a prehistoric tale about a caveman named A-aea.

I’d never actually read the original. So after finishing Fang & Spear, I tracked down Howard’s debut and read it for the first time.

What a start to a career! You can see Howard’s raw talent even in that early work – the propulsive action, the primal energy, the sense of a world that’s brutal but vivid. It ends slightly abruptly, but you can see why Weird Tales bought it. The potential is obvious on every page.

Zub’s Fang & Spear returns to Howard’s prehistoric world a hundred years after its original publication. It’s a fitting tribute that rewards readers who know their Howard history – and gets the rest of us started!

I highly recommend tracking down Savage Sword of Conan #10 if you haven’t already.

This combined with Jeff Shank’s recommendation in his Spear and Fang video also got me to buy Son of the Red God by Paul L Anderson which turned out to be truly excellent!

He’s an early story writer who gave inspiration to Robert E Howard, and I can absolutely see why. I enjoyed it far more than I thought possible!

Is Scourge of the Serpent good? Yes, it’s really good– a satisfying epic that rewards Howard readers.

Is Scourge of the Serpent worth it? Definitely, and I’d recommend the side quests, too.

Final Ratings Summary

Should You Read It?

Yes, if:

• You enjoy Conan comics and want Titan’s most ambitious event yet
• You’re interested in Set, Stygia, and serpent cults
• You want to see how Howard’s different characters connect across time
• You’re curious about Solomon Kane but haven’t read him before
• Want to experience characters from REH’s very first story

Maybe not, if:

• You only want standalone Conan stories with no event complexity
• You’re new to Conan – start with the ongoing series or the omnibuses instead
• You dislike multi-part crossovers and world-jumping

Where to Start

If you want to read everything, check out my full Scourge reading order for the complete sequence.

If you just want the essentials: grab the Scourge of the Serpent trade paperback when it releases in May 2026. That’s the core experience.

And if you’re looking for more Conan after this, my guide to the current Conan Titan Comics line covers everything else in print.

Frequently Asked Questions