Conan the Barbarian #17
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Cover Price: $3.50

Conan the Barbarian #17 is further proof why it’s one of the 5 books that I wait for every month. There’s only a handful of books that, month in and out, I set my calendar by. This is one of them, and if you’re reading it, I’m sure it’s one of yours too.

In Part 2 of “The Nightmare of the Shallows” writer Brian Wood takes Conan and Belit on the strangest trip that they’ve ever been on. A head trip. It seems last issue, the two young lovers got into some yellow lotus that they maybe shouldn’t have and now they’re both seeing things that, to put it mildly, aren’t exactly there. But, it’s quite a ride for both them AND the audience. Wood has kept these two characters together a lot longer than I’ve thought he would. After all, Conan isn’t known for his lasting relationships. But one of the great loves of his life was Belit, it was always maintained that they spent part of their lives together, but it was never revealed how long and what exactly happened during their time together. Wood has solved that problem, and it’s more entertaining than I couldn’t ever imagined.

Conan the Barbarian #16
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover art by Massimo Carnevale
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: May 15, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

In Conan the Barbarian #16, Conan and Belit get a much needed rest from all the troubles they’ve been having as of late. Disease, war, angry fathers, are all left behind as they take shelter in Ophir for some well deserved rest. Or so they think.

I wish writer Brian Wood would stop being so insanely good on this title. No, I don’t wish that, but I hope he at least stays on this book for the rest of his life. This issue starts as a really nice character piece on Conan and Belit and the romance that’s blossomed between the two, takes a left turn and ends up being a classic Conan type tale..with a very interesting twist. I really can’t get over how much I enjoyed this issue. Wood’s writing and feel for this character has just kept getting better and better with each issue of this series.

Once again, Dark Horse Comics has given Geeks of Doom exclusive access to five great new comics coming in May and June. And you know what? We want to give you a sneak peek, too! Because trust me, these are some great books here. Check out all five covers here below!

First off, releasing on May 29, is King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #2 (of 6). This second installment in the adaptation of Robert E. Howard‘s only actual Conan novel is sure to please. I know the cover by Gerald Parel definitely gets you interested with that vicious claw reaching forth towards our hero. Then, just in case you didn’t get your Cimmerian fix with that one, we have Conan the Barbarian #17 arriving on June 19 with a wonderful aquatic cover by Massimo Carnevale (I loved his Orchid covers, too).

But the big release day is June 26! Showing off the Shu Yan cover to Akaneiro #2 (of 3), I find myself really interested in this set. Look how kickass she looks! Remember, this is based upon the new release from Spicy Horse Games (be sure to check that out, too). Next up is a comic that originally debuted in Dark Horse Presents: Amala’s Blade #3 (of 4) has a very eye-catching cover from Michael Dialynas. Although I know next to nothing about this miniseries, the sheer quantity of skulls in the art gets my attention. And last, but certainly not least, we get to show you Mind MGMT #12. MTV Geek named this comic one of the top ten comics in 2012. I’m impressed with this series across the board, especially since Matt Kindt is the only person working on this book…yeah, that’s right, he does it all!

A big thanks to Dark Horse for letting us have first crack at these wonderful comics. But enough from me, here is YOUR first look: