Conan the Barbarian #132
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeConan the Barbarian #132 represents the opening chapter of Bruce Jones's run on the series — one of the more tonally distinctive stretches of the book's 275-issue Bronze Age life — in which Jones steered the title toward a blend of dark humor and horror quite different from the Roy Thomas era that preceded it. The issue introduces the gladiatorial arena city of Cella and the Sword of Cella, setting up a self-contained mythology that carries directly into subsequent issues, demonstrating the series' capacity for world-building within single story arcs even as the creative team turned over. As the first fully Jones-written issue (he took over at #131), it marks a meaningful inflection point in the long editorial history of Marvel's Conan line, bookending the J.M. DeMatteis interregnum and opening a new stylistic phase. It also sits at the midpoint of Gil Kane's prolific cover run on the title, pairing one of comics' most kinetically gifted cover artists with interior material exploring the gladiatorial tradition that had long been central to Conan storytelling.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Bruce Jones assumed writing duties on Conan the Barbarian beginning with issue #131, following J.M. DeMatteis's run on issues #116–130, and would hold the assignment across issues #131–134 and #136–149. Interior art on #132 was handled by penciler Eli Katz — a pseudonym documented in Marvel's own records — inked by Danny Bulanadi and colored by George Roussos, while Gil Kane supplied the cover; Louise Jones served as editor under Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter. The book was released on newsstands on December 8, 1981, carrying a March 1982 cover date, placing it squarely in the late Bronze Age period when Marvel was actively managing post-Thomas creative transitions on its long-running sword-and-sorcery flagship.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Story title: 'Games of Gharn' — a gladiatorial-arena adventure set in the Hyborian city of Cella.
- First appearance of Gharn of Cella, the character whose games frame the issue's plot.
- First appearance of Palla Jhet and Mira (Cimmerian), two supporting characters introduced in this arc.
- First appearance of the Sword of Cella, a notable in-universe artifact referenced again in issue #133.
- First appearance of arena antagonists Loka and Jhara-an, both of whom die within the issue.
- Writer: Bruce Jones (#131–134, 136–144, 147–149); cover art by Gil Kane; interior pencils by Eli Katz; inks by Danny Bulanadi; colors by George Roussos; editor Louise Jones.
- Released December 8, 1981 with a March 1982 cover date; Jim Shooter served as Editor-in-Chief.
- Marvel Database records at least one reprint of this issue.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints [Marvel Hostess Ads] #68 (1982)
Reprinted in Conan the Barbarian #1 (1984), Conan el Bárbaro #43 (1984), Super Conan #1 (1985), Pocketserien #23 (2000), Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #5 (2020), Conan #15, Conan il barbaro #44, Conan le Barbare #117/118
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