Conan #11

The second chapter of "Queen of the Amazons" arrives in this June 1996 Marvel issue, and Bret Blevins's cover sets the tension perfectly — a muscular, snarling Conan locks blades with a green-masked warrior woman wielding a torch, while a second masked Amazon looks on from the shadows, spear in hand. The fiery, golden backdrop gives the whole scene a menacing, ritual atmosphere that suggests Conan has wandered into very dangerous territory. With Larry Hama writing and Enrique Alcatena on interior art, this mid-90s run delivers sword-and-sorcery energy with a distinct edge.