Conan Saga #27

Earl Norem's painted cover for this 1989 Marvel magazine captures the Cimmerian at his most ferocious — bare-chested and battle-roaring, Conan swings a blood-slicked axe above a chaotic tangle of fallen enemies, armed warriors, a robed sorcerer crackling with conjured energy, and a wide-eyed blonde woman caught in the melee. The sheer sprawl of figures on the ground and the distant castle silhouette give the scene a sweeping, epic weight that suits the "Saga" title perfectly. Inside, Roy Thomas scripts and John Buscema illustrates "A Wind Blows from Stygia," inked by Klaus Janson — a formidable creative lineup for any fan of sword-and-sorcery storytelling.