Conan the Barbarian #184

Issue #184 of Marvel's long-running sword-and-sorcery series arrives in July 1986 bearing a cover by John Buscema that pulls you straight into the tension — a bare-chested, scowling Conan advances through a darkened doorway, cloak draped over his shoulders, as a red-bladed sword thrusts toward him from an unseen opponent in the foreground. The point-of-view framing makes you feel like the one facing the Cimmerian's cold, unyielding stare, which is about as unsettling as it sounds. Inside, writer Jim Owsley and artist John Buscema (inked by Ernie Chan) bring the story "Swords" to life — a title that needs no further elaboration when Conan is involved.