Conan the Barbarian #227

Conan faces impossible odds in issue #227 of Marvel's long-running sword-and-sorcery series, and the cover — penciled by José Delbo and inked by Mark Texeira — makes that crystal clear: the Cimmerian crouches with blade drawn, squaring off against a pale, wickedly grinning were-cat woman who holds her own sword at the ready, while shadowy feline figures lurk and prowl through the torchlit chamber behind them. The cover's tagline, "Alone Against the City of the Were-Cats!", sets the tone for Gerry Conway's story "Catspaw" perfectly. It's a moody, atmospheric 1989 entry in the series that sword-and-sorcery fans will want on their shelf.