Conan the Barbarian #99

Issue #99 arrives one issue shy of a milestone, and the cover by John Buscema and Ernie Chan makes every panel count — Conan wrestles a massive man-crab with his bare hands and sword while Bêlit fights off another creature behind him, a spilled chest of gold coins gleaming at their feet amid the jagged cliffs. The sheer physicality of Buscema's figures, tightened by Chan's inks, gives the scene a raw, muscular energy that suits the title promise of "Devil Crabs of the Dark Cliffs" perfectly. Roy Thomas's "Conan and Bêlit — alone against the Man-Crabs of the Dark Cliffs!" tagline sets up a two-hero stand that looks every bit as fierce as it sounds.