The Savage Sword of Conan #164

Earl Norem's painted cover for this September 1989 issue sets an immediately arresting tone: a blood-streaked Conan strides forward through a misty, blighted landscape, holding aloft the severed head of a snarling green-skinned creature while a red-haired warrior woman advances beside him, blade drawn. Fallen monsters litter the eerie fog behind them, with a snake-wrapped skull visible in the foreground, all hinting at the supernatural carnage promised by the interior tale, "The Slithering God." Written and illustrated by Matthew Jorgensen with S.C. Ringgenberg, this is a satisfying entry in Marvel's long-running black-and-white magazine series for readers who like their sword-and-sorcery with plenty of atmosphere.