The Savage Sword of Conan #35

Ernie Chan's painted cover for this 1978 magazine-format Marvel issue is a visceral tour de force — Conan stands triumphant amid roaring flames, a bloodied blade in one hand and a severed head raised in the other, while a stricken woman sprawls at his feet and fallen enemies litter the ground around him. The story inside, "Black Tears," is promised with the bold tagline "Dark Eyes of Death," hinting at dark sorcery and brutal conflict well-suited to Roy Thomas's storytelling. For fans of sword-and-sorcery at its most raw and atmospheric, The Savage Sword of Conan #35 delivers exactly the kind of savage spectacle the title promises.