The Savage Sword of Conan #86

Earl Norem's painted cover for issue #86 sets a ferociously atmospheric scene: a muscular Conan charges sword-in-hand toward a towering, grotesque creature — all gnashing fangs and raking claws — while a woman in peril struggles in the monster's grip against a backdrop of shadowy jungle and flickering flame. The title "Revenge of the Sorcerer!" promises exactly the kind of dark sorcery and desperate combat that made this Marvel Magazine Group series a standout of early-1980s sword-and-sorcery storytelling. With a creative team including Michael Fleisher, Gil Kane, and Luke McDonnell on the interior pages, this March 1983 issue delivers the grim, pulpy thrills that fans of the Cimmerian came to count on.