(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to The Classic Conan Countdown, a series of reviews focusing on the original 275 issues of Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian, which were published from 1970 to 1993. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #74.)

Thoth-Amon, considered to be the Cimmerian’s greatest enemy, visits Conan in his dreams.  He warns Conan against rescuing Belit’s father, the true King of Asgalun.  The evil sorcerer shows Conan a vision of Belit’s ship, The Tigress, engulfed in flames as a foreshadowing should Conan and Belit go on this quest to rescue her father. Awakening from his dream, or nightmare, Conan goes topside and comforts his brooding lover. Their conversation is cut short when a Stygian ship is spotted. After a short battle, the crew of the Tigress overcomes the crew of the Stygian ship and they burn it. 


The Stygian crew is questioned but none of them gives up any information or secrets about the Stygian capital of Luxur. One of the captive Stygians even commits suicide. All is not lost however as a slave girl named Neftha agrees to show the crew of the Tigress  how to get into the royal palace in exchange for her freedom. Here is where the bulk of the story takes place, off the coast of Stygia and the port city of Khemi.  Most of Belit’s crew get into longboats and row their way into the port city of Khemi. The city is seemingly unguarded because of a festival honoring Set but then a giant serpent attacks! Conan comes to Belit’s rescue, killing the beast on his own with his bare hands and blade, further cementing his reputation as Amra.

Safe from the beast, the pirates of the Tigress burn the Stygians warships but chaos ensues anyway, M’Gora leads most of Belit’s and Conan’s crew back to TheTigress . As for Conan and Belit, they stay behind with Neftha in the port city of Khemi and begin to make their way to Luxur. 

CAPSULE REVIEW: There’s nothing amazing about the story and the writing but the artwork is outstanding, almost every page is eye candy. There is marked improvement on Ernie Chan’s (a/k/a Ernie Chua) embellishments on John Buscema’s pencils.

It’s probably one of their best collaborations on a single issue ever. Every panel is full of background or foreground work, with rich texture and lush inks, and the issue is lavishly colored by George Roussos. The splash page is beautifully rendered but in turning the page there is a greater treat in a double page masterpiece by the artists.  It’s a fine issue with beasts, brains, brawn, and beauties. I give an 8 out of 10.

“And this story shall also be told.” –The Wizard in Conan The Barbarian