(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) #91.)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

Our Cimmerian is well-tested in battle – on this point, anyone remotely familiar with Conan the Barbarian would not argue.

You can understand, then, why as a youth I was puzzled over the cover to this particular issue, where Conan and Belit seem literally terrified, battling with all their gusto against six overgrown relatives of Mickey Mouse.

Thankfully, there is much more to this particular issue than some larger-than-life varmints. Roy Thomas continues to set the stage here for Belit’s forthcoming showdown with her uncle Nim-Karrak in the city of Asgalun and ultimately the conclusion of the Queen of the Black Coast story line in just nine more issues.

In this comic, Roy Thomas spends considerable time fleshing out Conan’s relationship with the Black Corsairs, Belit, and his new companion Zula. It’s sad to think that in just two years of “comic time” – or 24 more issues – Roy Thomas will make his exit from the book. His loss will mark a significant turning point (and not for the better) in this long-running Marvel series.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #91

Conan and his Shemite hellcat make it back to the Tigress with their new companion Zula. The Zamballan makes friends quickly with his fellow corsairs, delighting them with his magical tricks by hypnotizing another crew mate. A great celebration ensues that evening on deck for Belit’s return.

In a few pages of character exposition, Belit performs a seductive dance for Conan during the revel, and is romantically carried below decks by the silent Cimmerian. Her childhood tutor remarks to Zula that despite the Shemite’s adulthood, he still “thinks of her as the royal child she was back in Asgalun.”

This is Roy Thomas at his absolute best. In a series so devoted to savagery, intense battles and a primitive world, the writer takes a few moments like this on rare occasion to show a softer side of Conan and the extent of his personal interactions. For a moment, the barbarian looks like a new groom carrying his beloved bride over the threshold. It’s depth like this that readers will miss when Thomas parts ways with the title in Conan the Barbarian #115.

Morning is far less relaxing than the former night’s party – the crew is shaken awake by the shouts of Belit’s right-hand man, M’Gora, who had gone ahead to scout Asgalun. He races to the ship fearfully, with giant swamp rats close behind him!

The crew of corsairs and Conan immediately rush to his aid, chasing off enough of the giant rats that they can successfully re-board the Tigress and escape.

M’Gora tells Belit and Conan what he discovered while scouting. King Nim-Karrak is virtually a prisoner in his own city, and a troop of Hyrkanians had recently arrived as perhaps a foil to the Stygian presence there. He also mentions a nobleman named Uriaz, who is more pleasure-seeker than law maker, and the arrival of a Stygian noble named Akhirom, who is marching toward the area with an army.

Despite M’Gora’s warnings, Belit is unwilling to wait or organize a planned attack. She heads off with Conan, Zula and M’Gora to Asgalun to deal with Nim-Karrak immediately.

The group enters the city by posing as mercenaries serving under a general named Imbalayo, and M’Gora takes them to a hidden garden which will lead them to a lesser-known entrance to the castle. Surprisingly, Stygians are waiting in the garden and take the four into custody. It appears M’Gora has betrayed his friends!

Ptor-Nubis, Nim Karrak’s advisor, has actually hypnotized M’Gora, and the betrayal was not the corsair’s fault. But the Stygian sorcerer has even more clandestine plans, as he uses his magical powers of suggestion and hypnosis to make Conan and his companions fight each other – to the death!

CAPSULE REVIEW: This issue, while not lean on action, relies heavily on character development, which is always a plus. As I mentioned earlier in the review, the scenes with Conan and Belit tell of a love that goes beyond anything our barbarian has experienced. This issue works to make the ending of the Queen of the Black Coast story line more powerful, and you can only imagine the impact this Shemite pirate has on our Cimmerian hero.

Roy Thomas knocked it out of the park with this issue, and that’s ironic because of the entire series, Conan the Barbarian #91 sports my least favorite cover. Art-wise, the interiors are still indicative of the Buscema/Chan/Roussos team’s top-notch work.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 8.0. If we had just another page of character development, I’d give it a 9.

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)