Dare I say this is the best Conan story from Dark Horse that I have read? But I must. This is saying a lot because Dark Horse has out performed the classic Roy Thomas run in Marvel, such as savage Sword of Conan. What makes this an almost perfect issue is the way that the writing, ink and color work to give the most excitement and depth that can be had in a monthly comic series. Starting with the cover art, the building of tension through the climatic battle against the red pirate and inside the cave with those statues that come to life as the moonlight caresses them and the lurking figure of the ape that is so reminiscence of another primate, King Kong, who lusts after sweet Olivia to the way the story is told in the first person from the point of view of Olivia, showing her concerns, fears and needs. All of these observations add up to the best Conan issue that I can recollect having read.