CROM! I have returned once again with an article celebrating the return of Conan to Marvel Comics this upcoming January. We’re less than a month away from the big return, so now seems like the perfect time to look back at Conan’s Dark Horse years.

Dark Horse began publishing Conan comics back in 2002. For the last sixteen years, Dark Horse has been the torchbearer for the property. And they have done a spectacular job at bringing Conan back to his Robert E. Howard roots, with an admirable devotion to keeping the original spirit of Conan alive. Their commitment to bringing in creators who respected and revered the original Howard works shines throughout all of their published books.

Though it’s both a sad and happy occasion to see Conan move on from Dark Horse, the stories produced during their time with the license have been categorically good. I can’t remember a Conan story that I didn’t like from the Dark Horse years. They were an excellent steward of Conan. Dark Horse should be commended for their commitment to excellent storytelling. I know this Conan fan appreciated it!

In that spirit, here are seven Conan stories from Dark Horse that I feel are well worth checking out before (or even after) his return to Marvel. All of these issues are available in trade format or they can easily be found with some good old fashioned back issue bin diving.