Book excerpt: In these pages Conan meets the Queen of the Black Coast in one of the most captivating pairings in comics! But first, he teams up with Red Sonja in one of Roy Thomas and John Buscema's finest tales! Then, Conan's travels through the western wastelands bring readers the tear-jerking "Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti," the fearsome threat of Shokkoth and a flashback tale of from the Cimmerian's youth! Next, the saga of Lupalina the Wolf-Woman takes Conan to the castle keep of the death-dealing Unos! Along the way, Conan picks up sidekicks Yusef and Tara and comes face-to-face with his biggest challenge: himself! We conclude with debut and origin of Bêlit, the pirate queen that would become Conan's partner in love and war. COLLECTING: Conan the Barbarian (1970) 43-59, Giant-Size Conan (1974) 5 (cover only), material from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) 1