Conan the Cimmerian #15 (Ongoing)

is an ongoing series on the adventures of the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard and published by Dark Horse Comics beginning in 2008. It continues from where the first Dark Horse series, simply entitled Conan, and that ran for 50 issues from 2004 to 2008, left off. Dark Horse in fact specifies Conan the Cimmerian #1 as "No. 51 in a Series" and so on, excluding the #0 issue special that served to introduce the new series. Conan the Cimmerian presents a fresh interpretation, incorporating both new material and adaptations of stories by Robert E. Howard, with no other connection to many Marvel Comics series or other post-Howard material, with the aim of revitalizing the character which has remained quite popular through the years. Conan the Cimmerian in Dark Horse Comics' chronology marks a transition point going into the second major chapter in Conan's life, as he leaves his time as a thief and rogue behind him and heads into his mercenary and pirate years. In issue #15 entitled "The Sorrow of Akivasha" Tim Truman adds new dimensions to a Howard classic, and and artist Paul Lee returns to illustrate a horrific and heartbreaking story, giving us glimpses into the lusty vampire Akivasha's troubled past while she stalks Conan through dark, demon-filled mazes. It's still Halloween!

Ten thousand years before Conan disturbed the forbidden Temple of Set, princess Akivasha -- daughter to the first great ruler of Stygia -- was transformed into a vampire and cursed to haunt its halls forever. Her pampered years of hedonistic pleasure behind her, the beautiful Akivasha spent centuries with desiccated mummies and skittering monsters, as a deep loneliness grew within her. Now, something has awakened her from tedious ages of boredom. She immediately senses Conan's power and vitality when he steals into the temple, and she vows to take this Cimmerian warrior as her lover -- or at least have a good time killing him! Spinning out of Robert E. Howard's Hour of the Dragon novel comes the untold tale of Akivasha, the title character to Howard's "I Am the Woman Who Never Died" chapter. By: Tim Truman, Paul Lee, Joseph Michael Linsner --

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