Comic: "Conan: the phantoms of the Black Coast" by Victor Gischler

Comic: Conan: the phantoms of the Black Coast by Victor Gischler, art by Attila Futaki, 2014, 9781616552442.

Comic book novel. Conan is king of a kingdom he invaded. After defeating an army that was besieging his kingdom a mage comes offering to work for Conan. The mage offers three female slaves as a harem.  One of the slaves closely resembles Conan's dead love, Belit, pirate queen of the Dark Coast. The Mage was able to see spirits and saw Belit.  She says Belit is wandering in space/time/ether/whatever but that the Mage knows how to free Belit so she can be at peace. The Mage offers to help Conan free his lovey-dovey.

Conan accepts the Mage's offer and will travel with her and a small retinue to the Dark Coast.  They hire a ship.  They have plenty of sword fights.  They encounter cannibals on an island. The Mage is plotting and not what she seems.  They arrive at the mouth of the Zarkheba River and head upstream.  They arrive at a temple that covers a cavern.  They kill more people.  Conan and his right-hand man go underground to find the blood of the world.  The Mage says the blood of thew world is needed for a ceremony to free Belit.

Turns out the Mage is a devil (or something) and wants the blood of the world for more power not to free Belit.  That's how these things work out, Conan cannot catch a break.  More fighting ensues.  Conan is victorious because he is Conan.

Comments:
1.  I read a Conan novel once when I was a middle school student.  I'm certain it was not a Howard novel.  That novel had sex.  All the Frazetta illustrations have nude or near nude. The Schwarzenegger flicks have skimpy outfits and nudes.  This does not play on the nudes and sex.  This is action and Conan wanting to help the only woman he loved.
2. Well, sure there are bikini clothes.
3. Six beheadings.
4. Conan is some dark stuff.  Lots of death.  Conan is described as having "gigantic mirth" but all he does is kill and conquer.