Conan the Barbarian #45 (Marvel Comics, 1974)
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Conan the Barbarian #45 (December 1974), published by Marvel Comics, titled "The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti". Conan befriends a minstrel after a bar fight, who leads him to the Dark Valley, an eerie place where a strange woman leads cattle into the gaping maw of a terrible, inhuman monster.
Conan the Barbarian #45 Video Review by ComicBook.beer
Conan the Barbarian #45 Story Summary
All that Conan really wants to do is get drunk in a tavern and listen to the pleasing songs of a minstrel. Annoyingly, though, the other patrons decide to pick a fight with him, and he kills (or, at least, severely injures) all of them. Before he can escape with his new minstrel friend, Laza-Lanti, the two are captured by the town guards and thrown into jail.
In jail, Laza-Lanti plays Conan a song about the place of his birth called the Dark Valley. Then, the minstrel pulls a knife out of his lute, and the two of them escape by threatening to kill the jailor.
After a three-day ride on horseback, Conan and Laza-Lanti reach the Dark Valley and find the locals scared and paranoid of his return. Then, they witness a beautiful woman leading cattle into a mysterious cave, where, upon closer inspection, she feeds them to a hideous, inhuman monster with tentacles and grotesque, glowing eyes.
Conan and Laza-Lanti leap into action and battle the monster to save the girl. After it almost eats Conan, Laza-Lanti defeats it by chopping of its antennae. Then, after they think they've saved the girl, it turns out that she was actually in love with the monster.
She tells them a strange tale of magic and dark days, and it turns out that she is 60 years old and Laza-Lanti's mother! This can only mean that Laza-Lanti inadvertently killed his father, which drives him into a rage.
After he threatens Conan in a state of hysterical lunacy, Conan simply rides away, leaving the Dark Valley forever.
Conan the Barbarian #45 Creative Team
- Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas
- Artist: John Buscema
- Embellishers: C. Bunkers
- Colorist: Glynis Wein
- Letterer: John Costanza
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Conan the Barbarian #45 FAQ
Q. Who is Laza-Lanti in Conan the Barbarian #45?
A. Laza-Lanti is the minstrel whom Conan befriends in jail. The two escape and journey to the Dark Forest together.
Q. Why is Conan the Barbarian #45 called The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti?
A. Conan the Barbarian #45 is called The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti because Laza-Lanti dies at the end.
Q. Who is the enemy in Conan the Barbarian #45?
A. The enemy in Conan the Barbarian #45 is a terrible, gelatinous monster that lives in the woods and eats cows. But, is it really a monster?
Q. Who is the artist of Conan the Barbarian #45?
A. The artist of Conan the Barbarian #45 is John Buscema.
Q. Does Conan booze and wench in Conan the Barbarian #45?
A. Yes. Conan boozes in Conan the Barbarian #45. He would like to wench, but he gets into a drunken brawl before he can successfully complete his evening's wenching.
