What did Dear Abby say happens when you assume? Conan would probably agree!

Even though I don't think I've read a bad issue of it, I wasn't picking up Dark Horse's Conan regularly; possibly because I assumed they were going to cover a lot of the Robert E. Howard stories I had already seen at least once from Marvel. (And I've long since paid money for other versions of those classics, like the Cimmerian: the Man-Eaters of Zamboula.) But this issue is a new story, picked up on the strength of the guest-writer, even though I almost always enjoy Kurt Busiek as well! From 2006, Conan #26, "The Toad" Written by Mike Mignola, art by Cary Nord, color art by Dave Stewart. Wish I had that Mignola cover, though.

An angry Gunderman leads a line of men in pursuit of Conan, who slept with the local magistrate's wife and robbed his house; although the Gunderman claims to have a personal score to settle with Conan. He's none too pleased with his men, either; who claim the area is haunted. Well, if it wasn't before, it would be now: a grinning Conan lures the Gunderman into a tripwire, dropping a lot of rocks on the men. Conan leaves, content the Gunderman was squashed, but he survived, to receive a warning from a dead soldier, ending with "beware the toad."

Conan is later distracted by a noisy red toad living in a skull; as the Gunderman tries to stab him in the back: Conan doesn't think that's fair, but the Gunderman wasn't thrilled about the rocks, either. During the fight, the Gunderman slips on the red toad, and takes a nasty fall. Conan advises him to "have the good sense to stay dead" this time, and gets back to thievery, as there was supposed to be a jade serpent with emerald eyes there. There is also, an alarming number of toads. He knocks the biggest one down with a rock, which seems to shut up the rest, until a dark something appears...to be continued!

Just like Conan assumed the Gunderman was dead, I assumed Mignola would just be guest-writing a one-shot! I'll have to keep an eye out for the conclusion, then.