I never noticed, I was distracted by the leggy blonde.

Today's book might actually be worth a few bucks, but luckily this copy isn't slabbed or minty-fresh or anything. Plus, I probably have another around somewhere...from 1984, Crystar #8, "Anniversary" Written by Jo Duffy, pencils by Ricardo Villamonte, inks by Dave Simons.

Crystar and his crew are supposed to be pitching the Council of Order on joining their cause, but the prince is a bit dour today. After a little prodding, he tells the story to his friends that weren't present for all of it: long before the civil war against his brother Moltar, during the first Chaos War, it was time for a ball. It was an attempt to keep morale up and celebrate their little victories; but they receive word their man Koth had been wounded in a distant province. Koth was a noted "reckless cynic," but had recently married Ranilla, a scholarly and refined woman: few could see how that happened, but to those few their love was obvious. Crystar and Moltar, possibly because they wanted the chance to be heroes, talk themselves into going to help: they'd be jerks if they didn't, right? Joined by another of their 'captains,' Heyatt; they take off on dragons to save the day.

But, in leaving the city, the princes have left the protection of the wizard Ogeode, and are now open to attack by the Chaos wizard, Zardeth. The princes face off against his monster--who appears to have a big honking crystal on his chest that reminds me of the Bloodstone--and lose a dragon; but manage to get to the village and see Koth and Ranilla. Ranilla has deduced that Zardeth may have perverted nice, pure crystal to make a Chaos monster; and Crystar proposes the men perform a pincer move to try and hit the stone. They don't quite get to the creature, before Zardeth sends Chaos demons to destroy the village. Koth takes half the men back, but arrives too late to save Ranilla, who implores him to keep living and playing his little flute; which he's seen doing more than once already in the series.

Crystar and Moltar try to take the creature, and both are swatted down: this being pre-betrayal, Moltar even puts himself in harm's way to save his brother. Heyatt strolls right in, and takes down the monster in a cakewalk...then catches a spear in the back from a dying demon. The scene then cuts to Moltar, now a lava man, telling his men the same story, and how this anniversary was a day of mourning. How he tells that story, where Chaos is responsible for everything terrible that happens, while he and his boys were now on Team Chaos, I don't know. Why is this worth anything? It's not a bad little comic for a toy tie-in, true; but the real draw is the Michael Golden cover...which, in the background, features the skull Danzig would swipe for the cover of his first album! I was momentarily at a loss why I knew "Mother" by heart but didn't recognize anything else; MTV's Headbangers' Ball, duhr. That smidgen of notoriety is the only reason this issue could be a find for you: I had just seen a higher-grade copy at the comic shop a couple days before picking this up. Also, searching briefly, no one really knows why Marvel didn't come after Glenn for a piece of those sweet, sweet t-shirt sales; nor is it likely Golden saw dime one of that money, either. Although, I think you could a few years ago pick up a Golden shirt at SDCC: they really oughta get those into Hot Topics.