Marvel's Conan the Cimmerian is the greatest barbarian warrior of the Hyborian Age. The Savage Avengers, Cloak and Dagger, Electra, Weapon H, Black Knight, and Anti-Venom, are some of the best and most ferocious heroes in the Marvel universe. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with, but they are up against forces even greater than they are.

Savage Avengers #3, entitled "The Devil's Gauntlet," written by David Pepose, drawn by Carlos Magno, with colors by Espen Grundetjern and letters by VC's Travis Lanham, continues Conan and the Savage Avengers's chaotic adventure through time. Deathlok, who relentlessly hunted Conan for his crimes against the timestream, is finally being bested by the heroes. But the old Hyborian adage applies: when one peril fades, there's always another deadlier enemy waiting to strike. And this time, it's an old threat -- Conan's old enemy Thulsa Doom is back from the dead, and he has an entire cult with him.

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Savage Avenger #3 starts with a bang, opening with Conan and the Savage Avengers engaging Deathlok in a lopsided, yet thrilling, battle. It's satisfying to see this ragtag group of loners having such good chemistry. While the first battle against Deathlok is good, Thulsa's arrival kickstarts an even more thrilling sequence. His psychic, mind-warping powers manifest in nasty textures. The vivid cosmic setting makes for some of the strongest visuals and most unsettling fight choreography in the entire series. The heroes' spirits are crushed by the defeat, but fans are sure to enjoy the action. The battle is far from over, as Savage Avengers #3 ends with a hint at Deathlok's survival and Miles Morales's involvement in the plot.

Savage Avengers #3 continues the narrative device established in the previous issues, another obvious throwback to an earlier time in comics. Pepose's prose is reminiscent of classic fantasy titles from the 1970s and 1980s. His detailed narration gives the audience insight into the characters' interior machinations. This approach might be jarring to modern audiences, distracting from the action sequences and dialogue; however, given the tone of this series, the writing is wholly faithful to the Conan franchise, adding to the old-fashioned high fantasy aesthetic and giving the comic a distinct feel.

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Artist Carlos Magno and colorist Espen Grundetjern continue their masterful recreation of the 1980s comic aesthetic. Characters are drawn in a realistic style, with gratuitous lines and shadows on their bodies and faces, and their hair is dominated by stark, linear shading. Magno's inking is full of stark black shadows, crosshatching, and texture marks, creating a deep, grimy world. Surprisingly, his line weights for the characters and the foreground are soft, smooth, and delicate. Grundetjern uses a dark, brooding, and moody palette of cool blues and greens, muddy earth tones, and stark, supernatural reds and yellows. The colors are rendered in a smooth, digital texture, with soft edges and gradient shadows, giving the comic an oddly romantic and gentle feel.

Dark, bloody, violent, and brutal, Savage Avengers #3 revels in everything that makes it nostalgic, thrilling, and fun. The entire creative team delivers excellent work to tell a thoroughly entertaining adventure story. With the series finally finding its stride, time will tell if the Barbarian's last stand in the Marvel Universe ends as triumphantly as it began.