As a seasoned comic book enthusiast with decades of reading under my belt, I can confidently say that the announcement of The Warlord omnibus editions is nothing short of exhilarating! Mike Grell’s masterpiece has been a staple in my collection since its inception, and seeing it finally getting the recognition it deserves brings a smile to my face.
In a delightful twist, “The Warlord,” an enduring swords-and-sorcery series penned by Mike Grell, has long been treasured as one of DC Comics’ hidden gems. It seems that this cherished title is now receiving some overdue recognition with the release of two substantial omnibus editions. According to Grell’s website announcement, these editions will gather half of his work on the series apiece. Over the course of 71 issues (plus a few specials and annuals), Grell often collaborated with Sharon Wright as co-writer, and he illustrated many of these issues as well as most of the covers. During his tenure, he also showcased upcoming talents such as Mark Texiera, Jan Duursema, and Dan Jurgens on interior art.
We’ve verified information about the forthcoming compilations with DC. As of now, it’s unclear if these will be hardcover or paperback books, but considering two are scheduled to release quickly, it wouldn’t be unexpected for them to resemble the paperback omnibus editions similar to those for James Robinson’s cherished Starman series.
According to Grell, the books are set to wrap up his initial comic creation in its entirety, leading us to ponder if this might encompass his 2008 reboot of the series as well. This reboot served as a conclusion to the character’s tale according to his vision, thus paving the way for upcoming Warlord stories that are yet to be penned by a new generation of writers.
According to Grell, the novel “The Warlord” narrates the adventures of a US spy pilot whose SR-71 aircraft is damaged during a mission over Russia and ends up traveling through a hole at the North Pole into Skartaris, a world located at Earth’s core. Here, mythical creatures from various eras and civilizations, such as those from ancient mythology and Atlantis, thrive alongside one another in extraordinary cities filled with remnants of the Atlantean civilization. Travis Morgan’s quest to survive in this harsh environment forms the epic tale of a contemporary man striving to fulfill his destiny in a timeless land.
The series initially started as a proposal for a comic strip featuring Morgan as an archaeologist instead of a pilot, with Skartaris depicted as Atlantis (reachable via time travel). However, several alterations were made when Grell presented the concept to DC, primarily to preserve his original pitch — originally named “Savage Empire” — in case “The Warlord” failed at DC.
As per Grell, it seemed that even though the title was given a year to run initially, editor Carmine Infantino apparently had intentions to terminate it after just eight issues, regardless.
In 2015, I shared with me that Jenette Kahn, a longtime DC executive, stepped in just a few weeks later and effectively reversed Carmine Infantino’s decision. Jenette was a sharp and seasoned professional who had an extensive understanding of the business and DC Comics before taking over the company. Interestingly, one of her favorite comics was The Warlord. Upon examining the publishing schedule, she noticed that it had been cancelled. When informed that Infantino had made this decision, she said, “Well, Infantino’s not here anymore, bring it back.” And they did. As a result, when the company went through a crisis (or implosion), I found myself in a fortunate position because any titles that hadn’t been cancelled became monthly publications.
The DC Implosion” is a well-known incident from 1978, where DC Comics abruptly ended over 30 series within a few months. The term “DC Implosion” originated from “The DC Explosion,” a marketing strategy launched in 1978 that boosted the number of DC titles, increased the page count for many comics, and raised cover prices. However, the implosion happened later in the year, possibly because of the higher cover price causing some readers to leave, but also due to a string of severe blizzards in North America that significantly disrupted the supply chain.
Characters from “The Warlord” comic series occasionally show up in DC books, with Deimos, a villain, being most notably featured in the 2015 crossover event, “Convergence.” However, these characters have seldom played significant roles. To many fans, they are still strongly linked to Grell in their memories.
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2024-09-24 14:09