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Warlord Omnibus Vol. 1
736 pages, Hardcover
Published December 23, 2025
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Mike Grell
658 books82 followersMike Grell (born 1947) is a comic book writer and artist.
Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip.
In 1973 Grell moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. His first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist was walking out the door, having just quit. These stories were written by Cary Bates and Jim Shooter. The Bates/Grell/Shooter run on the title is very well-regarded today by Superboy/Legion fans, who consider it one of the high-water marks in the character/team's history. Grell's work on SATLOSH is widely thought to be some of the best beefcake/cheesecake ever committed to comic book pages, and is affectionately referred to as the 'disco Legion' in retrospect by fans of the title.
A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics, and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.
The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov 1975) and was soon given his own ongoing title (The Warlord #1, Jan/Feb 1976). In this book, Air Force pilot Travis Morgan crash-lands in the prehistoric "hidden world" of Skartaris (a setting highly influenced by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar). For years thereafter, Morgan engages in adventures dressed only in a winged helmet, wristbands, boots, and breechclout, and armed with a sword and (years before Dirty Harry handled one) a .44 Auto Mag.
At DC, Grell also worked on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, and the Phantom Stranger, and with writer Dennis O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976.
[edit] Tarzan
Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.
[edit] First Comics: Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer
Cover to Jon Sable Freelance #7. Art by Mike Grell.Through the 1980s Grell developed creator-owned titles such Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer. Jon Sable Freelance was published by the now-defunct First Comics. Starslayer, a space-born science fiction series, started at Pacific Comics, but shifted to First.
The titular character of Jon Sable Freelance was a former Olympic athlete, later a African big-game hunter, who became a mercenary. First appearing with a cover date of June 1983, Jon Sable Freelance was a successful non-super-hero comic book in an era when successful non-super-hero comic books were almost unheard of, and a graphically violent comic sold in mainstream comic book stores in an era when such was as rare. Jon Sable was a precursor to what would eventually be called, by some, "the Dark Age of Comics," when even long-established super-heroes would become increasingly grim and violent.
The character was heavily influenced by Ian Fleming's James Bond novels as well as drawing on pulp fiction crime stories. Also, many of the stories of Sable's hunting exploits in Africa were influenced by Peter Hathaway Capstick's novels. At a convention in the late 1980s, Grell stated that his idea for Sable was "something like a cross between James Bond and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and the character's origin tale, "A Storm Over Eden," from the comic book, was expanded and novelized by Grell under the title Sable, which was publ
Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip.
In 1973 Grell moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. His first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist was walking out the door, having just quit. These stories were written by Cary Bates and Jim Shooter. The Bates/Grell/Shooter run on the title is very well-regarded today by Superboy/Legion fans, who consider it one of the high-water marks in the character/team's history. Grell's work on SATLOSH is widely thought to be some of the best beefcake/cheesecake ever committed to comic book pages, and is affectionately referred to as the 'disco Legion' in retrospect by fans of the title.
A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics, and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.
The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov 1975) and was soon given his own ongoing title (The Warlord #1, Jan/Feb 1976). In this book, Air Force pilot Travis Morgan crash-lands in the prehistoric "hidden world" of Skartaris (a setting highly influenced by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar). For years thereafter, Morgan engages in adventures dressed only in a winged helmet, wristbands, boots, and breechclout, and armed with a sword and (years before Dirty Harry handled one) a .44 Auto Mag.
At DC, Grell also worked on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, and the Phantom Stranger, and with writer Dennis O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976.
[edit] Tarzan
Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.
[edit] First Comics: Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer
Cover to Jon Sable Freelance #7. Art by Mike Grell.Through the 1980s Grell developed creator-owned titles such Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer. Jon Sable Freelance was published by the now-defunct First Comics. Starslayer, a space-born science fiction series, started at Pacific Comics, but shifted to First.
The titular character of Jon Sable Freelance was a former Olympic athlete, later a African big-game hunter, who became a mercenary. First appearing with a cover date of June 1983, Jon Sable Freelance was a successful non-super-hero comic book in an era when successful non-super-hero comic books were almost unheard of, and a graphically violent comic sold in mainstream comic book stores in an era when such was as rare. Jon Sable was a precursor to what would eventually be called, by some, "the Dark Age of Comics," when even long-established super-heroes would become increasingly grim and violent.
The character was heavily influenced by Ian Fleming's James Bond novels as well as drawing on pulp fiction crime stories. Also, many of the stories of Sable's hunting exploits in Africa were influenced by Peter Hathaway Capstick's novels. At a convention in the late 1980s, Grell stated that his idea for Sable was "something like a cross between James Bond and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and the character's origin tale, "A Storm Over Eden," from the comic book, was expanded and novelized by Grell under the title Sable, which was publ
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 15, 2026
First off, this is THE lightest omnibus I have ever picked up. Before I opened the shrinkwrap, I had managed to convince myself that this would be one of those books you see in a spy movie, where all of the pages had been cut away in the middle, leaving a big open space in the book to store secrets in. Alas, not so...the book is just printed on an almost weightless newsprint-looking stock; NOT newsprint, but a thicker grade of paper that actually suits this pulpy 1970s series just fine.
The binding creates some serious gutter-loss on the double-page spreads that open every issue, but creator Mike Grell was forward-thinking/just lucky, and never put any text in a place where it would be affected. A lot of people seem very put out by this, but I subscribe to the "We're lucky to get this series collected in any form, so I can live with it" opinion.
The series itself is a wild melange of cold war thriller meets sword and sorcery meets hollow Earth meets sci-fi meets just about everything else you can imagine. Demons, sorcerers, slavers, dinosaurs, robots, Yeti, giant snakes, assassins, thieves...Travis Morgan encounters them all during his accidental journey to the savage land of Skartaris. If you don't like an issue, just wait, because the next one will bring a completely new premise and battle. This must have been great to read in monthly doses. Read in one big chunk, it feels a little samey-samey, but it was a comfortable formula that Grell excelled at and always kept entertaining.
Grell's art is spectacular, even with the dreaded Vince Colletta supplying inks. I had a good time reading this, and I'm hoping that DC sticks with it and collects the series as a whole.
The binding creates some serious gutter-loss on the double-page spreads that open every issue, but creator Mike Grell was forward-thinking/just lucky, and never put any text in a place where it would be affected. A lot of people seem very put out by this, but I subscribe to the "We're lucky to get this series collected in any form, so I can live with it" opinion.
The series itself is a wild melange of cold war thriller meets sword and sorcery meets hollow Earth meets sci-fi meets just about everything else you can imagine. Demons, sorcerers, slavers, dinosaurs, robots, Yeti, giant snakes, assassins, thieves...Travis Morgan encounters them all during his accidental journey to the savage land of Skartaris. If you don't like an issue, just wait, because the next one will bring a completely new premise and battle. This must have been great to read in monthly doses. Read in one big chunk, it feels a little samey-samey, but it was a comfortable formula that Grell excelled at and always kept entertaining.
Grell's art is spectacular, even with the dreaded Vince Colletta supplying inks. I had a good time reading this, and I'm hoping that DC sticks with it and collects the series as a whole.
January 31, 2026
Mike Grell’s world of Skartaris took inspiration from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E Howard, and the radio programs of his youth and created a hollow world full of strange civilizations, vicious dinosaurs, futuristic technology from a lost civilization, and just enough loincloths and bikinis to keep it all rated PG. The stories and characters are mostly just fun adventures with glimpses of depth that might come to play in later issues, but this omnibus only covers the original Special and 36 issues of the title. The art is gorgeous and it is interesting to see the original pencils shown in the back compared to the color version. Also includes some write-ups by Grell and a poster made specially for this omnibus. Really hoping to see further omnibuses so I can find out what happens next.
March 11, 2026
Sword & Sorcery at its best !
https://youtu.be/icG4YDPEygg
January 2, 2026
This is a typical Sword & Sorcery Adventure, that was initially published in the mid 70s. I think you'd need nostalgia for this genre and period of comics, otherwise this won't work.
I really disliked everything Conan and Red Sonja I've read, but I loved Mike Grell's work on Green Arrow, so I was curious whether I would like Warlord. It's good for what it is, I suppose. Both the writing and the artwork are great, but the story and character tropes get old really fast.
The protagonist is in the US Military and gets trapped in the center of the earth, which houses this fantasy land. The comic actually tries to explain how the center of the earth could house it's own sun and have a plethora of peoples and civilisations hidden from the rest of the world. It doesn't make any sense to me and I think a standard 'Isekai' route would have been a better choice.
Early in the story, the protagonist manages to get back home, only to rush back into the fantasy action at the first chance he gets. He is voluntarily choosing to live there, enjoying the dangers and the lifestyle of a swashbuckler without responsibilities. The overarching story is basically this: He is goofing around in a fantasy land, enjoying to kill everyone and everything for the fun of it.
What is also problematic and typical for the period is the depiction of women. All of them are donning a bikini, their occupation is to be a damsel in distress and all are quickly falling in love with the protagonist. It's painfully obvious that this was made for teens growing up in the seventies.
Aside from these problems, there can be some fun in this book. The monsters are creative, some of the tales have a clear lesson and the rare sprinkles of sci-fi technology into the magical world are interesting.
The cast of supporing characters is severely lacking, for they have no interesting motivation, powers or objectives on their own. However, at the end of this volume, a female shapeshifter is introduced, who is much more intriguing.
I also want to touch on this Omnibus edition. It is the first of it's kind that has very thick pages, that feel like newspaper, yet the book is incredibly light. I did like the weight and feel of the volume, but I think it only works with older comics. For more modern artwork, I definitely prefer high quality glossy paper.
All in all, this is a recommendation for fans of the bronze age or Sword and Sorcery gerne. Personally, I'll pass on future volumes and rather go back to reread Green Arrow.
I really disliked everything Conan and Red Sonja I've read, but I loved Mike Grell's work on Green Arrow, so I was curious whether I would like Warlord. It's good for what it is, I suppose. Both the writing and the artwork are great, but the story and character tropes get old really fast.
The protagonist is in the US Military and gets trapped in the center of the earth, which houses this fantasy land. The comic actually tries to explain how the center of the earth could house it's own sun and have a plethora of peoples and civilisations hidden from the rest of the world. It doesn't make any sense to me and I think a standard 'Isekai' route would have been a better choice.
Early in the story, the protagonist manages to get back home, only to rush back into the fantasy action at the first chance he gets. He is voluntarily choosing to live there, enjoying the dangers and the lifestyle of a swashbuckler without responsibilities. The overarching story is basically this: He is goofing around in a fantasy land, enjoying to kill everyone and everything for the fun of it.
What is also problematic and typical for the period is the depiction of women. All of them are donning a bikini, their occupation is to be a damsel in distress and all are quickly falling in love with the protagonist. It's painfully obvious that this was made for teens growing up in the seventies.
Aside from these problems, there can be some fun in this book. The monsters are creative, some of the tales have a clear lesson and the rare sprinkles of sci-fi technology into the magical world are interesting.
The cast of supporing characters is severely lacking, for they have no interesting motivation, powers or objectives on their own. However, at the end of this volume, a female shapeshifter is introduced, who is much more intriguing.
I also want to touch on this Omnibus edition. It is the first of it's kind that has very thick pages, that feel like newspaper, yet the book is incredibly light. I did like the weight and feel of the volume, but I think it only works with older comics. For more modern artwork, I definitely prefer high quality glossy paper.
All in all, this is a recommendation for fans of the bronze age or Sword and Sorcery gerne. Personally, I'll pass on future volumes and rather go back to reread Green Arrow.
March 1, 2026
I bought this omnibus on opening day because this is the first time (to my knowledge) these stories have been reprinted in colour and I am a big Mike Grell fan. Always loved his art, always appreciated his story-telling skills.
The fact it has taken me 2 months to read should tell you something. But let me start with the positives. The first X number of issues (roughly 20) still hit hard. The basic premise is simple but works (especially for a comic book) - Travis Morgan is an Air Force pilot for the USA. He is flying over the arctic circle to do a spying run on the Russians - which is also why he is alone (needs room for all the spying equipment...look, just accept it) he dodges some misses but ends up in a crater that leads to the underground world of Skartaris where it is warm and in constant day light because of a natural light source. It is a world of swords and magic and Travis quickly becomes a great sword and scorcery hero of this world going from one adventure to another.
Let's focus on the good first half and what works. 1) Mike Grell does the pencils AND inks for the first 15 issues (Joe Rubinstein comes in for one issue and also does great) and I love Mike Grell art. I don't think he is remembered with the esteem of Byrne or Perez (of that era) but I really loved his art and always looked forward to seeing it. It was a shame (for me) when he became more of a writer and less an artist in his later years - but understandable because he was a great writer as well 2) Grell feels has a solid plot laid out - I would say the stories lack a bit of gravitas because of how short the page count on each issue was in the 70's/80's - but the adventure moves along and each each has action and adventure but still serves the overall story arc unfolding. 3) The Story arc is a smart one: We have the big villain Deimos who seems to wield magic, we have Travis/Warlord learning about this strange new land and sometimes using his gun to even the odds but is also a natural at the sword, We have some typical side characters but they work (love interest who is also a great fighter, slave he frees who turns into his best friend). And most interesting (for me) we have a neat twist - which I will spoil - the magic is actually a computer program because the first settlers of this land were an advanced technology race. So hidden just under the surface of this land are train systems, computers, high tech that looks like magic. This is great because it grounded this concept in "realism" and not just magic.
So a lot of great - and I REALLY enjoyed the first half of this omnibus. 5 stars.
Then...the bad hit.
1) Vince Colletta does the inks for the rest of the volume starting issue 17. Any comic fan knows "Vince Colletta inks is where art goes to die". He is over powering with his inks and any style of the penciller is swallowed up in Vince imprinting it with his style - which is not pleasing. I am not sure why Mike let Vince do the inks or if he had no choice. Vince stayed in the business so long because he was fast. But he was fast because he didn't care and it shows.
2) After the first main arc was wrapped up it really felt like Mike was at a loss as where to go from there. I don't want to spoil all of the first arc but it ends with him and his lady friend parting ways - for unsatisfactory reasons - and Warlord going on a bunch of adventures that don't advance any main story arc. The issues are still fun - because Mike is a great writer - but they are a lot more fluff because there is no purpose for the character Travis Morgan AND he lost his supporting cast. We lose all the drama from the first half. There is even a weird side story of his old friend (and a new lady character) that goes nowhere.
3) Some of the inconsistencies get frustrating. I'll pick a couple. There is a new character of Mariah who gets brought in from our modern world and she has a gun - Morgan melts down her rifle to make her a sword saying a gun is useless in Skartaris because she will run out of bullets. Fine, makes sense. Only...30 issues later he is still firing bullets out of HIS gun and we never learn where he gets his bullets. Also - the main premise "the magic of this world is actually very advanced science" is discarded after the first arc is done and we get to see LOTS of magic happening. That was disappointing because it ruined one of the great twists of this premise - one which I wish had been built on. That is: Morgan finding more and more magic that was actually just technology these people didn't understand - but he did because he is from a more modern world. It would separate these stories from being just typical Conan, sword and sorcery, stories.
4) Minor irritation - issue 11 (I think) is a reprint of the First Issue special origin story that already appears in this omnibus. What a waste of pages!! Just reprint the cover and add a note that this issue was a reprint and move on - don't reprint the entire story again. Yes, there is a new opening page to lead us into the 'flashback" but just reprint THAT framing page then. I have seen this done in other collections.
One last thing - the pages are printed on lighter paper (I was shocked at first how light this book was to hold compared to other omnibuses) that is more like the original newsprint the comics were printed on back then. The pros are: 1) the colours work a lot better on this type of paper because that is the paper they were selected for - on glossy paper (which most omnibuses used to be printed on) I always felt the colours didn't work as well. 2) Lighter book that won't break your arms to hold while reading. The cons are: Not as durable paper and might not hold up as well over time. For me - the pros outweigh the cons. I used to think "yuck - it is printed on cheap paper" and now I have come around on my thinking and actually prefer this paper when older collections are reprinted.
Overall - first half awesome - second half weak (but still some fun to be had). I am glad I picked this up but wouldn't be jazzed to buy a second volume.
The fact it has taken me 2 months to read should tell you something. But let me start with the positives. The first X number of issues (roughly 20) still hit hard. The basic premise is simple but works (especially for a comic book) - Travis Morgan is an Air Force pilot for the USA. He is flying over the arctic circle to do a spying run on the Russians - which is also why he is alone (needs room for all the spying equipment...look, just accept it) he dodges some misses but ends up in a crater that leads to the underground world of Skartaris where it is warm and in constant day light because of a natural light source. It is a world of swords and magic and Travis quickly becomes a great sword and scorcery hero of this world going from one adventure to another.
Let's focus on the good first half and what works. 1) Mike Grell does the pencils AND inks for the first 15 issues (Joe Rubinstein comes in for one issue and also does great) and I love Mike Grell art. I don't think he is remembered with the esteem of Byrne or Perez (of that era) but I really loved his art and always looked forward to seeing it. It was a shame (for me) when he became more of a writer and less an artist in his later years - but understandable because he was a great writer as well 2) Grell feels has a solid plot laid out - I would say the stories lack a bit of gravitas because of how short the page count on each issue was in the 70's/80's - but the adventure moves along and each each has action and adventure but still serves the overall story arc unfolding. 3) The Story arc is a smart one: We have the big villain Deimos who seems to wield magic, we have Travis/Warlord learning about this strange new land and sometimes using his gun to even the odds but is also a natural at the sword, We have some typical side characters but they work (love interest who is also a great fighter, slave he frees who turns into his best friend). And most interesting (for me) we have a neat twist - which I will spoil - the magic is actually a computer program because the first settlers of this land were an advanced technology race. So hidden just under the surface of this land are train systems, computers, high tech that looks like magic. This is great because it grounded this concept in "realism" and not just magic.
So a lot of great - and I REALLY enjoyed the first half of this omnibus. 5 stars.
Then...the bad hit.
1) Vince Colletta does the inks for the rest of the volume starting issue 17. Any comic fan knows "Vince Colletta inks is where art goes to die". He is over powering with his inks and any style of the penciller is swallowed up in Vince imprinting it with his style - which is not pleasing. I am not sure why Mike let Vince do the inks or if he had no choice. Vince stayed in the business so long because he was fast. But he was fast because he didn't care and it shows.
2) After the first main arc was wrapped up it really felt like Mike was at a loss as where to go from there. I don't want to spoil all of the first arc but it ends with him and his lady friend parting ways - for unsatisfactory reasons - and Warlord going on a bunch of adventures that don't advance any main story arc. The issues are still fun - because Mike is a great writer - but they are a lot more fluff because there is no purpose for the character Travis Morgan AND he lost his supporting cast. We lose all the drama from the first half. There is even a weird side story of his old friend (and a new lady character) that goes nowhere.
3) Some of the inconsistencies get frustrating. I'll pick a couple. There is a new character of Mariah who gets brought in from our modern world and she has a gun - Morgan melts down her rifle to make her a sword saying a gun is useless in Skartaris because she will run out of bullets. Fine, makes sense. Only...30 issues later he is still firing bullets out of HIS gun and we never learn where he gets his bullets. Also - the main premise "the magic of this world is actually very advanced science" is discarded after the first arc is done and we get to see LOTS of magic happening. That was disappointing because it ruined one of the great twists of this premise - one which I wish had been built on. That is: Morgan finding more and more magic that was actually just technology these people didn't understand - but he did because he is from a more modern world. It would separate these stories from being just typical Conan, sword and sorcery, stories.
4) Minor irritation - issue 11 (I think) is a reprint of the First Issue special origin story that already appears in this omnibus. What a waste of pages!! Just reprint the cover and add a note that this issue was a reprint and move on - don't reprint the entire story again. Yes, there is a new opening page to lead us into the 'flashback" but just reprint THAT framing page then. I have seen this done in other collections.
One last thing - the pages are printed on lighter paper (I was shocked at first how light this book was to hold compared to other omnibuses) that is more like the original newsprint the comics were printed on back then. The pros are: 1) the colours work a lot better on this type of paper because that is the paper they were selected for - on glossy paper (which most omnibuses used to be printed on) I always felt the colours didn't work as well. 2) Lighter book that won't break your arms to hold while reading. The cons are: Not as durable paper and might not hold up as well over time. For me - the pros outweigh the cons. I used to think "yuck - it is printed on cheap paper" and now I have come around on my thinking and actually prefer this paper when older collections are reprinted.
Overall - first half awesome - second half weak (but still some fun to be had). I am glad I picked this up but wouldn't be jazzed to buy a second volume.
January 18, 2026
LOVED IT! Need the next one now!
January 7, 2026
Existe un reducido pero distinguido grupo de artistas que parece que dibujan bien, pero en realidad dibujan mal. Frank Miller es, tal vez, el más afamado de ellos (me refiero al Miller de Daredevil, 300 o Sin City, no a la pobre ruina actual, incapaz de trazar algo que se parezca remotamente a una figura sobre un papel), pero, si me dan a elegir de entre ellos, yo escogeré siempre a Mike Grell. Grell dibuja sorprendentemente mal, pero tiene una narrativa tan fantástica, una composición de página tan excelente, que engañaría al más pintado. Además, de vez en cuando logra clonar a Neal Adams con un mínimo de habilidad, y eso es un plus. De hecho, es como una mezcla especialmente poco dotada de Neal Adams y de Jim Starlin, con alguna insinuación de nuestro Esteban Maroto por aquí y por allí. Es horrible, pero parece fabuloso. Las dobles páginas con las que empieza cada historia de Warlord son magníficamente horribles. Y hay que tener un tipo de talento muy especial para lograr eso.
Y, de pronto, a Grell empieza a intentarlo el mítico, el inolvidable, el don de los cómics, el hombre que amamos odiar: el mismísimo Vinnie Colletta. Y entonces, el dibujo pasa de parecer bueno y no serlo a parecer malo y serlo. Sí señores, Colletta nos quita la venda de los ojos; deja desnudo al emperador; destruye la magia. Skartaris nunca pareció más fea que cuando Colletta la entintaba. Y, sin embargo...
Hay algo en estos cómics mal dibujados y entintados, maravillosamente narrados, de extraordinaria composición y guion ramplón repleto de lugares comunes, melodrama barato y agujeros argumentales monstruosos. Y ese algo consiste en que Grell se lo pasa pipa, y eso se nota en cada página. Este cómic es un trabajo de amor, una carta apasionada a todos esos mundos pulp de Burroughs, Verne y compañía que tanto flipaban a nuestro hombre, que tantas horas de diversión le proporcionaron. Warlord, como obra artística, es un fracaso estrepitoso, pero como sentido homenaje y puro divertimento, como locura fantacientíficia donde todo puede ocurrir (hasta que Travis Morgan se convierta en un personaje jugador en una partida de rol), como válvula de escape para pasar el rato y poner nuestro cerebro en piloto automático, funciona como una máquina bien engrasada. Y me parece perfecto, y aplaudo al señor Grell por lograr hacer su sueño realidad, y por entender a la perfección lo que es un cómic. No necesariamente un buen cómic, pero sí un cómic modélico. Por cierto, magnífica la decisión de DC de editar este ómnibus en papel poroso (algo mejor que el original, pero lo suficientemente cercano a este como para que la cuatricomía no chirríe), y no en el espantoso papel satinado que está arruinando tantos y tantos cómics clásicos.
Pero... ¡¿por qué Vince Colletta, dios mío?! ¿¿¿Por qué???
Y, de pronto, a Grell empieza a intentarlo el mítico, el inolvidable, el don de los cómics, el hombre que amamos odiar: el mismísimo Vinnie Colletta. Y entonces, el dibujo pasa de parecer bueno y no serlo a parecer malo y serlo. Sí señores, Colletta nos quita la venda de los ojos; deja desnudo al emperador; destruye la magia. Skartaris nunca pareció más fea que cuando Colletta la entintaba. Y, sin embargo...
Hay algo en estos cómics mal dibujados y entintados, maravillosamente narrados, de extraordinaria composición y guion ramplón repleto de lugares comunes, melodrama barato y agujeros argumentales monstruosos. Y ese algo consiste en que Grell se lo pasa pipa, y eso se nota en cada página. Este cómic es un trabajo de amor, una carta apasionada a todos esos mundos pulp de Burroughs, Verne y compañía que tanto flipaban a nuestro hombre, que tantas horas de diversión le proporcionaron. Warlord, como obra artística, es un fracaso estrepitoso, pero como sentido homenaje y puro divertimento, como locura fantacientíficia donde todo puede ocurrir (hasta que Travis Morgan se convierta en un personaje jugador en una partida de rol), como válvula de escape para pasar el rato y poner nuestro cerebro en piloto automático, funciona como una máquina bien engrasada. Y me parece perfecto, y aplaudo al señor Grell por lograr hacer su sueño realidad, y por entender a la perfección lo que es un cómic. No necesariamente un buen cómic, pero sí un cómic modélico. Por cierto, magnífica la decisión de DC de editar este ómnibus en papel poroso (algo mejor que el original, pero lo suficientemente cercano a este como para que la cuatricomía no chirríe), y no en el espantoso papel satinado que está arruinando tantos y tantos cómics clásicos.
Pero... ¡¿por qué Vince Colletta, dios mío?! ¿¿¿Por qué???
March 17, 2026
Mike Grell's first Warlord Omnibus is gorgeous in every sense of the word. The story-telling is vintage sword & sorcery in a weird science fantasy lost world. (I've seen the world of Skartaris off-handedly featured in other works, but getting the full sense of it here is amazing.) The artwork is amazing and artistic action work that you could only find in the 70s. The printing of this book on expensive pulp paper makes it that much better. Such a light omnibus is also a wonder (even if it'll take up more space on my shelves).
I would have liked more continuity than the constant picaresque storyline with its ever varying set of female companions. But each individual story is still a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading more.
I would have liked more continuity than the constant picaresque storyline with its ever varying set of female companions. But each individual story is still a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading more.
March 14, 2026
La mejor edición de un ómnibus de la vida, solo por eso vale tenerlo. En cuanto a la historia, arranca bien, pero pierde bastante el rumbo en la segunda mitad. Igualmente lo mas grave son las tintas de Colleta que le sacan toda la complejidad al arte de Grell. Lo quiero preso.
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