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Grendel, Kentucky
For two generations, the rural hill town of Grendel, Kentucky has honored its Faustian bargain with the monster living in its abandoned coal a human sacrifice every season in return for agrarian prosperity the likes of which this rocky region had never before seen (including its greatest cash the dankest weed in the land). When one town elder breaks this pact, Grendel’s only hope is that its prodigal daughter will return home to face down the creature of her nightmares—and bring her all-female biker gang with her.
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 8, 2024
Remember when “redneck chic” was popular? Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, TV shows like “Duck Dynasty” and “My Name is Earl”, movies like “Joe Dirt”.
Yeah, I never got it either. But then, I’m not really the demographic: I grew up in the suburbs, upper-middle income family, both parents still married, and I’m only half white. I also graduated high school. And college. People like me are the redneck’s natural enemy.
I apologize if I’m employing some classist (and racist) stereotypes, but rednecks have been doing it for ages, and we’ve just survived (barely) four years of a racist white nationalist asshole for president, so my anti-redneck trigger finger is a little itchy.
That said, Jeff McComsey’s graphic novel “Grendel, Kentucky”—-a redneck ode to “grindhouse” cinema classics of the late-‘70s and a contemporary adaptation of “Beowulf”, with a little “Sons of Anarchy” meets “Alien” thrown in—-is kind of brilliant.
Prodigal daughter Marnie, leader of an all-female biker gang, returns home to Grendel, KY for the funeral of her father, Clyde. Her dad and grandpa along with her brother Denny, kept the town afloat as the most lucrative weed farmers in the state. It kept them out of the coal mines, most of which are shut down anyway.
She arrives to discover a horrible secret: her father was killed by a literal monster living in the old mines. What’s worse is that her grandpa and her dad were part of a decades-long deal with the monster: provide occasional human sacrifices to the creature in exchange for yearly abundant crops of the best weed in the region.
She leads an attack on the monster, killing it, only to find that the monster was merely a young’un. Deep in the cave is the monster’s mama, and it’s pissed.
The graphic novel is light on words but heavy on some great visuals provided by artist Tommy Lee Edwards. Seriously, there are whole pages in which nothing is actually said, but there is plenty shown, in graphic, bloody detail. Not for the squeamish.
I’m sure somewhere in here is a great Trump-era parable about white nationalism’s deal with the Devil in which the Devil has finally come to collect. It’s there.
But like most grindhouse entertainment, you’re just here for the action and the gore anyway, not the political commentary.
Yeah, I never got it either. But then, I’m not really the demographic: I grew up in the suburbs, upper-middle income family, both parents still married, and I’m only half white. I also graduated high school. And college. People like me are the redneck’s natural enemy.
I apologize if I’m employing some classist (and racist) stereotypes, but rednecks have been doing it for ages, and we’ve just survived (barely) four years of a racist white nationalist asshole for president, so my anti-redneck trigger finger is a little itchy.
That said, Jeff McComsey’s graphic novel “Grendel, Kentucky”—-a redneck ode to “grindhouse” cinema classics of the late-‘70s and a contemporary adaptation of “Beowulf”, with a little “Sons of Anarchy” meets “Alien” thrown in—-is kind of brilliant.
Prodigal daughter Marnie, leader of an all-female biker gang, returns home to Grendel, KY for the funeral of her father, Clyde. Her dad and grandpa along with her brother Denny, kept the town afloat as the most lucrative weed farmers in the state. It kept them out of the coal mines, most of which are shut down anyway.
She arrives to discover a horrible secret: her father was killed by a literal monster living in the old mines. What’s worse is that her grandpa and her dad were part of a decades-long deal with the monster: provide occasional human sacrifices to the creature in exchange for yearly abundant crops of the best weed in the region.
She leads an attack on the monster, killing it, only to find that the monster was merely a young’un. Deep in the cave is the monster’s mama, and it’s pissed.
The graphic novel is light on words but heavy on some great visuals provided by artist Tommy Lee Edwards. Seriously, there are whole pages in which nothing is actually said, but there is plenty shown, in graphic, bloody detail. Not for the squeamish.
I’m sure somewhere in here is a great Trump-era parable about white nationalism’s deal with the Devil in which the Devil has finally come to collect. It’s there.
But like most grindhouse entertainment, you’re just here for the action and the gore anyway, not the political commentary.
May 13, 2021
A grindhouse influenced retelling of Beowulf. It's 1971, the leader of a female biker gang returns to her hometown of Grendel, KY when her father is killed by a "bear". Could there be something more sinister lurking in the town? I enjoyed this Southern fried retelling of the Grendel story. Tommy Lee Edwards was a perfect choice of artist for this kind of dark, gritty tale.
January 14, 2022
3.75 stars. I’ve just been grabbing these AWA Upshot books just because. New publisher? Why not try out their stuff. I’ve been having som fun with them. I had no idea what to expect with this one. Didn’t read the synopsis or anything. Ended up being pretty good. Deep in the country of Kentucky, there is an old family in the weed business. It’s a pretty jacked up story as the why the plants grow so well there. That’s the “darker” family business side there. Well this part hasn’t been being up kept and now it’s came back to cause major problems. A nice dark added scenario to this tale. The art has this gritty edge to it that I felt fit this book. It’s short under 100 pages but I think it’s worth checking out.
March 11, 2021
During the fall of 1971, upon hearing the sudden death of her father, Marnie – the young leader of the all-female biker gang, the Harlots – returns to the rural hill town of Grendel, Kentucky to attend the funeral where she reconnects with her brother Denny and their grandfather. Initially thinking a bear slaughtered their dad, Marnie and Denny uncover a family secret in the shape of a monster living in the town’s abandoned coal mine.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
March 21, 2021
The legend of Beowulf as told in rural Kentucky in the early 70’s. You know the legend, you know the plot. No deep character psychology and stuff, just weed dealers and female bikers getting maimed by a local ugly critter.
Enters Tommy Lee Edwards, an artist I’m a sucker for, and it goes all rural, sticky, grim and gore and it rocks.
The whole package might feel a bit rushed but then again this is pure grindhouse stuff. Straight to the point; no bullshit, no nonsense drama. Kickass action, good packed storytelling, great art. Period.
Enters Tommy Lee Edwards, an artist I’m a sucker for, and it goes all rural, sticky, grim and gore and it rocks.
The whole package might feel a bit rushed but then again this is pure grindhouse stuff. Straight to the point; no bullshit, no nonsense drama. Kickass action, good packed storytelling, great art. Period.
June 24, 2021
This was pretty damn awesome.
A monster lives in a cave and is a piece of shit who kills people. So once a big figure in the town is killed the daughter and co try to hunt this beast down. But this beast might be stronger than expected and more vengeful in the end.
Some awesome pacing, great dark moody art that really brings the town to life, and a smooth script that makes for some monster killing badass characters. Overall, if like monster hunting type storylines this is the one.
A monster lives in a cave and is a piece of shit who kills people. So once a big figure in the town is killed the daughter and co try to hunt this beast down. But this beast might be stronger than expected and more vengeful in the end.
Some awesome pacing, great dark moody art that really brings the town to life, and a smooth script that makes for some monster killing badass characters. Overall, if like monster hunting type storylines this is the one.
January 4, 2022
Grendel, Kentucky é mais um lançamento da AWA/Upshot no Brasil, dessa vez por uma terceira editora (as outras são Skript e Panini) brasileira, a Hyperion Comics. Eu me encantei com o trabalho gráfico e de conteúdo da Hyperion na sua edição de estréia com Aventureiros. Com certeza, a editora foi a que melhor tratou o material da AWA/Upshot no Brasil. O design das edições é impecável e ainda vem com uma sobrecapa. Sobre a história em quadrinhos, propriamente dita, o mote é o seguinte: algo está matando moradores da cidadezinha de Grendel, no estado de Kentucky. Mais tarde na trama, nossa protagonista descobre que é uma criatura que mora nas cavernas afastadas. Essa criatura tem algo a ver com a lenda escandinava do Grendel, que não vou revelar o spoiler aqui. Um história de terror visceral acentudo pela arte perfeita de Tommy Lee Edwards e seu traço grosso de pincel, como sublinado na revista, numa finalização feita direto no papel. Gendel, Kentucky é uma história de terror com um clima apropriado, para aqueles que curtem um quadrinho nesse tipo de pegada.
April 4, 2022
Um bom gibi que mistura o massa veio de ação e porrada com um clima de suspense e investigação, ambientados nos anos 70 com gangue de motoqueiras, drogas, álcool e armas. É bem uma pegada de Sons of Anarchy.
October 12, 2021
A inspiração, obviamente, surge do Beowulf, o poema lendário de mil anos atrás, com uma daquelas histórias manjadas; segredos, promessas, prosperidade, vingança e sangue.
No início do século XX, um dos mineiros da pequena cidade de Grendel, Kentucky, descobriu um segredo na mina de carvão local, e fez um pacto, a cada estação, um sacrifício de sangue e a cidade deixa de ser uma cidade mineira e se transforma num grande produtor rural.
O que eles decidem plantar?
Maconha.
Maconha de qualidade.
Daquela que fica boa num baseado feito com folha de Bíblia, pelo menos foi o que um amigo me contou.
Os anos passam, no início dos anos 70, o filho do mineiro acaba morrendo na mina e todos os segredos veem à tona durante o funeral; e a única que pode salvar a cidade é Marnie, a filha adotiva do morto e neta do mineiro original, e sua gangue de motoqueiras.
A história é uma paulada atrás da outra, não temos tempo para melodramas e melancolia, tem uma merda acontecendo e gangue de motoqueiras vai chutar a bunda de todo mundo até resolver a parada. Mas a merda é bem maior do que elas imaginam.
Eu achei o ritmo da história muito parecido com o da dupla Brubaker & Philips nos gibis de crime e enganação - Criminal, Fatale - com um pouquinho de sobrenatural do Cates & Shaw no God County e aquele ritmo frenético dos bons filmes de terror e sangueira dos anos 70. Acho que vale a conferida.
No início do século XX, um dos mineiros da pequena cidade de Grendel, Kentucky, descobriu um segredo na mina de carvão local, e fez um pacto, a cada estação, um sacrifício de sangue e a cidade deixa de ser uma cidade mineira e se transforma num grande produtor rural.
O que eles decidem plantar?
Maconha.
Maconha de qualidade.
Daquela que fica boa num baseado feito com folha de Bíblia, pelo menos foi o que um amigo me contou.
Os anos passam, no início dos anos 70, o filho do mineiro acaba morrendo na mina e todos os segredos veem à tona durante o funeral; e a única que pode salvar a cidade é Marnie, a filha adotiva do morto e neta do mineiro original, e sua gangue de motoqueiras.
A história é uma paulada atrás da outra, não temos tempo para melodramas e melancolia, tem uma merda acontecendo e gangue de motoqueiras vai chutar a bunda de todo mundo até resolver a parada. Mas a merda é bem maior do que elas imaginam.
Eu achei o ritmo da história muito parecido com o da dupla Brubaker & Philips nos gibis de crime e enganação - Criminal, Fatale - com um pouquinho de sobrenatural do Cates & Shaw no God County e aquele ritmo frenético dos bons filmes de terror e sangueira dos anos 70. Acho que vale a conferida.
August 18, 2022
When its human sacrifice supply is disrupted, a monster living in an abandoned coal mine wreaks havoc on an isolated Kentucky farming community.
Rock solid retelling of the Beowulf saga with the head of a women's biker gang in the hero role and an old weed farmer standing in for the Danish king. While his action panels are overly static, Tommy Lee Edwards' gritty style is perfect for the backwoods Appalachian setting and grim violence, sort of Sean Phillips-esque.
The whole story is contained in these 90 pages; it gets to the point, but without being terse. A hidden gem.
Rock solid retelling of the Beowulf saga with the head of a women's biker gang in the hero role and an old weed farmer standing in for the Danish king. While his action panels are overly static, Tommy Lee Edwards' gritty style is perfect for the backwoods Appalachian setting and grim violence, sort of Sean Phillips-esque.
The whole story is contained in these 90 pages; it gets to the point, but without being terse. A hidden gem.
November 23, 2021
Another super fun AWA book. The story of Beowulf is retold in 1970’s Kentucky
October 23, 2022
The ending was rushed. Otherwise, it was a solid read.
December 27, 2022
Delivers on the deep fried southern crime horror premise. Short and sweet.
May 28, 2021
The heart of storytelling is being able to reshape a classic without being derivative or obvious. McComsey succeeds admirably.
November 15, 2025
Wow the art in this was good. The coloring was deep and rich and I felt immediately transported to the total locale. The story is also riveting. If you’re familiar with Beowulf, you’ll pick up on a lot of references and homages to that story, but you don’t have to be to enjoy this one. It’s a quick read too so definitely check it out, especially if you’re a fan of monster stories.
July 20, 2021
Essentially a modern retelling of the Beowulf story, transplanted to 1970s America. In place of Beowulf we have Marnie Wallace, leader of an all female biker gang - The Harlots. Grendel is a place here, rather than the name of the monster, but the monster is there and is hungry....
While there is clearly the potential here for a refreshing take on the Anglo-Saxon epic the book is so short it barely scratches the surface. McComsey has an entertaining enough narrative but it feels rushed, extending it to a further 2 issues may have made all the difference, allowing for more exposition and development of the main characters, and supporting ones - or perhaps the history of the town and it's illegal drug trade. However it effectively shrinks down to little more than a brutal battle with the titular beast, who equally gets virtually zero back story or explanation.
Tommy Lee Edwards art fits perfectly here, elevating the story ten fold, capturing the gritty grindhouse feel of this deep south tale, swapping from casual dialogue scenes to gore filled carnage splash pages with ease.
An entertaining, if brief, creature feature.
While there is clearly the potential here for a refreshing take on the Anglo-Saxon epic the book is so short it barely scratches the surface. McComsey has an entertaining enough narrative but it feels rushed, extending it to a further 2 issues may have made all the difference, allowing for more exposition and development of the main characters, and supporting ones - or perhaps the history of the town and it's illegal drug trade. However it effectively shrinks down to little more than a brutal battle with the titular beast, who equally gets virtually zero back story or explanation.
Tommy Lee Edwards art fits perfectly here, elevating the story ten fold, capturing the gritty grindhouse feel of this deep south tale, swapping from casual dialogue scenes to gore filled carnage splash pages with ease.
An entertaining, if brief, creature feature.
June 3, 2021
GRENDEL, KENTUCKY is a good grind-house movie stuck inside a comic book. It's the Grendel legend retold in a more modern setting, plopped down inside a backwoods former Kentucky mining town, now a fertile ground for a cash crop of weed. Police look the other way.
The town is blessed with such prolific production thanks to a pact with the monster in the abandoned coal mine - - just sacrifice a few homeless people, wandering vagrants, or anyone you don't like from time to time. When the pact is broken, all hell breaks loose.
It's Appalachian residents with attitudes and shotguns, plus a female biker gang led by a former resident versus the Grendel monster. If you've read Beowulf then you know where writer Jeff McComsey is taking this, but it doesn't matter. You'll be having too much fun.
Tommy Lee Edwards' art is grim and gritty and perfect for this story.
The town is blessed with such prolific production thanks to a pact with the monster in the abandoned coal mine - - just sacrifice a few homeless people, wandering vagrants, or anyone you don't like from time to time. When the pact is broken, all hell breaks loose.
It's Appalachian residents with attitudes and shotguns, plus a female biker gang led by a former resident versus the Grendel monster. If you've read Beowulf then you know where writer Jeff McComsey is taking this, but it doesn't matter. You'll be having too much fun.
Tommy Lee Edwards' art is grim and gritty and perfect for this story.
January 20, 2022
For those who didn’t guess from the title, this is a reinvention of the legend of Beowulf, repurposed for a small town in Kentucky. A place whose sole crop is growing weed for export. The real star here is the art. It is fluid, consistent, violent, and simply beautiful to look at. The artist has a considerable talent in delivering personality through facial construction. There isn’t much character development, but a story like this doesn’t require much. There is just enough, but not so much that it slows the pace down. And while you might guess most of the story’s ending, there is a great twist at the end which will leave you thinking. A great story overall.
May 11, 2021
I stumbled upon this randomly at work and love Beowulf so obviously I had to read it.
The story is a great reimagining. I would never have placed it where they did but it fits so well. The idea of Beowulf as the leader of an all-female biker gang? Love. It.
There are some slight story changes, but they really enhance this version to build on mystery. It’s a little short but it covers everything it needs to in that time. The artwork isn’t my favorite but it still lends to the grit and gore well.
The story is a great reimagining. I would never have placed it where they did but it fits so well. The idea of Beowulf as the leader of an all-female biker gang? Love. It.
There are some slight story changes, but they really enhance this version to build on mystery. It’s a little short but it covers everything it needs to in that time. The artwork isn’t my favorite but it still lends to the grit and gore well.
September 16, 2021
If you know the tale of Grendel, you'll find few surprises in Grendel, Kentucky, which is a very direct homage to the original tale. Replace Vikings with pot growers and bike gangs and you've got the gist.
That said, Grendel, Kentucky is still a fun, fast-paced ride with plenty of gruesome imagery courtesy of Tommy Lee Edwards' grindhouse artwork. It can be a bit murky at times, but absolutely serves this dark story well.
That said, Grendel, Kentucky is still a fun, fast-paced ride with plenty of gruesome imagery courtesy of Tommy Lee Edwards' grindhouse artwork. It can be a bit murky at times, but absolutely serves this dark story well.
February 6, 2022
Merci aux éditions Delcourt et à Netgalley de m'avoir permis de lire ce titre.
3.5 étoiles**
J'ai plutôt bien aimé ma lecture ! L'histoire était mystérieuse, prenante et intéressante. Par contre, j'ai trouvé que les illustrations étaient trop brouillonnes et elles m'ont moins plu. Je pense que ce titre pourrait plaire aux fans du comics de The Walking Dead (entre autres). Bref, une lecture agréable et prenante !
3.5 étoiles**
J'ai plutôt bien aimé ma lecture ! L'histoire était mystérieuse, prenante et intéressante. Par contre, j'ai trouvé que les illustrations étaient trop brouillonnes et elles m'ont moins plu. Je pense que ce titre pourrait plaire aux fans du comics de The Walking Dead (entre autres). Bref, une lecture agréable et prenante !
February 2, 2024
I picked this up but couldn't remember how I'd heard about it or what it was about. About midway through it really picks up and it becomes apparent just how strange and cool of an idea it is.
The art is cool and really conveys the culture and style of this place in Kentucky. I only wish it could have been dragged out longer since it was such an enjoyable read. I'm now looking into some of the creators' influences ("House of Mystery" and "The Witching Hour").
The art is cool and really conveys the culture and style of this place in Kentucky. I only wish it could have been dragged out longer since it was such an enjoyable read. I'm now looking into some of the creators' influences ("House of Mystery" and "The Witching Hour").
April 9, 2021
This was a bit of a surprise for me as I am unfamiliar with Jeff McComsey and have been hot and cold on Tommy Edwards art. This is a solid reimagining of Grendel. It is well told. It gives a generally new take on the story. It has a strong female protagonist. It looks good. It is an easy read. That is a pretty good book if you ask me.
June 22, 2021
3.75: A creative retelling of Beowulf's fight with Grendel but in rural Kentucky in the 70's, following a biker gang leader returning home to face the death of her pot-growing father under mysterious circumstances. A short, action-packed, gory trip that is best if you are at least passing-familiar with the original myth.
November 4, 2022
Orphan biker grrrrl and leader of a gang comes back home to town she was raised in. Family has history with the creature living in the mine that demands a human sacrifice each year & in return the Ricky soil is fertile—the town can farm instead of mine & get black lung.
Creature a kind of wendigo thing & grrrrl, Marnie, is super badass.
Creature a kind of wendigo thing & grrrrl, Marnie, is super badass.
May 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the strong female "Beowulf" and the additional strong female characters. Loved the traditional ink of Edwards. The whole story felt like I was flying through it, excited for the next part.
May 22, 2021
Loved it. A midwestern modern take on Beowulf that whistles through its story, knowing when to tell and when to show. I don’t think I’ve read McComsey before but certainly now he’s worth keeping an eye on. Edwards I’ve seen before. Good stuff as always.
August 5, 2022
If the title doesn’t already give you a clue, this grindhouse-inspired graphic novel that is set in Kentucky in 1971, pays homage to Beowulf.
The story opens with a heavily armed man heading into a mine shaft, and shifts to his adult son Denny being told of his death. He calls his sister Marnie, who is the leader of an all-girl biker gang, and asks her to head home for the funeral. The two later find out that their grandpa as a teen had been a miner who had accidentally released a monster who demanded tribute, which led to prosperity for the town, so long as the monster was fed regularly. The siblings, and Marnie’s gang, plan to slay the monster and succeed, but if you are familiar with the Beowulf story, you should know what happens next. Much death and destruction follow.
The artwork is dark and gritty and reminds me of Warlords of Appalachia, another rough and tumble tale set in Kentucky. Illustrated in traditional inks, the region and era are evocatively drawn, with a full-page fake newspaper being a special treat to find clues in. I have to admit, this lean story has some major holes in it, but I still came away pleased with the narrative. I’ve been very impressed with some titles that I have read from AWA Upshot, a new comic book publisher, and I look forward to more.
You can also find this review on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2022/08/0...
The story opens with a heavily armed man heading into a mine shaft, and shifts to his adult son Denny being told of his death. He calls his sister Marnie, who is the leader of an all-girl biker gang, and asks her to head home for the funeral. The two later find out that their grandpa as a teen had been a miner who had accidentally released a monster who demanded tribute, which led to prosperity for the town, so long as the monster was fed regularly. The siblings, and Marnie’s gang, plan to slay the monster and succeed, but if you are familiar with the Beowulf story, you should know what happens next. Much death and destruction follow.
The artwork is dark and gritty and reminds me of Warlords of Appalachia, another rough and tumble tale set in Kentucky. Illustrated in traditional inks, the region and era are evocatively drawn, with a full-page fake newspaper being a special treat to find clues in. I have to admit, this lean story has some major holes in it, but I still came away pleased with the narrative. I’ve been very impressed with some titles that I have read from AWA Upshot, a new comic book publisher, and I look forward to more.
You can also find this review on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2022/08/0...
January 14, 2023
One of those comics that feels more like a pitch for the movie than it's own complete thing. And it's a great pitch! But it whips by so fast it's over just when you're getting into it. Really fun concept, loved the art. Just wish there were more substance to it.
January 31, 2024
An enjoyable update to the first segment of Beowulf, but it’s let down a little by the artwork. It’s not bad, it just never quite seems to manage to achieve what it sets out to do. I really wanted to give this 4 stars, but I just couldn’t quite justify it to myself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews