Sword in one hand, gun in the other. And don't forget the winged helmet. As announced at DC's "Guide to Your Universe " panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the classic character the Warlord is back at DC Comics will an all-new ongoing series scheduled for spring 2009. It's his 35th Anniversary, so what better way to celebrate?
Before we get into the new, let's go down memory lane for the first-timers and those who were there the first time.
One of DC's best-selling titles in the late-1970s, The Warlord carved an indelible mark in American comics as one of the first "sword & sorcery" comics - with a .44 for good measure. Created by cartoonist Mike Grell, the iconic Warlord was an Air Force pilot named Travis Morgan that crash landed on a prehistoric "hidden world" inside Earth called Skataris. There, Morgan was dubbed 'the Warlord', where he became a classic adventurer who knew how to fight with both sword and gun, all the time wearing a winged helmet that became his trademark.
The Warlord ran for a total of 133 issues and six annuals, making Grell a well-known name in comics. Grell continued an upward climb with a iconic run on Green Arrow as well as the creator-owned Jon Sable and Shaman's Tears. But fans have continued to carry a torch for Grell's Warlord, and DC's short-lived Warlord revamp in 2006 proved that while fans still loved the character, they were particular as to who and how it was done.
So who better than original creator Mike Grell to helm an all new series for The Warlord? That's a rhetorical question. First rumored back in March when Grell mentioned work on a proposal for Dan Didio, Grell and DC Comics announced today at San Diego Comicon that The Warlord is returning for a new ongoing series in early 2009. Originally conceived as a six issue miniseries, DC Executive Editor Dan Dido was so thrilled by the proposal that the series was greenlit as an ongoing.
High hopes, high aspirations. So what does Mike Grell have to say? We talked with him earlier this week by phone from his home in Washington state.
Newsarama: Thanks for talking to us today, Mike. Let's get right into it - what's the new Warlord series about? A revamp like the 2006 series, or a continuation of your original run?
Mike Grell: It's both. The intent was to re-introduce the Warlord to not just the old fans - the old audience - who are 2 or 3 generations down the road, but to introduce to a new audience. I'm continuing with the same characters and set-ups. There's been some time past since we've last seen them though, so there's been some updating...
Read the full article and interview here