- Title: Grendel: Devils Crucible – Defiance #1
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Matt Wagner
- Artist: Matt Wagner
I have a confession to make. I love Hunter Rose. The original Grendel ranks as one of my favorite comic characters of all time. And while Matt Wagner has taken some interesting paths in exploring various later iterations of the character, the further you get from the original the more my interest wanes. The new series, Grendel: Devils Crucible – Defiance, focuses on the last of the Grendels: Grendel-Prime. Returning to Earth after centuries in space, the paladin finds a stark world of haves and have-nots with most tech horded by Necro Lords leaving others to roam the wilderness in a steam-punk-ish society.
Our protagonist isn’t impressed by the world he returns to, one imbued with heavy anti-Grendel sentiment enforced by the minions of the Necro Lords. Attempting to keep a low profile, Grendel-Prime is quickly discovered finding both new friends and enemies. Although the action is limited to a single sequence, issue #1 is a solid opener for a Grendel-Prime story with plenty more to be uncovered.
[Dark Horse, $4.99]