Warlord #22
Published and © by DC, June 1979
Title: “The Beast in the Tower”
Synopsis: Drowning his woes in wine, Warlord soon finds himself battling a werewolf inside a burning, surreal tower.
Writer: Mike Grell
Penciler: Grell
Inker: Vince Colletta
Review: This inconsequential, done-in-one adventure is actually an above-average outing for Warlord. The story is a bit slight and its conclusion is both rushed and unsurprising. But Mike Grell is near the top of his writing game here, with fun purple-prose captions and revealing internal monologue. A pervading sense of fun carries the story along and provides the reader with a compelling-if-uncomplicated ride. On the art side, Vince Colletta’s inking is less destructive than usual; some vintage Grell figure work actually shines through. This issue is a pretty good sampler of what made Warlord a Bronze Age keeper.
Grade: B+
Cool factor: Vince Colletta’s inking is not too bad here …
Not-so-cool factor: …but it’s still Vince Colletta inking.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a Whitman variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “Take a look! If you’re able to see through the blood stains, I’ll tell you what you’ll find there … Fire and steel! Death and destruction! Happiness lost! Love lost! A dream… lost!” – Warlord, in need of a Prozac
Editor’s note: This review was written May 13, 2023.
