Warlord #17
Published and © by DC, January 1979
Title: “The Quest: Part II: Citadel of Death”
Synopsis: Tara and Morgan seek refuge from the great desert in the halls of Timgad, the Citadel of Sorcerer Kings.
Writer: Mike Grell
Penciler: Grell
Inker: Vince Colletta
Review: As is often the case with Warlord, well-worn tropes are revitalized by writer/penciler Mike Grell’s enthusiasm and willingness to experiment. Here, the artist uses a two-thirds/one-third page split to tell parallel stories set in the same place but during different times. The stories eventually overlap, of course, but the storytelling technique is effective. There’s a sense of creative play to this series that gives it an edge over much of the era’s swords-and-sorcery fare. One down note: Vince Colletta’s inks aren’t helping (though they also don’t seem to hurt Grell’s pencils as much as some artists’ work).
Grade: B+
Cool factor: Mike Grell’s willingness to experiment.
Not-so-cool factor: The lack of a complementary inker.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “Stories have a way of becoming exaggerated in the retelling! There’s probably nothing to it!” – Warlord (the Unwise)
Editor’s note: This review was written Feb. 21, 2023.
