Warlord #24
Published and © by DC, August 1979
Title: “Song of Ligia”
Synopsis: Gravely wounded during a battle with pirates, Warlord is nursed back to health by a mythical creature under the sea.
Writer: Mike Grell
Penciler: Grell
Inker: Vince Colletta
Review: Taken as a straight-up adventure story, this outing from writer/artist Mike Grell falls a bit short in the suspension-of-disbelief department. But approach it from the perspective of mythic fable and the story takes on an epic patina. Warlord, emotionally estranged from the life he’d built in Skartaris, is given a respite from the weight of his memories. But can his warrior’s heart find peace in, well, peace? Hah! This well-drawn done-in-one allows Grell a chance to explore weighty questions including if the penchant for violence is learned or intrinsic. Heady stuff from a simple story.
Grade: B+
Cool factor: Mike Grell’s willingness to throw the occasional story curveball is one of the things that helps set Warlord apart from the era’s other sword-and-sorcery fare.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “We’ll gut them on their own decks, and spit in their eye when they put us to the sword.” – Travis Morgan, once and future Warlord
Editor’s note: This review was written May 25, 2023.
