Warlord #26
Published and © by DC, October 1979
Title: “The Challenge”
Synopsis: Warlord travels with Skartaris’ second greatest thief as they seek untold treasure within the Temple of the Sun.
Writer: Mike Grell
Penciler: Grell
Inker: Vince Colletta
Review: Consistency is a strength of Mike Grell’s Warlord, but also a source of nagging frustration. While always above average for its era, there is a underlying sense that the series could be something … more. There’s a sameness to many of the issues, including this one: Compelling characters and interesting world-building, but a lack of story momentum that could grow familiar parts into a greater whole. On the art side, there’s no shortage of striking panels and sharp visual storytelling, but the overall aesthetic is routinely undermined by subpar inking. Warlord is one of the great “what-could-have-been” series in comic-book history.
Grade: B
Cool factor: This series could have been a contender.
Not-so-cool factor: This series should have been a contender.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “Welcome, seeker … keeper of the key! Enter! Enter if you dare!” – A parrot, hanging out in the Temple of the Sun
Editor’s note: This review was written Feb. 15, 2024.
