Warlord #7
Published and © by DC, June-July 1977
Title: “The Iron Devil”
Synopsis: Warlord returns to Skartaris with new ally Mariah, only to find a previous ally possessed by a demonic weapon.
Writer: Mike Grell
Artist: Grell
Review: Writer/artist Mike Grell continues to develop the Warlord’s world. New cast members join and old ones evolve, while new settings and mythologies pop up regularly. Creatively, Grell seems to grow more confident each issue, and the series is starting to feel like something special. Mariah is a strong addition to the cast, even as Grell tarts her up in a fanged bikini getup. The book feels sexy not sexist, and there’s plenty of beefcake to go with the cheesecake. Sex, violence, skin and sin: There’ something dangerous about the Warlord’s world, and that’s a big part of the series’ appeal.
Grade: B+
Second opinion: “Mike Grell’s scripting and art combine to produce an excellent comic.” – Mike Conroy, Comic Media News #31, June-July 1977
Cool factor: Be they barbarians or babes – or both! – Mike Grell’s characters tend to have brains. The cast’s smarts help set the series apart from similar genre fare.
Notable: Origin of Machiste.
Character quotable: “In that outfit, you’re about as inconspicuous as a W.A.S.P. In Harlem!” – Travis Morgan, Warlord and fashion critic
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on May 7, 2009.
