Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar #1

[laughing_tree]

My approach here is sort of Batman: Year One, which is something you give to someone to explain Batman. At the same time though, it's something clearly every single Batman fan loves. Do both. -- Kieron Gillen

Comments

[dcbanacek]

The Emperor Protects.

I would like to see a comic based on the adventures of: Commissar Ciaphas Cain, HERO OF THE IMPERIUM.

Would be a nice diversion from the standard grimdarkness of 40K.

[owlbrigade1]

Ciaphas would be difficult, although not impossible, to do as a comic book since so much depends on being able to be inside his head. I think it would be very narration-text heavy. When you look at him, you are supposed to see a regular soldier of the grimdark; it is only when you see things from inside that you see the funny because of the contrast. Now a comicbook based on Amberley, that would be fun.

Thought for the day: Frak this!.

[beoweasel]

I realize it's Warhammer 40k, which is all about the GRIM DARK, but it feels almost out of character to see Ultramarines doing the "YOU'LL BE A NEOPHYTE OR OTHERWISE YOU WILL DIE/BECOME A SERVITOR" mentality for their aspirants.

You expect to see that from the likes of The Black Templars or the Iron Hands, but not the Ultras. But I guess Gillen is writing it this way because it helps get across how unforgiving aspirant training is for any boy attempting to become an Astartes, even for Chapters that don't have a reputation of being massive pricks. I think the death-rate for most aspirants is something like 9 in 10, due to the rigors of the training and implant rejection.

Also, I'm kind of amused at the sudden, magically appearing Traitor Astartes. I know Astartes CAN be stealthy, but where did these guys even COME from?

[shakalooloo]

They were hiding in METAL BAWKSES.

[plastefuchs]

Hah.

[super_fly]

They crouch-walked.

[reveen]

Don't talk down to the Techpriest you motherfucker how dare you.

Also, the last panel, with how they're like "Your hero won't stop us THIS time!" and how they don't just kill the Techpriests outright makes it feel like a Transformers episode lol.

[doodleboy]

I don't know Warhammer 4k lore, but the comic is telegraphing Young Marneus dying and his Helot becoming Marneus so hard it makes me wonder if that's misdirection there's going to be some double-twist going on.

[shakalooloo]

Given that that's pretty much what Gillen did with his Wolverine Origins 2 title, I wouldn't be surprised.

The Deptford Mice did that trick the best.

[beoweasel]

It would actually be kind of par for the course if that's the case too. One of the Horus Heresy novels (The Horus Heresy being the event set thousands of years before the modern 40k and was the inciting incident that would eventually lead to the Imperium becoming the theocratic hellhole it is now) has that same exact twist.

Though, part of me feels that something this obvious is a misdirect and it's actually one of the OTHER boys that eventually takes the name.

-EDIT-

Upon further reading on Calgar's lexicanum page, (which gives away the ENTIRE comic), you were right the first time, though there IS a twist, it's not what I was quite expecting.