Warlord #21
Published and © by DC, May 1979
Title: “Terminator”
Synopsis: Warlord must cross blades with his own son, who has been prematurely aged and is under the control of Deimos.
Writer: Mike Grell
Penciler: Grell
Inker: Vince Colletta
Review: This final chapter of a multipart Deimos story should be epic. All the pieces are in place: A final showdown with an obsessive arch nemesis. A generational clash to the death. An internal struggle between parental love and the will to survive. But the emotional weight just isn’t there. For 20 issues, Mike Grell focused on putting the characters of this series through their physical paces. But the emotional depth of the cast remained shallow at best. There are flashes here – particularly with Morgan’s angst and Tara’s reluctance to revive their son – that suggest Grell is capable of diving deeper.
Grade: B
Cool factor: Tara is evolving into a three-dimensional character. This series needs more of that.
Not-so-cool factor: Vince Colletta’s inks. (Almost made it through a Warlord review without mentioning this, but alas.)
Character quotable: “You have destroyed yourself, Morgan, as surely as if your son’s blade had split your skull to the teeth!” – Deimos, vengeful jerk
Editor’s note: This review was written April 29, 2023.
