Warlord #8
Published and © by DC, August-September 1977
Title: “The City in the Sky”
Synopsis: When winged dinosaurs make off with Mariah, Travis Morgan and Machiste pursue them to a city in the sky.
Writer: Mike Grell
Artist: Grell
Review: Mike Grell’s Warlord is not the most original series, as it mines heavily from the pulp fantasies that came before it. But Grell goes about this business energetically, and his passion for the material is contagious. Like most issues, this story is simple but a lot of fun, as the characters wrestle with familiar sci-fi-and-fantasy tropes. As an artist, Grell continues to be a poor man’s Neal Adams, which really isn’t a bad thing. With both his storytelling and control of anatomy improving, Warlord is one of the better-drawn books of its time.
Grade: B+
Second opinion: “With the right subject and enough enthusiasm, Mike (Grell) can do nice work.” – Martin Lock, Comics Unlimited #46, August 1977
Cool factor: Dinosaurs, robots, AND a cyborg cannibal? What’s not to love?!
Character quotable: “All slaves are man-made, Morgan!” – Machiste, king of Kiro
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on March 12, 2009.
