|
The Grendel Cycle Era (2022-2603) |
 The Grendel Cycle corresponds to the back-ups in Mage that became
Grendel: Devil by the Deed (which served to relaunch the title), the 40-issue Comico
series, and Grendel: War Child, originally intended as issues #41-50 of that series.
Chronologically and within the narrative, this era begins in 2022 with
Devil by the Deed, the study of Hunter Rose penned by Chrstine Spar, the daughter of
Stacy Palumbo-Olliver, who as a child lived as Hunter Rose's adopted daughter and who was
instrumental in Rose's defeat and destruction.
The narrative then follows Christine Spar, whose son (named Anson) was
kidnapped by a Kabuki performer, Tujiro XIV. Stealing Hunter Rose's classic costume and fork,
Spar became Grendel and pursued the performer to San Fancisco, where she discovered Tujiro XIV
to be a vampire with a taste for young boys, keeping one eye of his victims, including her son.
In her investigations, besides killing most of the Kabuki troupe, Spar fell in love with Brian
Li Sung, the stage manager of Tujiro XIV's San Francisco venue, and began to protect him from
the vampire. After much wrangling, Spar defeated the vampire, seemingly imprisoning him in the
form of a cat, though that cat escaped. Intending to give up being Grendel and to leave Brian
Li Sung without the grief attached to her life, Spar then returned to New York, where Argent,
the wolf who had been crippled by Hunter Rose, assisted by a policeman named Wiggins and sporting
a lie-detecting implanted eye, led a police investigation of Grendel's return. Brian Li Sung
followed Spar to New York but was brutalized by a San Francisco policeman who had also made the
journey. Spar, in response, killed the policeman and, feeling her life destroyed by the police,
confronted Argent in a battle in which both killed the other. The date was 30 September 2026.
In the wake of Spar's death, her lover, Brian Li Sung, had inherited
journals -- those of Hunter Rose and Stacy Palumbo, which Spar had used for research, and Spar's
own journals narrating both her love for him and her consumption by the spirit of Grendel.
Believing he could not smuggle these past the police and out of New York, Brian Li Sung took an
off-Broadway job and lived in poverty, living to engage vicariously in the journals he'd been
left. Adusting to the harshness of New York as well, he began drinking heavily and journaling
himself. Believing that he had seen Spar's ghost in the theatre he managed, he created a Grendel
mask to help conjure her again. When a security guard interrupted, Brian Li Sung viciously beat
him. Later, assailed in Central Park, he killed his assailant. Brian Li Sung then began to feel
that he had been literally possessed by the spirit of Grendel. He began to hunt Captain Wiggins,
the policeman with the metalic eye who had been Argent's assistant. In Central Park, Brian Li
Sung resisted his madness and was shot dead by Wiggins. The date was 13 February 2027.
Captain Albert Wiggins became a celebrity, penning a series of novels about
Hunter Rose, ironically the only one of the three Grendels that he had never met. His life
became one of luxury. He had a nice house and a young wife. But the incessant pressures of
wealth and celebrity, as well as a nagging wife and an apparent malfunction in his robotic eye
that distorted figures into bloated liars, began to make Wiggins's life an incessant torment.
Enraged that his wife responded to his pleas for help with more nagging, he stabbed her through
the eye, killing her and apparently leaving himself for the police.
By 2070, corporations had replaced nations as the dominant powers. Charles
Dore, head of Omni Broadcasting and Entertainment Systems (OBES), the biggest corporation in the
world, watched over a line of Grendel-related products. His opposition withing OBES was Harold
White, who wanted the world's governments and their intervention eliminated. Misunderstandings
ensued under these strains and nuclear war broke out. The Mideast and its oil was annihilated
and irradiated.
Massive social upheaval followed. Solar power came to dominate, and a mass
migration occured as people moved towards the sunny equator. America became the United
Californian Systems of America. The massive cities of the American east coast became deserted
except for gangs, one of which adopted Grendel as their totem, advocating penance for mankind's
aggressive nature. As society stabilized, the Catholic Church, in a modified corporate form,
took on increased importance. It came to refer to "Grendel" instead of "Satan." Drug use
proliferated, including one so dangerous it was also called "Grendel."
MORE ON GOD AND THE DEVIL LATER.
MORE ON DEVIL'S REIGN LATER.
After Orion's seclusion and death, his wife, Laurel Kennedy Assante, seized
power as regent, cloistering the young heir, Jupiter Assante, until he was ready to rule. A
large Grendel dressed entirely in black broke into the complex where Jupiter was being held
kidnapped him. Laurel Kennedy Assante organized a fierce pursuit, but her increasing frustration
gave Abner Heath, her Prime Minister, the opportunity to seize control. The Grendel and his
young charge fled as far as Africa, meeting Azif A. Barouk, a rebel leader who discovered that
this black Grendel was, in fact, a powerful cyborg designed under Orion's orders and programmed
to protect the heir. The Grendel and his compatriots battled vampires in Siberia. Ten years of
hiding past, during which Jupiter grew into a young man and was joined by his stepsister, Crystal
Kennedy, daughter of Laurel Kennedy Assante who had fled her mother with her young lesbien lover,
a green-haired Grendel named Susan Veraghen. Abner Heath, unable to unite the fratured globe,
attempted to discover how to reactivate Orion's Sun-Disc. Jupiter and his compatriots assaulted
Heath and those ruling in his absence, and Grendel-Prime, the cyborg, plugged himself into the
Sun-Disc, blasting the Imperial communications satellite and allowing for the global broadcast
of a message by the heir. On 7 July 2603, Jupiter Niklos Assante assumed the throne and became
Jupiter I, the second Grendel-Khan. His mission done, Grendel-Prime vanished and was rarely
seen afterwards.
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| IMAGE | TITLE | DESCRIPTION | STATUS |
 |
Devil by the Deed
| |
|
| Grendel: Devil by the Deed reprints the Grendel back-ups in Mage #6-14 |
| Grendel: Devil by the Deed [Comico edition] | magazine size with a spine; Alan Moore introduction; includes gallery of pin-ups (by Steve Bissette, Steve Rude, John Totleben, and Arnold Pander & Jay Geldhof); published by Comico; cover-dated October 1986 | 1 |
| Grendel: Devil by the Deed [Dark Horse edition] | a comic book; new (and gorgeous) Matt Wagner cover; published by Dark Horse Comics; cover-dated July 1993 | 1 |
|
Devil's Legacy
| |
|
| Grendel (second series) #1-40: published by Comico |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #1-12: new beautiful Matt Wagner covers; published by Dark Horse Comics |
| Grendel (second series) #1-12: Matt Wagner script; Arnold & Jacob Pander (the Pander brothers) pencils |
| Grendel (second series) #1-2, 4-6, 8, 10-11: Jay Geldhof inks |
| Grendel (second series) #7, 9, 12: Arnold & Jacob Pander (the Pander brothers) pencils |
| Grendel (second series) #1 | Christine Spar becomes Grendel; cover-dated October 1986 | 0 |
sans indicia
Larger Version Available
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #1 | reprints Grendel (second series) #1, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #2-39 possibly #1 and #40 as well: wraparound cover |
| Grendel (second series) #2 | Christine Spar finds her kidnapped son's eye among a collection of eyes in tubes | 1 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #2 | reprints Grendel (second series) #2, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #3 | Rich Rankin inks | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #3 | reprints Grendel (second series) #3, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #4 | | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #4 | reprints Grendel (second series) #4, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #5 | | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #5 | reprints Grendel (second series) #5, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #6 | | 1 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #6 | reprints Grendel (second series) #6, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #7 | the vampire vanquished for the time being, Christine Spar leaves Brian Li Sung, her rage over her son's death, and San Francisco to return to New York | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #7 | reprints Grendel (second series) #7, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #8 | | 1 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #8 | reprints Grendel (second series) #8, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #9 | a mostly silent issue, awkward and confusing in places but in others manifestly brilliant | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #9 | reprints Grendel (second series) #9, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #10 | features (on page 11) Christine Spar's beautiful tits | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #10 | reprints Grendel (second series) #10, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #11 | Christine Spar and Brian Li Sung have sex in a glorious Patrick Nagel-like full-page panel | 1 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #11 | reprints Grendel (second series) #11, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #12 | Christine Spar and Argent kill each other | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy #12 | reprints Grendel (second series) #12, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy [Comico edition] | collects Grendel (second series) #1-12; published by Comico in 1986 | 0 |
| Grendel: Devil's Legacy [Dark Horse edition] | collects Grendel: Devil's Legacy #1-12; published by Dark Horse Comics in December 2001
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]
| 1 |
|
The Devil Inside
| |
|
| Grendel (second series) #13-15: Matt Wagner script; Bernie Mireault art; Ken Steacy cover |
| Grendel (second series) #13 | | 0 |
| Grendel: The Devil Inside #1 | reprints Grendel (second series) #13, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #14 | | 0 |
| Grendel: The Devil Inside #2 | reprints Grendel (second series) #14, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #15 | | 0 |
| Grendel: The Devil Inside #3 | reprints Grendel (second series) #15, recollored and with a new Matt Wagner cover | 0 |
| Grendel: The Devil Inside [Comico edition] | collects Grendel (second series) #13-15; 80 pages; new Matt Wagner cover; published by Comico in 1989 | 0 |
| Grendel: The Devil Inside [Dark Horse edition] | collects Grendel: The Devil Inside #1-3; new Matt Wagner cover; published by Dark Horse Comics in 2003 | 0 |
|
Devil Tales
| |
|
| Grendel (second series) #16-19: Matt Wagner story and art |
| Grendel (second series) #16-19: includes 4-page Mage back-ups (an interlude between series) by Matt Wagner |
| Grendel (second series) #16-17: "Devil Tracks" storyline, brilliantly featuring many small panels in grids, often inset in larger ones |
| Grendel (second series) #16 | | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #17 | | 1 |
| Grendel Classics #1-2: features new Matt Wagner cover; published by Dark Horse Comics |
| Grendel Classics #1 | reprints Grendel (second series) #16-17; cover-dated July 1995 | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #18-19: "Devil Eyes" storyline, featuring the experimental format of tall panels with creator's notes or intentions scribbled above them and captions below them |
| Grendel (second series) #18 | | 1 |
| Grendel (second series) #19 | cover-dated May 1988 | 1 |
| Grendel Classics #2 | reprints Grendel (second series) #18-19; cover-dated August 1995 | 0 |
Larger Version Available
| Grendel: Devil Tales | collects Grendel Classics #1-2; 96 pages; published in July 1999
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]
| 1 |
|
The Incubation Years
| |
|
| Grendel (second series) #20-23: Matt Wagner script; Ron Turner cover |
| Grendel (second series) #20-22: Hannibal King pencils; Tim Sale inks |
| Grendel (second series) #20 | cover-dated June 1988 | 1 |
| Grendel (second series) #21 | | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #22 | | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #23 | Tim Sale art; cover-dated September 1988 | 1 |
|
God and the Devil
| |
|
| Grendel (second series) #24-33: Matt Wagner script |
| Grendel (second series) #24 | John K. Snyder pencils; Jay Geldhof inks | 1 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #1 | reprints Grendel (second series) #24, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #25, 27-28, 30: no artistic data entered |
| Grendel (second series) #25 | | 0 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #2 | reprints Grendel (second series) #25, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #26 | Jay Geldhof pencils; John K. Snyder inks | 1 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #3 | reprints Grendel (second series) #26, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #27 | | 0 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #4 | reprints Grendel (second series) #27, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #28 | | 0 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #5 | reprints Grendel (second series) #28, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #29 | Jay Geldhof pencils; John K. Snyder inks | 1 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #6 | reprints Grendel (second series) #29, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #30 | | 0 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #7 | reprints Grendel (second series) #30, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #31 | John K. Snyder pencils; Bernie Mireault inks | 1 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #8 | reprints Grendel (second series) #31, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #32 | Jay Geldhof art | 1 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #9 | reprints Grendel (second series) #32, recollored and with a new cover by who? | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #33 | 40 pages; John K. Snyder and Jay Geldhof pencils; John K. Snyder inks; cover-dated July 1989 | 1 |
| Grendel: God & the Devil #10 | reprints Grendel (second series) #33, recollored and with a new John K. Snyder cover | 0 |
|
Devil's Reign
| |
|
| Grendel (second series) #34-39, the main story in #40: Matt Wagner script; Tim Sale art |
| Grendel (second series) #34 | | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #35 | | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #36 | | 1 |
| Grendel (second series) #37 | | 1 |
| Grendel (second series) #38 | | 0 |
| Grendel (second series) #39 | | 1 |
| Grendel (second series) #40 | final issue; 48 pages; a flip book, with
- the first side being the 24-page conclusion to the storyline and
- the other side being the first Grendel Tales story, entitled "Devil Worship," written by Steve Seagle, and illustrated by Ho Che Anderson;
cover-dated February 1990 | 0 |
|
War Child
| |
|
| Grendel: War Child #1-12: Matt Wagner script and inks; Patrick McEown pencils |
| Grendel: War Child #1-4: Simon Bisley cover |
| Grendel: War Child #1 | the first Grendel comic book to be published by Dark Horse Comics; cover-dated August 1992 | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child #2 | | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child #3 | | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child #4 | | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child #5-10: Matt Wagner cover |
| Grendel: War Child #5 | | 1 |
| Grendel: War Child #6 | | 1 |
| Grendel: War Child #7 | | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child #8 | | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child #9 | | 1 |
| Grendel: War Child #10 | 48 pages; begins 10 years after the previous issue; wraparound cover; cover-dated June 1993 | 0 |
| Grendel: War Child [new cover] | issued in 2002
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]
| 0 |
Larger Version Available
| Grendel: War Child [original cover] | collects Grendel: War Child #1-10; also includes cover reproductions, a gallery of art (by Arthur Adams, Tim Bradstreet, Cully Hamner, Kelly Jones, Cam Kennedy, Doug Mahnke, Kevin O'Neill, and John Snyder III), and 2 pages of sketches of Grendel-Prime by Patrick McEown | 1 |
| Grendel: War Child [hardcover] | limited edition hardcover; published at $99.95 | 0 |
