the Warlord #1 - DC

It's finally here . . one of the first books I ever started collecting as a kid. Well, actually Superman and Batman were my first, but . . then I saw this amazing book on the rack that was nothing like the other 2. I just had to explore it and figure out what was going on. It's a shame that Mike Grell isn't drawing it as well as scripting, but . . at least we get this amazing cover. Plus, Joe Prado and Walden Wong do a pretty decent job on the interiors. Overall, I think this book has a pretty good feel to it. It's not the same as Mike's work, obviously, but . . that's ok. With this first issue, it seems like we're trying to bring the story up to date. There's this explorer, Alysha Grant, who has discovered some interesting stuff in a mountain cave in Tibet. She brings back a dinosaur fossil, but . . it still has skin attached. She gathers up a team, under the tutelage of Dr. Archer, an anthropologist at a museum, and they head back to try to discover more. However, this time they encounter some resistance from the Chinese army. They make it into the cave, and find a pyramid shaped portal that takes them . . I assume . . to Skartaris. We also catch up on Travis Morgan's story. It was 1969 when he was flying his SR-71 over Russia and was shot down. He parachuted out, and landed in Skartaris. Now, he and Tara, with Shakira and Jennifer by his side, are the monarch's of Shamballah. Currently they're getting an influx of wildlife and refugees from the Shadow Kingdom. This is also Machiste's land. My guess is, that's where this group of adventurers landed, and . . they seem to be making their presence known. Travis examines one of the boys and finds a bullet wound in his armor. I've always loved this series. It's interesting how this role has been thrust on Travis, since his arrival. He's constantly in turmoil as to whether to accept it, or try to live a quiet normal life. But nothing is ever quiet and normal in Skartaris. Eventually something happens that brings him right back into his role as protector. I'm sure Mike will also have to expand on the way time works here. Travis has been here for almost 40 years now, but he doesn't look a day older than when he landed. I remember the running joke through the first series was . . if he landed with just his pack and essentials, how come he never runs out of bullets? Anyways, I could go on and on, but . . I think I'll save some of my other feelings about this book for future posts. I wouldn't want to spill everything on the first issue now. Would I? Speaking of which, I included the cover of First Issue Special #8. That's the place where all of this began. I wonder, at the time, 1975, if Mike knew he was creating something so epic.