the Warlord #3 - DC

We find out this issue that this plague that has befallen the Shadow Lands is actually the work of the group of people that Alysha Grant brought down here. She's the one that found the dinosaur skull in the cave in Tibet. The part that bewildered her though was that it was a fresh skull. So, she took it to a paleontologist, Kate Archer. From there they decided to launch an expedition. It consisted of Alysha and Kate with Ned Hawkins, who financed it and Ewan McBane as their photographer or historian. When they went into the mountains they were chased by Chinese soldiers. When they took refuge in a cave, they found a portal that transported them to Skartaris. Once in Skartaris though, they went their separate ways. Alysha saw this world as a place of myth and magic. A place where legends lived and people lived in peace. Ned however saw this as a world that was ripe for the conquering. So he quickly took power of the palace, with Kate by his side, and began broadening his reach. He wasn't going to be happy until he controlled this whole world. Ewan stood quietly by filming the whole thing. Anyways, somewhere along the line he captured Mariah and Machiste. Machiste escaped, or was traded out as slave labor, but Ned saw Mariah, Professor Romanova, as a source for knowledge. He found out that she had been here for years and he wanted all of the information that she had gathered in that time. By the end of this issue Morgan, Shakira and Machiste make their way to the overlord's palace, but their barely through the doors before their overpowered by his soldiers and his recently learned magic. Seeing her friends, and lover fallen, Mariah quickly agrees to assist Ned with whatever he wants. The issue ends with them all being taking into custody, and Shakira stealthily roaming around the castle. This series has jumped right back into the trials and tribulations that surround this land. And we've quickly been brought back up to date on all of the main characters. It seems to me, for Mike Grell, it's just like riding a bike. Chad Hardin does the art this issue. It's ok. It's not what I expected, but by the end of the book I believe his interpretation. I'm just glad that this book is back on the shelves again. And I'm thrilled that Mike Grell is at the helm. By the way, I love those covers.