It was two months ago when Marvel announced it will be working on their newest project based on a popular franchise called the Warhammer 40000 series. It is the first time the Space Marines are coming to fight under the banner of Marvel Comics. The announcement was huge considering nothing of this sort had ever been tried before. The Warhammer series of comic books will be created and illustrated by top-notch Marvel writers and artists. It will be coming to the stores in retail as well as digital forms in the October of this year. Marvel’s Warhammer series will be a revolutionary comic book series that intends to differentiate Marvel Comic Books with a completely radical story-telling technique and setting.
Marvel is clearly trying to emulate the success of DC Comics here. DC is known to dabble in alternate non-superhero based story lines. While Marvel sticks to blockbuster franchises like Indiana Jones and Star Wars, they generally never get into unexplored waters. DC has several imprints that explore comic books with a vastly different lens. With the new Warhammer series, we just might be able to see a different side of the comic book publication giant’s creative outreach and penchant for innovative story arcs.
And here is everything you need to know about Marvels’ Warhammer series before you hit the stores to buy the issues on October.
What is the Warhammer 40000 series?
For the uninitiated, the Warhammer 40000 franchise started out as a table top board game. It is set in the far future. Human Civilization has taken to the stars. It is now a space faring race that has colonized many planets and star systems. But evolution and technology have stagnated. Hostile alien races and supernatural entities plague the galaxy and the world beyond. The Imperium of Man has lasted for more than ten thousand years, has more than a million planets under its belt ruled by the all-powerful Emperor. The Theocracy controls a subject base that is at the very least multiple quadrillion strong. The cosmos has descended into war and chaos with the Imperium fighting rival factions and supernatural alien forces for the control of the universe. Humanity also has to deal with a parallel paranormal universe called “the Warp” that has a connection with each and every sentient being on Earth and can grant special abilities.
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The Head Writer of the Series is a long-time Warhammer 40k fan
Kieron Gillen, the writer for the series who will be heading the story department, has been a vocal supporter of the exploits of the Space Marines. Gillen’s love for the Warhammer series goes back to the days when the series was just a popular board game. Gillen intends to use the Marvel Comics banner and resources to make the series accessible to everyone whether or not they are aware of the Warhammer 40000 series. The series will have its fair share of moments. It will have massive references to quench the thirst of loyal fans of the series. Since Gillen is him-self a huge fan, we are pretty sure that department is covered.
Will Be Set For a Mature Audience
The tone and the setting for Marvel’s Warhammer series will be meant for an adult audience. From what we know so far, the story is going to be dark with a lot of morbid, adult elements. Many bleaker arcs from the long-time franchise’s previous game as well as table top installments will be taken in for incorporation into the comic book series. Gillen is taking multiple leaves from DC Comics’ many adult imprints here. We do not blame Marvel though. It is a step in the right direction. Warhammer 40000 series have a potential to have many R-Rated elements in it since the premise itself is very dark and gritty. The Graphic Tone is a welcome decision. Hope Marvel can keep up since a graphic setting was never their forte to begin with. Warhammer’s ‘grimdark’ setting makes it immoral, violent, and dystopian. A graphic undertone would do it justice.
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Will Tell the Story of Space Marine Marneus Calgar
Marneus Calgar is a fan favourite character within the Warhammer 40000 franchise. He is the current chapter master of the Ultra Marines’ Space Marines Chapter. A hero and a legend within the history of the Imperium, Marneus is loved as a soldir as well as respected for his skills as a General. Marneus Calgar likes to use tactics and strategy to overwhelm numerically superior foes. His soldiers do not follow him out of a fear for authority but respect for his leadership skills. Marneus is also a very capable fighter. He was the first known Space Marine General to have personally led an incursion into Tyranid Ship Behemoth Primus. He also single-handedly fought and defeated the Green Skins during the Siege of Zalathras. The comic book series will explore the exploits and adventures of Marneus Calgar written in the scriptures of the Fortress of Hera, Macragge’s Fortress Monastery.
Kieron Gillen Compares it to Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One is one of the most celebrated DC Comic book arcs that added an entire new universe for DC to explore within the purview of Batman lore. Frank Miller and David Mazzuccheli’s Batman graphic novel used pre-existing themes and settings to create a whole new facet for the Batman. Gillen claims that using pre-existing themes of the Warhammer series in a similar fashion, he intends to give the fans a new world set within the Imperium that has seldom been explored in the game series. While the table top franchise is known to mix horror with action, Gillen intends to go beyond that. He claims that his Warhammer 40000 series will be have horror and action blended with comedy, satirical humor, and elements of grand adventure.
“It’s a horror universe, but it’s also a satirical and action universe,” Kieron Gillen said. “The people who take Warhammer a bit too straight clearly are working on the weird assumption they would be Space Marines when it’s clear that if any of us were in the 40K universe we would be someone who was bombarded from orbit to clear out a rabid infection running through the tiny human population. It’s so operatically grim.”
