THE GRENDEL FAQ

INTRODUCTION

This list has been compiled to answer questions about Matt Wagner's Grendel that have been asked in the rec.arts.comics newsgroups. As a long time Grendel-phile, it's been a pleasure to construct this list, and to try to answer some of the questions of who and what Grendel is. I'm not sure of the all the answers myself. To that end I'm always open to comments corrections.

It should also be noted that this list covers only Matt Wagner Grendel appearances. All non-Wagner Grendels will be included in the Bibliography section, but not in the history section as the "Grendel Tales" stories add little to the chronology and can be treated as separate entities. They will only be mentioned where appropriate.

Thanks you, and, as always...

VIVAT GRENDEL!

- Jeremy Holstein

As of the last few years I've hosted this FAQ (which was previously only posted in the rec.arts.comics list in text form) so as to maintain the information. In 17 odd years things have gotten out of date or changed. I've kept it up to date in places but left a lot of the original content for posterity. I keep meaning to update it with the more recent releases (an excellent Grendel omnibus series has been released this year for example) and continue to fill in the gaps in back-issues, stories and other items but time is never on my side.

- James Turnbull (2012)

2025 Update: I've finally gotten around to doing that comprehensive update! This version includes complete information about the Dark Horse omnibus collections (2012-2023), the new Devil's Odyssey and Devil's Crucible storylines, the completed but unreleased Netflix series, Matt Wagner's recent projects including his Dracula series with Kelley Jones, and the current state of the Grendel universe. Dark Horse remains the primary publisher with active projects continuing through 2025 and beyond.

- James Turnbull (August 2025)

01: What is Grendel?

Grendel is a comic created by Matt Wagner. Under the Grendel title, Wagner has published well over 100 stories about the character since 1982. The book is highly experimental in terms of story-telling, but under Wagner's guidance has still managed to maintain a consistent quality. Wagner, a somewhat sporadic creator, has done his most work with the Grendel character to date.

Since 2012, Dark Horse Comics has made the entire Grendel saga available through comprehensive omnibus collections, ensuring the series remains in print and accessible to new readers. The series continues to expand with new storylines like Devil's Odyssey (2019-2021) and the Devil's Crucible trilogy (2024-ongoing), advancing the mythology beyond its 1990s endpoint.

See Section 05: Who is Matt Wagner?

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02: Who is Grendel?

This is a far more difficult question to answer than 01, for there have been MANY Grendels throughout the history of the title (see 03). But all the Grendels to date have at least two things in common:

1) All the Grendels have worn the same mask, or a variation thereof. The mask is black with two large white oval eyes, and a small white circle over the nose. Running perpendicular through the ovals are two spear shapes which run the height of a head. The mask is generally attached via a set of straps, tied at the base of the skull. Later versions of the mask have dropped the circle, relying far more on the oval/spear shape displayed over top the wearer's eyes.

2) All of the Grendels have been refereed to by Wagner as "The Spirit of Aggression." Despite some argument as to whether this applies to the current situation of a Grendel in the current story line, to date all Grendels have certainly been portrayed as aggressive people.

In addition, the majority of the Grendels to date have used a weapon refereed to as a "Fork". The weapon appears as a staff, with twin parallel blades perched upon one end. Many variations of the weapon have appeared in the title.

Since the "Tales" series began, Grendel has now taken on a more ritualistic and military style of identity. A Grendel is a position of honour which few can obtain. However the above two rules still apply to all the central protagonists.

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03: Can you provide me with some history for the character?

The following is a history of the character which was originally printed as a back up for the War Child series. A summary of War Child has been included. It should be noted that since War Child has ended several "Grendel Tales" series have appeared, but as very few of them are interconnected I have chosen to exclude these stories for now. It should also be noted that while this will give you a history to enjoy Grendel in the present, it is in no means a substitute for the original comics, recommended reading all. These summaries are bare bones outlines of some very complex story lines, and they cover over 500 years of continuity. Many details and events have been excluded for the sake of brevity.

Note: The Devil's Odyssey (2019-2021) and Devil's Crucible trilogy (2024-ongoing) continue Grendel Prime's story beyond War Child, taking him to space and back as humanity faces extinction and Earth falls under the rule of "Necro Lords."

THE LONG AND TWISTED HISTORY OF GRENDEL

Part 1: Hunter Rose

THE PRODIGY

Somewhere in the latter part of the twentieth century, in an ordinary midwestern town, to a pair of very ordinary parents, there was born an extra-extraordinary child whose true name is known to us now only as Eddie. A genius of immeasurable depth, Eddie excelled at his every form of endeavour. At the tender age of four, he had memorised his own local phone book as well as that of the surrounding half-dozen counties. By six he could quote any line of Shakespeare, and by eight he had written over a dozen plays and fifty short stories, and was working on drafts for several different (apparently unfinished) novels at once.

Unfortunately for both Eddie and the world, neither his parents nor his pedestrian teachers took much notice of his young achievements, and so the lad was nurtured solely on boredom. Initially Eddie found release from his frustrations in the world of competitive sports, but here, too, he overachieved and soon found himself competing at an international level on the fencing strip. True to form, Eddie took his zeal to the tournament finals, only to secretly throw the match in an agonising denial of how very easy it all had been. It was at this point that Eddie met the woman who would be the most influential person in his young and tragically brutal life.

Jocasta Rose was a trainer for the British fencing team; she found herself fascinated with the daring young prodigy who, she was sure, had just deliberately relinquished his claim to the world championship. A hot-blooded iconoclast herself, Jackie confronted Eddie after the match and swept him off his tired and lonely feet into a world of glorious sensation and romance. Over the space of the next year- which would prove to be the rest of Jocasta Rose's life - she and Eddie never parted company again. A terminal illness killed her less than thirteen months after they first met.

THE ASSASSIN

The death of his lover devastated the young genius, but her fiery spirit lingered in his soul. His will to fight and achieve was twisted by twisted his grief into a monstrous and insatiable ideal. Returning incognito to the States, he adopted the name of Hunter Rose and soon wrote several best sellers, taking the literary world by storm at the age of seventeen. But, still, there remained an empty fury in Hunter Rose's heart. The need to achieve became the lust to control, and so another alias to an already fractured personality was born. The crime families of Manhattan were soon confronted with a presence even deadlier and more, heartless than their own. The name of the masked assassin Grendel was spoken only in whispers, and many a seasoned killer prayed to avoid running afoul of whoever held Grendel's contractual reins of the moment. In less than two years, Grendel had moved into a position of power over one of the major families, and he soon consolidated his realm to include most of the criminal activities within the entire metropolitan area. Once again, he had won easily over seemingly insurmountable odds. But where was the challenge that would unseat him, the battle he could never win, the heart of fire that would rival his own?

THE CHILD AND THE WOLF

In fact, it was early in his nefarious career that Grendel first encountered the two lives that would ultimately prove to be the undoing of his own. The adopted niece of a crooked real-estate mogul, Stacy Palumbo captured what little empathy still existed in Hunter Rose's icy heart by her unnatural resemblance to his first love. Following the death of her uncle at Grendel's hand, Stacy came to live with Hunter as his legal ward. Ironically, the only other friend to this lonely child was Grendel's greatest enemy, Argent, the mysterious wolf. In Stacy, Hunter saw the potential and innocence that might have been his own lot, and, in Argent, he found the fury and power that were indeed his fate. This pathetic triangle was destined for tragedy, of course, and Stacy's discovery of her mentor's true identity precipitated the climax. Grendel and Argent met in a final, ferocious battle that left the wolf broken and withdrawn, and proved to be the ultimate doom for the man the world had known as Hunter Rose.

THE LEGACY

Stacy Palumbo spent the rest of her days in an institution. She was briefly released around the age of twenty-five to marry her analyst, but, here again, tragedy clouded her young, hopeless life. The wedding night became a rape/suicide, the result of which was the birth of Stacy's only daughter, Christine, who was soon given up for adoption. Following this, the tortured stepdaughter of Grendel lapsed into a stupor that lasted the rest of her days. Christine would never know her real mother until, years later, she interviewed Stacy for a book she was writing on the life of Grendel: Devil by the Deed.

The Wolf went into seclusion and was rarely seen in public again.

Part 2: Christine Spar

A MOTHER IN PAIN

The daughter of Hunter Rose's adopted ward Stacy, Christine Powell spent her entire life trying to shake off the ugly vestiges of a legacy she never really knew. Even the untimely death of her husband, war correspondent Peter Spar, served only to remind her of the bloody heritage thrust upon her not only by the world at large but, indeed, by her very lineage. Finally, Christine decided to exorcise these inner demons by undertaking an in-depth examination of the man whom her mother had actually ~ succeeded in killing. ' This investigation served instead to awaken in her an even deeper fascination for the man known as Grendel, and the result was the now infamous book Devil by the Deed. It was shortly after the advent of her new-found notoriety as an '-. author that Christine and her young son Anson attended a kabuki theatre performance at Radio City Music Hall. At first, Christine found herself entranced with the star dancer, Tujiro XIV, but in a subsequent backstage meeting she was soon repulsed by his boldly lascivious manner. As she tucked Anson into bed later that night, little did Christine suspect that this would be the last time she would ever see her only son alive.

A NIGHTMARE IN DISGUISE

When police investigations yielded nothing on Anson's disappearance, Christine took up the chase herself and soon made a startling discovery: a trail of disappearances, all of young boys and all coinciding with the nation-wide tour schedule of Tujiro's kabuki troupe. Grief-stricken, but focused with a cold and unreasoning hatred, Christine set about the task either of rescuing or of revenging her missing child. Knowing this would take her into a realm outside the law, Christine resolved to disguise herself behind a persona that literally embodied the contemptuous emotions in which she was slowly drowning. Stealing the original mask and fork of Hunter Rose, she set off for the west coast and the spirit of Grendel was thus born again. In San Francisco, she eventually caught up with the travelling show and began a cover espionage of her suspect, which soon revealed even more shocking facts. Tujiro was, in fact, a vampire who not only displayed a marked taste for young boys but also doubled as the head of an international slavery ring. It was here that Christine Spar's trail of vengeance hit an unexpected snag. Throughout her intricate hunt for the monster, Tujiro, she had, found herself becoming involved with the stage manager of the kabuki theatre's latest venue, Brian Li Sung. When Christine discovered that Tujiro intended to kidnap Brian to serve as the latest slave in his insidious schemes, her rage finally exploded and the stage was set for the final confrontation. After a fierce and bloody battle that failed to bag her intended prey but did succeed in breaking the vampire's ring of power, Christine was forced to flee both the city on the bay and the gentle young man she had so quickly come to love.

A MONSTER IN HIDING

Although she did her best to leave both the persona and her actions as Grendel behind, Christine soon found herself swept along in the hatred and fear that had marked the life of her predecessor. Back in New York, she was immediately hounded by both the police and Grendel's original nemesis, Argent the wolf. When Brian Li Sung followed her back to the east coast, he soon fell victim to this police brutality, and Christine finally gave herself over to the overwhelming anger of Grendel. In a battle that seemed written by the cruel hand of destiny, she finally met her end at the hands of the vicious Argent but not before she succeeded in killing the monstrous wolf as well. The legacy of Grendel, it seems, had at last seen its end or had it?

Part 3: Brian Li Sung

INNOCENCE ADRIFT

The death of Christine Spar left another, all-but-unnoticed casualty in its bloody wake, the bruised and tortured spirit of her young lover, Brian. Firm in his blind ambition to steer Chris from her seemingly fated path, Brian had no idea how this vortex of violence would eventually prove too much for his own fragile soul as well. His tragic catharsis first began at the very moment of Christine's death as Grendel. It was only later that Brian began to realise the full extent of her isolated madness and lonely certainty that she passed onto him in the form of Grendel's logs. These copious journals which included not only those volumes stolen by her mother, Stacy, from the original fiend, Hunter Rose, but also Christine's own account of her life as Grendel were secretly buried by their jealous owner in the unmarked wilds of Central Park. Nestled under the pillows of the same bed in which he and Chris had shared their last moments together, Brian discovered both a map and the key to this strongbox containing the festering memoirs of demons.

Unable to leave these infamous relics behind, Brian was also quite sure the encroaching eyes of the police would never allow him to smuggle the journals out of New York either. He soon found himself taking a low-paying job off-Broadway as well as making do with dreadful living conditions all to ensure that he might spend his evenings slowly drowning in the lives of two people possessed by violence.

SUBSISTENT RAGE

Lost not only in the past, but also in the harsh, day-to-day existence of New York, Brian soon found himself victim to all the pent-up anger and frustration revealed in the pages of his newly sacred texts. A recovered alcoholic, Brian desperately began drinking again. He experienced memory losses as well as outbursts of temper and even started keeping secret journals himself. Eventually, he became convinced he had actually encountered Christine's ghost in the seedy confines of the theatre he managed. In an effort to once again call forth his lover's spirit, he finally donned a crude Grendel mask which he had fashioned to act as a talisman. Although the apparition never materialised, its presence was felt when Brian, still masked, viciously battered a security guard who had interrupted the ritual. Although outwardly sickened by this startling change in his demeanour, internally Brian continued to nurture his growing rage. The evolution of Brian's violence finally peaked with the killing of a would-be assailant in Central Park. In his obsessive zeal to know and understand Grendel he had in fact become the fiend. Continually hounded by the flamboyant Captain Wiggins of the New York Police, Brian then began to perceive his condition as an actual possession. The spirit of Grendel had somehow burrowed its way into his soul and there it gestated, a diabolic consciousness that cared naught for anyone most especially the hapless host body it so viciously toyed with.

TERMINAL EVICTION

The final stage in Brian's madness came when his delusions focused on the person of Captain Wiggins. Convinced that Wiggins was keen to the truth of his masked excursions, "Grendel" next decided to stalk and eliminate the troublesome cop. Here Brian's tragic downslide reached its conclusion but not without a final moment of redemption. Bound by the demon's desires to hunt down his persecutor, Brian nevertheless strove to break what he saw as Grendel's control over his body and mind. Unable to resist, he trailed the detective over the course of an evening until his path eventually led to Central Park and the site of Brian's one and only act of murder. In these last moments of confrontation, Brian fought an internal battle for the sake of his very soul. His defiance finally triumphed, as Brian barely managed to stay his own attack by a crucial fraction of a second all the time necessary for Captain Wiggins to turn and shot this latest Grendel dead.

Part 4: The Incubation Years

A PERSONAL NIGHTMARE

With the death of Brian Li Sung, the force he had perceived as a conscious, aggressive entity went into an extended period of apparent remission. It was to be almost five hundred years before another singular incarnation of Grendel would walk the earth again. This is not to say that Grendel had no effect during this time. Far from it. In fact, human civilisation continued to feel the weight of Grendel's rage -- but in a far more subtle and, in the long run, insidious manner.

As the one surviving person to have been directly involved with the succession of criminals known as Grendel, Captain Albert Wiggins suddenly found himself having an unexpected celebrity status. Eventually, he left COP (Confederacy of Police) to retire in the tropics and spin out a series of best-selling tales about Hunter Rose, the only Grendel Wiggins had never actually met. With this success came all the trappings of luxury as well as all the pressures of wealth. It was later in life and in his new career that Albert Wiggins finally began to go mad. Spurred on by an apparent malfunction in his prosthetic eye, Wiggins began seeing the world around him as distorted and grotesque. Fans, publishers, agents, even his doctor took on a hideous demeanour behind the waves of Wiggins' dementia. Finally, his sense of reality lost, Wiggins succumbed to his own inner rage and stabbed his nagging young wife to death. Grendel, it seemed, had managed to strike again.

A CORPORATE WEAPON

A century passed before the presence of Grendel would be so directly felt again. In that time, the power of civil government had dwindled. Mega-corporations now controlled most everything, and the biggest of these was Omni Broadcasting and Entertainment Systems (OBES). At the head of the board of directors sat Charles Dore', a rather complacent executive who nonetheless saw Omni's bevy of Grendel entertainment products as an effective tool for spreading into an even wider world market. At the opposing end of Omni's management sat Harold White. While Charles Dore' strove for constant expansion, Harold's schemes were entirely directed towards eliminating competition. Harold deemed the world's civil governments to be both obsolete and deserving of nothing less than absolute destruction. In the end, this doubled-edged greed led from mistrust to misconception to tragic global mishap. The result was the world's first extended nuclear conflict, the near eradication of the mid-eastern OPEC nations, and the total contamination of a major portion of the world's crude oil supply. From within the very core of the system itself, Grendel had struck again.

A RITUAL PENANCE

The resulting social upheaval caused by this environmental tragedy affected life on earth as had no other event in over a millennium. the world's major power supply had been severely crippled, and, finally, the people of earth were forced to adopt alternative sources of energy. Many methods were developed but none more successfully than solar power. In a world now even more dependent on the sun, life in the uppermost northern hemisphere soon became undesirable. In a mass exodus unlike anything seen before or since, the world populace began slowly to situate itself closer to the equator. In America, the United States now became the United Californian Systems of America, and the already crumbling east-coast megapolis soon became an immense ghost town of concrete and steel. A few savage tribes/gangs continued to linger in the ruins, constantly fighting amongst themselves for control of the few oil storage tanks that still retained some usable sludge in their depths. One of these clans, the Forx, adopted the figure of Grendel as their totem. They believed that the oil should be torched rather than be put to any use whatsoever -- a nihilistic penance for what they saw as man's never-ending aggression. Grendel, at last, had gained a welcome foothold in the psyche of a race -- as opposed to that of an individual.

A SOCIETAL ARCHETYPE

Several hundred years passed before the world again took on some semblance of a civilised structure. The rising new world order was mishmash of opportunistic religion, obsessive personal indulgence, and the slogging advances of a technology not yet sure of itself. The battle for control of the fading American Empire was fought in the church pew as well as in the boardrooms, and, perhaps most importantly, in the chemical-swilling minds of the public at large. Drugs were big business in this world of the future, and corporations strove incessantly for that elusive stimulant mixture that would provide the greatest euphoria with the fewest side effects. It was these zealous experiments that culminated in a heinous accident, which unleashed a new and dangerous drug on an already imbalanced populace. This drug, whose laboratory designation was Arcana-Prime, ultimately became known by the infamous term that the Church itself had even adopted to replace the more antiquated name of "Satan". The kingdom of Grendel was at hand.

Part 5: EPS Thatcher

THE CHURCH OF LIVING DECEPTION

Another period of darkness had settled over the globe. Following WWIII there came the great migrations, as the world of men slowly divided itself into continents by race. In the face of all this social upheaval, the Christian church once again re-emerged as a powerful force in people's lives. Dominant but fractured, the Church eventually also split into racial factions across the earth.

This period came to a peak under the American papacy of Innocent XLII. The latest in a long line of despotic popes, Innocent was a media darling, a talented manipulator of overwhelming charisma. Invoking antiquated laws of civic funding, Pope Innocent had for years been financially pursuing the continued growth of an immense tower in Denver, at the pinnacle of which sat Vatican Ouest. This outright purging of the public welfare soon aroused the enmity of a civic-minded aristocrat, Orion Assante, the son of a excommunicated family. Taking the matter before America's central Board of Directors, Orion succeeded in being appointed head of a regulatory panel known as the Tower Commission. Knowing full well the immense uphill struggle he had accepted, even Orion had no way of guessing how twisted this adventure would soon prove to be. As he settled down with his sisters/lovers to view the televised ceremonies for the beginning of Lent, Orion was truly shocked to see the devil himself walk the earth once again.

THE DISCIPLE OF HISTORIC MADNESS

As Innocent XLII began accepting the congregational tithes, the ceiling of St. Elvis Cathedral exploded, and a ragged, spindly Grendel figure dropped onto the altar of the church. There, in front of millions of viewers, this unknown devil callously killed several worshippers before stealing the flying collection platter and dumping the offerings into the throngs of the faithful, swarming through the streets surrounding the Tower. What followed were a series of terrorist attacks, each more random and bizarre than the last. This mysterious Grendel was effectively wearing away at the public faith, and the man at the head of that trust was furious. Innocent turned to the mercenary police squads of COP for assistance by striking an unholy deal with their jaded leader, Pellon Cross. Thus, while Orion continued to attack the Church in a legal sense, Grendel proved to be the greater thorn in Innocent's side. Still, the grand Easter mass was approaching, and for this, Innocent turned to his lackey Pellon Cross with an even greater request.

THE PROPHET OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION

Innocent, it was soon revealed, was actually building a very special gun high in the upper recesses of the Tower's central spire -- a weapon for which the final component was the forbidden element plutonium. Personally challenged by this ultimate act of thievery, Pellon Cross succeeded in securing the necessary material -- but at the cost of his very life. After delivering the nuclear core to his master, Pellon discovered the fateful truth behind the papal robes: that Innocent XLII was, in fact, centuries-old vampire Tujiro XIV -- and his gun, a device meant to eradicate the sun!

Meanwhile, Orion's own activities had in turn driven him into self-imposed exile and had cost the lives of his treasured sisters as well. His path eventually led him to the discovery of this latest Grendel's true identity: an idiot/savant and societal victim name Eppy Thatcher. It was while trying to confront this maniacal rebel that Orion encountered the confused and newly vampire Pellon Cross. Finally realising the immensity of the situation, Orion led a mercenary armada in a desperate attack against the Tower, as the Easter sun broke over the Rocky Mountains. As the day's ceremony progressed, several forces converged on the Tower: Orion and his troops; Pellon and steadily swelling army of vampires; and Grendel himself, seeking personal battle with a persistent and ancient foe. The resultant battle was a catastrophic, with Orion's forces just barely managing to dynamite the Tower as the deadly Sun-Gun was being ignited. The monster/pope was incinerated by the full force of the blast, which then carved a path of destruction across the face of the city. Grendel, also caught by the powerful beam, blazed out of sight in a trail of twisted glory. As Orion surveyed the carnage from his air-cruiser, a grim realisation came to this man who had tried for so long to fight by the rules: there are no rules but the ones we make for ourselves. Orion could not see the many vampire survivors far below, crawling from the wreckage to follow their leader Pellon off into the twilight.

Part 6: Orion Assante

A RACIAL PLAGUE

Following the collapse of Vatical Tower there came a period of grand upheaval in America. Not only was Christianity being abandoned by the masses, but now there was an ancient and largely unknown plague to contend with. In the confusion following the Sun-Gun catastrophe, Orion Assante emerged as a tireless leader in the crusade to stem the tides of vampirism. As a result of this relentless pogrom, the vampires went underground in the resort system of VEGAS. Eventually they were contained in one of the massive casinos, which soon became a high-security prison known as Grendel's Palace.

A SOCIETAL ICON

Shortly after his political rise to the top, Orion finally consummated his long-standing relationship with Sherri Caniff. It was on one of her many missions of foreign diplomacy that Sherri met the Australian psychic, Manny McDoon. Manny soon joined Orion's core group of advisors, his secret abilities often giving his master the edge necessary to ensure victory in most political arenas. Orion's ultimate goal was a solitary global government, and through the use of his "Orion's Sword" military fraternity, he soon managed to unite the entire western hemisphere under his increasingly imperial rule. Fearing both competition from Great Japan as well as rumours concerning redeveloped nuclear technology, Orion sought to extend his influence into the eastern half of the world as well.

A turning point was reached when a seemingly independent group of terrorists kidnapped Sherri Caniff. With ruthless efficiency, Orion managed to rescue his mate as well as utterly destroy her captors. The message to the world was clear: Orion Assante would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Only later did he learn that the espionage was really masterminded by Great Japan. It as during this time that Orion's growing legions of troops began to refer to themselves as Grendels (this stemmed from an older nickname for Orion due to his role in the collapse of the Church: "Grendel - the scourge of God").

A GLOBAL EMPIRE

Worldwide unity was neither an easy nor inevitable goal. With various forces opposing his efforts, Orion battled fiercely over the next decade to secure the beginnings of his world empire. As war between the east and west became imminent, Orion found himself besieged on all sides. He zealously struggled to maintain control of the ground already gained. It was during this period of incalculable stress that Sherri Caniff lost her life to cancer. Bereft at his loss and disgusted with public life, Orion seemingly abandoned his goals and went into seclusion along with the semiretired Manny. Finally, Orion found the source of his meditative cure. He convinced Manny to use the last of his mental powers to help the troubled leader locate the person who had once embodied the madness Orion felt consuming him now - Eppy Thatcher.

Returning to public life, Orion again took up the helm of leadership as war with Japan was just beginning. With the development of improved solar superconductors, he was able to ensure victory at last with the creation of the incredible Sun Disc. This flying device soon proved the the ultimate weapon as it levelled a path of solar destruction across the Japanese archipelago. As his last enemies sank into the sea, Orion declared himself ruler of the globe and assumed the mantle of the first Grendel-Khan.

Unfortunately, with all his battles now won, the fight seemed suddenly to go out of Orion. He lay down a code of ethics for his worldwide legions of troops, but otherwise left the daily tasks of ruling to a battery of aides. In a vain effort to produce an heir to his lonely throne, he eventually married on of his young assistants, Laurel Kennedy. The union proved to be fruitless and, finally, Orion made only two further contributions to world politics in his waning years. The first was to reinstate the long dormant pogroms against all vampires. soon driving them and their sacred-cow leader, Pellon Cross, into exile. The other was to miraculously fulfil the purpose of his unhappy marriage by both carrying and the bearing an heir, himself, from a surgically-constructed male womb. Leaving the government in the hands of his wife, Orion went into seclusion to raise his son and died quietly in his sleep on October 17, 2588.

Part 7: GRENDEL PRIME

A HEIR DEPARTED

The rightful heir, Orion's only son Jupiter, was cloistered away in an underground military complex deep in the Dakota Black Hills. His political captivity was engineered by his stepmother, then presiding regent Laurel Assente, whose power-driven schemes make a prisoner of her own daughter Crystal, as well.

In a flurry of mysterious circumstances, Jupiter is abducted by a solitary Grendel. Easily bypassing the most sophisticated security the assailant left a long and bloody trail as he sped across the continent with his precious hostage. Laurel frantically attempts to recover the boy before news of the kidnapping became public. With the help of her intelligence minister, Heath, she made futile attempts to reaquire the heir from the Grendel known as Grendel Prime. To prevent further damage to her tenuous position, her daughter Crystal is placed under a higher level of security under personal guard of a Grendel named Susan. Laurel becomes more and more obsessed with outwitting this Grendel, only to find her every effort thwarted. In her frustration she slowly drives herself mad with power, and the treacherous Heath is able to seize power through deception.

A TREACHEROUS JOURNEY

Grendel Prime and Jupiter Assante go through a long series of treacherous journeys to avoid capture. They encounter Grendel troops, Mutants, Witches, Pirates, Gorillas and (of course) Vampires, who are all dispatched quite handily by Grendel Prime. Eventually they are captured by a group of Rebels who recognise Laurel and Heath's perversion of Orion's dream and are fighting to restore honour to the throne. Grendel Prime reveals he is a cyborg hand picked by Orion to safeguard his son away from those who would seek him harm. After a brutal assault by the Kahn's troops, this group of rebels fade away with Grendel Prime and Jupiter into the mountains where they are not seen again for ten years.

A DAUGHTER'S LONELINESS

Meanwhile Crystal has formed a close relationship with her guard Sarah. As the two become closer Sarah's loyalties shift away from the Kahn and the Crystal herself. Eventually the two become lovers, and at Crystal's request Sarah spirits her out of the military compound and away from her mother's influence. The two escape and go into hiding, not to be seen again for the next ten years.

TO BE CONCLUDED

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04: In what comics has Grendel appeared?

Grendel has appeared in various titles, in various formats. Primarily the book was published by Comico until 1989 when bad blood and bankruptcy forced the title's hiatus. Grendel was revived with Dark Horse in the 1990s, and has enjoyed a healthy relationship since. Dark Horse remains the exclusive publisher as of 2025.

PRIMARY CANON BOOKS

• MAGE 6-14 - Each issue featured a four page Grendel back up.
• GRENDEL (colour) 1-40
• GRENDEL WAR CHILD 1-10
• GRENDEL DEVIL'S QUEST (Grendel Tales backup series by Wagner)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S ODYSSEY 1-8 (2019-2021)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - DEFIANCE 1-4 (2024)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - SEDITION (forthcoming)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - NECROTIC (forthcoming)

OMNIBUS COLLECTIONS (DARK HORSE)

First Edition (2012-2013):

• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 1: HUNTER ROSE (December 2012, ISBN 9781595828934)
• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 2: LEGACY (July 2013, ISBN 9781595828941)
• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 3: ORION'S REIGN (December 2013, ISBN 9781595828958)
• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 4: PRIME (December 2013, ISBN 9781595828965)

Second Edition (2022-2023):

• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 1: HUNTER ROSE (June 2022, ISBN 9781506732305)
• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 2: LEGACY (December 2022, ISBN 9781506732312)
• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 3: ORION'S REIGN (January 2023, ISBN 9781506732329)
• GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOLUME 4: PRIME (May 2023, ISBN 9781506732336)

• MATT WAGNER'S GRENDEL TALES OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 (August 2017, ISBN 9781506703282)
• MATT WAGNER'S GRENDEL TALES OMNIBUS VOLUME 2 (February 2018, ISBN 9781506703299)

OTHER GRENDEL BOOKS

GRENDEL (Black and White) 1-3 - One of the first wave of Comico's publishing empire, the book was cancelled with the third issue. But readers liked the story line, so Wagner brought the character back as a back-up series for Mage. The contents of these books are summed up in the first four pages of Devil by the Deed. The third issue ends with Stacy's kidnapping ("Stacy! She's gone!"). The art style in these issues is very derivative of Japanese anime. Wagner claims to be very embarrassed by these books (and the Comico Primer) and has sworn to never reprint the stories. Trivia: The slogan used to promote the book was "Grendel : Evil never looked so good. In chilling black and white." Note: Some price guides insist that there was a forth issue, but I have been unable to verify the existence of the forth. Most price guides list only three.

GRENDEL: DEVIL'S VAGARY - a 16 page book with art by Dean Motter. Black and White w/ Red. This book was included with a Comico promotional item (The Comico Collection), which also included a Grendel slipcase. To date it has not been reprinted.

GRENDEL: DEVIL BY THE DEED - Reprints the Mage backup series. The Comico edition features Matt Wagner colour. The Dark Horse edition is re-colored by Bernie Mirault.

GRENDEL: DEVIL'S LEGACY - Reprints Grendel # 1-12. This series won several awards (Which ones? Help!)

GRENDEL: THE DEVIL INSIDE - Reprints Grendel #13-15.

GRENDEL TALES - The flip side to Grendel #40, this was intended as a preview for a series which never reached fruition (see 09). This is also the second of the non-Wagner Grendels. The proposed series has since been reworked and published by Dark Horse.

BATMAN/GRENDEL- A two issue series featuring Hunter Rose and Bruce Wayne locked in battle over Gotham City. Issued jointly by DC and Comico, this book was delayed some two and half years due to Comico's bankruptcy.

GRENDEL CLASSICS #1 and 2 - Reprints Grendel #16 - 19, w/out Mage backup. New colouring by Bernie Mireault.

GRENDEL VS. THE SHADOW 1-3 (2014) - Prestige format crossover with Dynamite Entertainment.

GRENDEL: DEVIL'S ODYSSEY (Hardcover, January 2022, ISBN 9781506714059) - Collects the 8-issue miniseries.

GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - DEFIANCE (Hardcover, March 2025, ISBN TBD) - Collects the 4-issue miniseries.

GRENDEL: DEVIL BY THE DEED - MASTER'S EDITION (forthcoming) - Wagner completely redrawing and expanding the original 37-page story to 121 pages.

GRENDEL APPEARANCES

COMICO PRIMER 2 - A 9 page story. This is considered to be the first appearance of Grendel, although a picture of the character did appear in the first issue. This is also Wagner's first published art.

A1 BOOK 4 - A 10 page story featuring Wiggins, from Devil's Legacy and Devil Inside. This was intended as a preview of the original Comico Grendel Tales, a series which never reached fruition (see 09). This is also the first non-Wagner Grendel to appear in print.

SILVERBACK 3 - Grendel appears for two panels, with art by Bill Loebs. This series chronicled the story of Argent, Grendel's Nemesis in Devil by the Deed and Devil's Legacy. Series also includes excerpts from Wagner's unpublished Grendel novel.

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05: Who is Matt Wagner?

Matt Wagner is the writer/artist who created Grendel. Born October 9, 1961, Wagner has been creating comics professionally since 1982. At 62 years old (as of 2025), he remains highly active in comics creation, working from Portland, Oregon. He frequently collaborates with his son Brennan Wagner as colorist.

You can find his official website at mattwagnercomics.art and follow him on Instagram at @mattwagnercomics and Twitter/X at @MattWagnerComic.

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06: In what comics has Matt Wagner's work appeared?

Matt Wagner's work has appeared in many different books, published by many different companies. What follows is an updated list of his major work since 2012. For a complete bibliography, visit Matt Wagner's official bibliography.

MAJOR WORKS SINCE 2012

Completed:

• MAGE: THE HERO DENIED #1-15 (Image Comics, 2017-2019) - The conclusion of the Mage trilogy
• THE SHADOW: YEAR ONE #1-10 (Dynamite, 2013-2014)
• THE SHADOW: DEATH OF MARGO LANE #1-5 (Dynamite, 2016)
• DJANGO/ZORRO #1-7 (Dynamite, 2014-2015) - Co-written with Quentin Tarantino
• GRENDEL VS. THE SHADOW #1-3 (Dark Horse/Dynamite, 2014)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S ODYSSEY #1-8 (Dark Horse, 2019-2021)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - DEFIANCE #1-4 (Dark Horse, 2024)
• BATMAN #54 (DC Comics, 2018) - Contribution to Tom King's run
• LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: MATT WAGNER (DC Comics, 2020) - Hardcover collection of Batman work
• DRACULA BOOK I: THE IMPALER (2023) - With Kelley Jones, via Kickstarter
• DRACULA BOOK II: THE BRIDES (2024) - With Kelley Jones, via Kickstarter

In Progress/Forthcoming:

• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - SEDITION (4 issues)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL'S CRUCIBLE - NECROTIC (4 issues)
• GRENDEL: DEVIL BY THE DEED - MASTER'S EDITION
• DRACULA BOOK III and IV - With Kelley Jones

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07: Who is Argent?

Argent is Grendel's nemesis. Wagner stated at the beginning of the series that he wanted to examine the shaes of gray of what is good and what is evil, so he made his first Grendel (Hunter Rose) very suave and appealing, which the hero was utterly despicable. Argent thus is a very gruff, half/human half wolf hybrid. He claims to be a 300 year old Indian shaman who was cursed by his tribe for a forbidden love affair. The Silverback series portrays Argent as an ordinary man possessed by the spirit of Masun, the spirit of death.

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08: Is Grendel a spirit?

The Devil Inside seems to indicate so. The story is told through two narratives: Brian Li Sung's, and what seems to be Brian's sub-consciousness. At the end of the second chapter (issue 14 of the colour series), the sub-conscious narrative starts to refer to Brian as a "host". This would explain how the Grendel persona has survived over 400 years. It would also indicate that there might have been Grendels BEFORE Hunter Rose, and this has been underscored by the Grendel Tales series "War Hammer", wherein a character possessed by the spirit of Grendel rattles out a long procession of names presumed to be past Grendels.

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09: Whatever happened to [insert favourite Wagner title here]?

2025 Status Update:

Mage II/Mage: The Hero Denied - COMPLETED! The long-awaited conclusion to the Mage trilogy was published as a 15-issue series by Image Comics from 2017-2019. It has been collected in two volumes.

Batman/Grendel II - This was actually completed and published in 1996, not a future project as the old FAQ suggested.

The Aerialist - Officially abandoned by Wagner after partial publication in Dark Horse Presents. Wagner has stated he has no plans to complete it.

Grendel Novel - Permanently shelved. Wagner acknowledged he "just wasn't much of a prose author." Excerpts appeared in the Silverback mini-series.

Grendel Tales Submissions - Closed since the mid-1990s with no plans to reopen. The focus has shifted entirely to Wagner-written continuity.

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10: How do I get that damn Newsletter?

2025 Update: The Ancient Brain Parts newsletter appears to be defunct. The postal address below likely no longer works. For current Matt Wagner news and updates, follow:

• Official website: mattwagnercomics.art
• Instagram: @mattwagnercomics
• Twitter/X: @MattWagnerComic

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11: I've heard Grendel is open to submissions. How do I submit?

2025 Update: GRENDEL TALES SUBMISSIONS ARE PERMANENTLY CLOSED.

Grendel Tales submissions have been closed since the mid-1990s with no plans to reopen. Matt Wagner has shifted focus entirely to Wagner-written continuity advancement rather than anthology projects. Do not submit Grendel stories to Dark Horse or Matt Wagner.

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12: What projects are forthcoming from Matt Wagner?

Current as of August 2025:

Matt Wagner, at 62, remains highly active in comics creation. His current and upcoming projects include:

In Active Development:

• Grendel: Devil's Crucible trilogy - The second installment "Sedition" and third "Necrotic" are forthcoming. Wagner has completed seven of the twelve total issues.
• Grendel: Devil by the Deed - Master's Edition - Wagner is completely redrawing and expanding the original 37-page story to 121 pages.
• Dracula series with Kelley Jones - Books III and IV are planned following the successful Kickstarter campaigns for Books I and II.
• Grendel board game - "The Game of Crime and Mayhem" from Off the Page Games, expected 2026.

Recently Completed:

• Grendel: Devil's Crucible - Defiance (4 issues, 2024)
• Dracula Book II: The Brides (2024)
• Dracula Book I: The Impaler (2023)

Wagner has given non-committal responses about future Mage work ("Eventually") but has multiple unannounced projects in development. He continues to work from Portland, Oregon, frequently collaborating with his son Brennan as colorist.

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13: What Grendel/Matt Wagner comics is Jeremy missing?

The following list are the comics I'm currently missing. If any kind soul wants to thank me for compiling this FAQ, this would be a wonderful way. I'm always reachable through E-mail, and we could set up some sort of exchange. I believe many of these turn up in the 25 cent bin from time to time...

• Johnny Quest #1 (back-up story colours only)
• Johnny Quest #4 (cover colours only)
• Challengers of the Unknown #5
• Robin II #1
• The Griffin #1-6
• The Jam #1-5 (Slave Labor edition)
• Tales From the Heart #7
• Lone Wolf & Cub #25-36
• DC Who's Who, new series (text for Uncle Sam entry)
• Marvel poster: Hulk vs. Thing
• Limited edition Grendel poster (200 prints) with 6 Grendel incarnations.
• Batman vs. Predator #1-2
• Fish Police, Comico edition #6
• Eagle #1
• DC Who's Who (old series): Dr. Midnite
• DC Who's Who (new series): Granny Goodness, Copperhead, Hourman, The Spectre
• Demon gatefold in Graphitti's hardcover History of the DC Universe
• Hunter Rose statue designed by Matt & sculpted by Randy Bowen

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14: What about the Netflix series?

The Grendel Netflix Series That Never Was

Netflix ordered an eight-episode Grendel series in September 2021, with filming completed from September 2021 through January 2022 in Vancouver and New York. The series starred Abubakr Ali as Hunter Rose, making him the first Arab Muslim actor to lead a comic book adaptation. The cast included:

• Jaime Ray Newman as Jocasta Rose
• Julian Black Antelope as Argent
• Madeline Zima as Liz Sparks
• Kevin Corrigan as Barry Palumbo
• Emma Ho as Stacy Palumbo
• Brittany Allen as Annabelle

Andrew Dabb (Supernatural) served as showrunner with Matt Wagner as executive producer.

Despite completing filming, Netflix cancelled the series on September 27, 2022 before it aired. Wagner described the cancellation as "crushing" and confirmed that while he has all eight episodes on DVD (with the first episode completely finished and others requiring post-production), attempts to shop the series to other networks failed.

The cancellation represents the most significant Grendel adaptation attempt to date, making it to near-completion before being permanently shelved. The series remains unreleased and unlikely to ever see the light of day.

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LEGAL STUFF

Not really much legal stuff, as FAQ's are always questionable anyway. All I ask is that you keep this document intact if you distribute it. If sections must be used (IE a bibliography), just give me some credit, ok? Thanks!

- Jer (ME!) & James

2025 Update: All information current as of August 2025. Grendel and all related characters are copyright Matt Wagner. Dark Horse Comics is the current publisher.