For the Emperor! Warhammer 40,000 Ongoing Series Heads to Titan Comics

[Fanghawk]

For the Emperor! Warhammer 40,000 Ongoing Series Heads to Titan Comics

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1280/1280915.jpgGames Workshop and Titan Comics have partnered to develop an ongoing comic series in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Warhammer 40,000 is well known for its tabletop line, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134869-Warhammer-40-000-Dawn-of-War-Gets-Series-Wide-Multiplayer-Overhaul>licensed video games, and <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/warhammer%2040k?os=warhammer+40k>a setting which literally inspired the phrase "grimdark". Yet since its inception in 1987, the one thing it hasn't received was its own comic line. That will finally change this September, thanks to a partnership between Games Workshop and Titan Comics which will depict the battles of Space Marines, Orks, and Chaos daemons.

Warhammer 40,000 is set in a dystopian 41st millenium, where the Imperium of Man rules the galaxy under the authority of the God-Emperor. But despite its best efforts, the Imperium is edging closer to collapse thanks to corruption and unending wars. In the meantime, its power-armored space marines fight for the Emperpor against every alien race in the galaxy.

"Whether it's the iconic, power-armor-encased Space Marines holding the line against unspeakable forces of xenos," Titan Comics press release reads, "the frothing, Daemonic intensity of Chaos, corrupting all they touch; the squabbling, bodged-together Orks, riding roughshod over far-flung colonies; the exotic, long-lived Eldar wielding rare weaponry and rarer insight; the idealistic, mech-piloting forces of the Tau; the undying, endoskeletal hordes of the Necrons, or the starving forces of unnature, like the Tyranids, spitting death and destruction with every spurt of their chitinous cannons, the Warhammer 40,000 setting offers horrifying surprises and stunning sights at every turn - and the comics will explore them all!"

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The Warhammer 40,000 universe has grown substantially over the past 30 years, creating lots of room for an ongoing comic stories. What's not yet clear is whether the new series will follow a specific band of marines, or will individual stories from the perspective of each race. Either way, Titan Comics' press release notes this will be the first Warhammer 40,000 series - meaning other mini-series and crossover events will likely follow.

Titan Comics has promised to revealed Warhammer 40,000's first creative team soon. The first issue will launch this September.

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[Silentpony_v1legacy]

41st CENTURY?! What is this, Star Trek?!

Also sounds near but what do you want to bet absolutely nothing of substance will happen in the comics? No name Orks fight made up Space Marines and we have to pretend to care when Captain Farcificus of the Plot Device Chapter dies to a blow from Warboss Big and Mean?

 

[Space Jawa]

41st CENTURY?! What is this, Star Trek?!

Also sounds near but what do you want to bet absolutely nothing of substance will happen in the comics? No name Orks fight made up Space Marines and we have to pretend to care when Captain Farcificus of the Plot Device Chapter dies to a blow from Warboss Big and Mean?

Given the existence and relative popularity of the Ciaphas Cain series (not that I've read them myself), I'm willing to believe that there's potential for such a series to potentially be something worth reading.

Of course, it's at least equally possible that the series will in fact be worth less than the paper it's printed on, so who knows.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

They could take some of the stories from 14dchan and comic-ize them, I know I'd buy a comic version of the Grendel story: https://1d4chan.org/wiki/The_Guy_Who_Cried_Grendel

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Yet since its inception in 1987, the one thing it hasn't received was its own comic line.

Whut? So I imagined those 80 odd issues of Warhammer monthly? I mean, technically it shared with the old Warhammer world...

Daemonifuge? Bloodquest? Kal Jericho? Damnation Crusade? Deff Skwadron? None of those comics were actually written?

EDIT: Ok, I'm probably expecting a bit much, it shut down over a decade ago, but, like...Kev Walker...Colin MacNeil, it wasn't like their current rash of budget game titles, they got some real talent in for it.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I'm calling it now; To be inline with GW's history of overcharging, each issue will be $19.95.

 

[Joseph Harrison]

The idea of 40k comics makes me incredibly happy cuz I love 40k and the lore so much. But I do fear that they'll be very smurfy or poorly written. At the same time, if they're even close to being as cool as Gaunt's Ghosts or Ciaphis Cain then it'll be pretty damn sweet.

Spoiler: For the Emperor!!!!

 

[Hawki]

Be much more happy if it was Warhammer Fantasy honestly.

No doubt that raises a few eyebrows, but nowadays, I just can't be enthused about a 40K comic series. 40K stands as a power fantasy in most forms, so I doubt a comic series will do much outside of "x (usually Space Marines) vs. y, cue bloody battle."

 

[Joseph Harrison]

The idea of 40k comics makes me incredibly happy cuz I love 40k and the lore so much. But I do fear that they'll be very smurfy or poorly written. At the same time, if they're even close to being as cool as Gaunt's Ghosts or Ciaphis Cain then it'll be pretty damn sweet.

I feel the same way about a warhammer 40k movie; I heard there was one but exactly what you said appeared to be what reviewers were reporting so I'm loathe to actually check it out myself.

That's the main problem with 40k stuff. There's tons and tons of lore, but whenever a movie or a game are made about 40k they almost always focus on the Spehss Mehreens, and even worse they always choose the Ultramraines. Now, I don't really have a problem with Space Marines, I just wish that they would choose more interesting stories and factions than just Good guy smurfs fight bad guy orks. I'd love to read a comic that was basically someone's Dark Heresy campaign and follow the career of an Inquisitor as they root out corruption and heresy, or the story of an Eldar ranger deep within enemy lines as he stalks a prey, maybe a cadre of Fire Warriors fighting off Tyranids while trying to manage an alliance with deeply xenophobic guardsmen. Just anything more interesting than smurfs.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yet since its inception in 1987, the one thing it hasn't received was its own comic line.

Whut? So I imagined those 80 odd issues of Warhammer monthly? I mean, technically it shared with the old Warhammer world...

Daemonifuge? Bloodquest? Kal Jericho? Damnation Crusade? Deff Skwadron? None of those comics were actually written?

EDIT: Ok, I'm probably expecting a bit much, it shut down over a decade ago, but, like...Kev Walker...Colin MacNeil, it wasn't like their current rash of budget game titles, they got some real talent in for it.

Yup...hell, Lone Wolf is currently in stock at my local GW.

 

[Sonicron]

The idea of 40k comics makes me incredibly happy cuz I love 40k and the lore so much. But I do fear that they'll be very smurfy or poorly written. At the same time, if they're even close to being as cool as Gaunt's Ghosts or Ciaphis Cain then it'll be pretty damn sweet.

I feel the same way about a warhammer 40k movie; I heard there was one but exactly what you said appeared to be what reviewers were reporting so I'm loathe to actually check it out myself.

That's the main problem with 40k stuff. There's tons and tons of lore, but whenever a movie or a game are made about 40k they almost always focus on the Spehss Mehreens, and even worse they always choose the Ultramraines. Now, I don't really have a problem with Space Marines, I just wish that they would choose more interesting stories and factions than just Good guy smurfs fight bad guy orks. I'd love to read a comic that was basically someone's Dark Heresy campaign and follow the career of an Inquisitor as they root out corruption and heresy, or the story of an Eldar ranger deep within enemy lines as he stalks a prey, maybe a cadre of Fire Warriors fighting off Tyranids while trying to manage an alliance with deeply xenophobic guardsmen. Just anything more interesting than smurfs.

Eh, if you ask me, the Dawn of War series got it right. Yes, it was still centred around Spess Mehreens (hell, it's the series that coined this particular phonetic variant), but it was really well done, and the new chapter they made up for the series was a nice break from the norm.

I'm looking forward to reading these comics! Sure, there's potential for utter shite in them, as there is in everything, but in a world where 'Damnation Crusade' exists I'll reserve my right to cautious optimism.

 

[Mikeybb]

They need to land Dan Abnett for this.

He's got a great level of experience with the franchise having done so many books for them already and he's a dab hand at comics too (started out there with good old 2000ad).

I'd be happy to see Dan do anything for them.
Maybe continue some stories from his Space Marine Chapter, the iron snakes.
Some of the lost cases of Ravenor.
Maybe some of the investigations of the venerable Eisenhorn.
Perhaps a few vignettes and one offs from the Sabbat Crusade.

Heck.
I'm dancing around it...
Just give me a Gaunts Ghosts ongoing and be done with it.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

The idea of 40k comics makes me incredibly happy cuz I love 40k and the lore so much. But I do fear that they'll be very smurfy or poorly written. At the same time, if they're even close to being as cool as Gaunt's Ghosts or Ciaphis Cain then it'll be pretty damn sweet.

Check out some of the old ones then. You can still get some (the best ones) collected in Trade Paperback format on Amazon/ebay although be prepared for ludicrous prices if you want them "new". All the Warhammer Monthly issues were apparently put up on Black Library for free pdf download for a while so it's possible that you might technically be ok to torrent them (the comics, not the TPs) without actually pirating. Don't take that as gospel though, I'm no expert on copyright law.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I'd be happy to see Dan do anything for them.
Maybe continue some stories from his Space Marine Chapter, the iron snakes.
Some of the lost cases of Ravenor.
Maybe some of the investigations of the venerable Eisenhorn.
Perhaps a few vignettes and one offs from the Sabbat Crusade.

Back in the day, he did. The Iron Snakes started out on WHM (only 2 or 3 stories then, though), there were two series about an Inquisitor (the one mentioned in the end of "First and Only"), Lone Wolves (which was particularly good, his best GW comic IMHO, and with another series planned which never happened). Also, Malus Darkblade for WHFB started as a comic.

It got to the extent that WHM was making jokes about how everything was written by Abnett and/or his army of clones except Harry Potter and the Phone book, and he/they were working on that.

Having said that, there was also plenty of good stuff by other authors, notable Gordon Rennie, though Kal Jerico kept going too long and fell apart before WHM got cancelled (just when Jerico had started a story arc too). Bloodquest was very good, IMHO, and though it got close to going on too long, he was aware of this problem (mentioned it in an interview) so brought it to a definite close after 3 series.

This was way back when GW and BL were committed to creating decent stuff, not sticking their logos on any old rubbish because fans would buy it anyway. Don't know if we will see those days again.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

They need to land Dan Abnett for this.

Dan Abnett is the worst of all the 40k writers. He is a generic SciFi writer. He has no understanding of canon or any respect for the 40k franchise. His stories, with 1 exception(being Iron Snakes, which still isn't that good) are completely bland and generic. You can take his stories, replace a few words(no ideas, WORDS) and it'd fit into literally any other franchise perfectly.

Gaunts Ghosts? Replace Imperium with Rebels, Chaos Forces with Imperial and Chaos itself with the Force. So now we have a story of an Rebel world being invaded by the the Imperials using Dark Force Jedi and Gaunt has to fight them off using his small regiment of mans.

Hell, replace Imperium with the Federation, Chaos with Borg and Chaos magic with Quantum Entanglement fields and boom! A perfectly in-canon Star Trek novel.

I'm just saying if you're going to bother have stories in 40k, a property known for its genetically engineered super soldiers, giant Orks, axes, daemons and God like super monsters...You might as well HAVE them.
Abnett is the 40k equivalent of a DC writers who does a story about a Gotham janitor who never meets, sees or has anything to do with Batman or any villains. He's just a dude doing his own dude things, completely wasting the franchise.

 

[Rastrelly]

They need to land Dan Abnett for this.

Dan Abnett is the worst of all the 40k writers. He is a generic SciFi writer. He has no understanding of canon or any respect for the 40k franchise. His stories, with 1 exception(being Iron Snakes, which still isn't that good) are completely bland and generic. You can take his stories, replace a few words(no ideas, WORDS) and it'd fit into literally any other franchise perfectly.

Gaunts Ghosts? Replace Imperium with Rebels, Chaos Forces with Imperial and Chaos itself with the Force. So now we have a story of an Rebel world being invaded by the the Imperials using Dark Force Jedi and Gaunt has to fight them off using his small regiment of mans.

Hell, replace Imperium with the Federation, Chaos with Borg and Chaos magic with Quantum Entanglement fields and boom! A perfectly in-canon Star Trek novel.

I'm just saying if you're going to bother have stories in 40k, a property known for its genetically engineered super soldiers, giant Orks, axes, daemons and God like super monsters...You might as well HAVE them.
Abnett is the 40k equivalent of a DC writers who does a story about a Gotham janitor who never meets, sees or has anything to do with Batman or any villains. He's just a dude doing his own dude things, completely wasting the franchise.

OMG, there actually IS somebody who dislikes the way Abnett works with 40k?! I was so tired of this constant 'Oh, if you want proper 40k books - read Abnett!' stuff, while actual Abnett stuff in fact rarely makes any sense and is as impressive as any generic space fantasy

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

I'd be interested if it were about the Imperial Guard. If it follows the Ultra Smurfs, I'll have as much interest in it as there is meat in chicken nuggets.

 

[Gutsripper]

Warhammer 40,000 is set in a dystopian 41st Century

Off by about 360 centuries XD

 

[vallorn]

I'm calling it now; To be inline with GW's history of overcharging, each issue will be $19.95.

Then they will bump the price up and reduce the number of pages in each issue over time.

I'd be interested if it were about the Imperial Guard. If it follows the Ultra Smurfs, I'll have as much interest in it as there is meat in chicken nuggets.

Personally, if it followed Chaos marines or cultists that would be awesome. Admittedly, that's because Chaos marines have actual personalities instead of the cardboard cutouts that are the lackeys of the corpse emperor.

In response to the above discussions of Abnett, he gets the job done, his stuff isn't painfully bad (C.S. Goto), nor is it really excellent (Aaron Dembski-Bowden) but, as pointed above, it's just kind of generic pulp sci fi stuff. Myself, I enjoy Graham McNeil much more, mostly because his writing style is one that I find enjoyable (Also because he's written A Thousand Sons, Storm of Iron and that magnificent story, The Last Church).

However, Abnett has written for comics before if memory serves. He wrote for some of the Transformers comics or something. So you never know.