Warhammer 40K: Marneus Calgar (Upcoming Marvel series)

[url]https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/25/marvel-and-warhammer-the-first-comic-revealedgw-homepage-post-1fw-homepage-post-2/[/url]

[quote]Last year, a legendary alliance was forged – Marvel Comics and Warhammer. Your favourite stories, worlds and characters brought to life by the planet’s most iconic comic makers? Sounds good to us! Today, we’re incredibly excited to reveal the first fruits of this new partnership – a series about the iconic Space Marine hero: Marneus Calgar.

One of the 41st Millennium’s most famed warriors, Marneus Calgar is a champion of Humanity whose legacy goes right back to the earliest days of Rogue Trader. He’s a paragon of what makes a Space Marine a Space Marine, though his origins have always remained a mystery – until now. This new comic series will, at last, tell the origin story of this exemplar of the Adeptus Astartes, even going back as far as his time as a child on Nova Thulium. But who could deliver such a terrific tale? Meet the super-team assembled for such a task…[/quote]

Personally, I'm somewhat excited by this, as I love 40k, but I'd rather have just a regular, straight-up story than an origin story. Still, I think that this has potential. What do you all think?

I might give it a try. Have never really been into 40K, and have only ever dabbled in Fantasy Warhammer but I'm always down for some Kieron Gillen. He's been on a roll these past few years.

Same here. Dig Gillen and played Warhammer Looooooong ago. Will be a nice nostalgia trip but Warhammer is more of a guilty pleasure.

To be blunt the art style on the cover doesn't inspire confidence. It's just too bright and cheerful, sterile if you will. Going through the motions of 40k but lacking that 'heavy metal' insanity which defines the universe. Compared to classic 40k comics like Bloodquest or Damnation Crusade this effort on Marvel's part isn't measuring up.

Also, just quietly its disappointing Marvel went with the Ultramarines instead of creating their own OC chapter. That's the beauty of 40k, you can create your own Space Marine chapter and give them their own little patch of the galaxy to tell stories in. One of the most popular chapters of the last decade was the Blood Ravens. They were created by Relic Entertainment for a video game and became one of the most unique and iconic chapters in all of 40k.

[QUOTE=Kintor;5026013]To be blunt the art style on the cover doesn't inspire confidence. It's just too bright and cheerful, sterile if you will. Going through the motions of 40k but lacking that 'heavy metal' insanity which defines the universe. Compared to classic 40k comics like Bloodquest or Damnation Crusade this effort on Marvel's part isn't measuring up.[/quote]The cover does not instill any excitement in me either, not so much for the style (a lot of the 'heavy metal' kind of stuff I read years ago was similar) but the layout is bad. The logos don't work. The focus is off. That poor lieutenant is more awkward looking than grim. I am not a fan of the painted art style, I like this style, but yeah I don't know if it is conveying what they are trying to sell.
[quote]Also, just quietly its disappointing Marvel went with the Ultramarines instead of creating their own OC chapter. That's the beauty of 40k, you can create your own Space Marine chapter and give them their own little patch of the galaxy to tell stories in. One of the most popular chapters of the last decade was the Blood Ravens. They were created by Relic Entertainment for a video game and became one of the most unique and iconic chapters in all of 40k.[/QUOTE]This feels more like a marketing thing, or maybe testing the waters. It would be nice to see something in the comics that was able to carve out its own part of the Warhammer 40K story though, for sure.

I'm not into Warhammer, but I hope this is good for fans of the property :).

[QUOTE=Kintor;5026013]To be blunt the art style on the cover doesn't inspire confidence. It's just too bright and cheerful, sterile if you will. Going through the motions of 40k but lacking that 'heavy metal' insanity which defines the universe. Compared to classic 40k comics like Bloodquest or Damnation Crusade this effort on Marvel's part isn't measuring up.

Also, just quietly its disappointing Marvel went with the Ultramarines instead of creating their own OC chapter. That's the beauty of 40k, you can create your own Space Marine chapter and give them their own little patch of the galaxy to tell stories in. One of the most popular chapters of the last decade was the Blood Ravens. They were created by Relic Entertainment for a video game and became one of the most unique and iconic chapters in all of 40k.[/QUOTE]

The art is a bit too bright for my tastes as well, but Jacen Burrows did the art for the Crossed comic as well, and that's one of my most demented comic series' ever written, so I have some hope that it won't be too watered down. A 40k comic in the visual style of Realm of Kings could be awesome, especially since the Cancerverse is basically the warp in all but name.

I am disappointed that the Ultramarines are being used yet again, and I'm even more disappointed that this is going to be an origin story. Since this is Marvel's first foray into this universe, I understand that they are probably trying to play things safe and allow for any newbies to be able to ease into 40k. If this series succeeds, maybe would get more unique factions and characters. The Crimson Slaughter, for example, have a great aesthetic that I think could translate well to comics.

I like Gillen. I once liked 40K.

But, this looks like everything I have not liked about 40K for about 15 years.

The art problems described above reflect the problems with writing that have become more apparent in GW. They are pitching to mainline tastes, at cost in everything that made 40K unique. There was a time when main characters like Primarchs and Chapter Masters were only mentioned rarely, and shown even less. Now, it is nearly impossible to avoid them.

I want to like this more than I am likely to.

Haha, of course it would be Ultramarines. Not the most inspired choice but probably playing it safe in their first foray into the 40K lore.

Still, solid creative team so I’ll definitely check it out.