Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1993-07-01 00:02:10 |
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Warheads: Black Dawn #1-2
Issue(s): Warheads: Black Dawn #1, Warheads: Black Dawn #2
Cover Date: Jul-Aug 93
Title: "Innocent blood!" / "Blood sinful!"
Credits:
Craig Huston - Writer
Charles Adlard - Penciler
James Hodgkins / David Hine - Inker
Michael Bennent - Editor
Review/plot:
Simultaneous to the last two issues of the regular Warheads series, Marvel UK published this two-issue miniseries. The story is written by Craig Huston, who wrote the last issue of Warheads and drew the two issues prior to that. Charles Adlard had previously been a penciler on the Warheads series as well (albeit for only one issue, but considering the musical chairs on most Marvel UK books, that doesn't mean anything). And it continues the status quo from the regular series, wherein the Warheads have broken away from Mys-Tech, but continue to portal-jump thanks to the Warhead Misha having inherited that ability (previously Mys-Tech opened wormholes for the Warheads). The plot of these issues isn't a direct continuation of anything from the regular series (e.g. it's not about them being on the run from Mys-Tech), but there's nothing about these issues from a story or creative team perspective that explains why it would be a separate series. It just seems to be part of the general trend of Marvel UK canceling all their regular series and running minis instead, although most of the minis, if they use existing characters, tend to involve unique team-ups and the like, whereas this is just a straight continuation of the main series.
I guess any opportunity to print a new #1 with foil lettering on the cover was considered a worthy one.
These would be perfectly fine if generic issues of the regular series, and in fact it reads just like the regular issues. It doesn't make any special effort to introduce the members of the team, for example.
In this story the Warheads jump to a vampire dimension.
These vampires are the feral type (similar in my mind to those in I Am Legend or the Van Helsing TV show). In that sense, they're closer to zombies, which makes the bad guys kind of similar to the ones from the final issue of their regular series.
A new Warhead named De Costa has been with the group since the second to last issue of their regular series. He's quickly killed off by a vampire at the beginning of issue #1 here (although his name is spelled De Tosca here). The rest of the Warheads get overwhelmed...
...but are rescued by a local named Shrike.
Shrike is immune to vampire bites (i'll note: like early Blade). Shrike asks if he can leave with the Warheads when their portal reopens in a few hours.
It turns out the feral vamps are just the "lower class" of the vampire hierarchy.
Excited to hear that there is flesh blood in the area, the head vampire orders another attack on the Warheads. During the attack, Leona McBride is grabbed, and Col. Liger recognizes one of the vampires.
The vampires' plan was to keep Leona alive long enough to drain her slowly and sustain them for a while, but the leader winds up not being able to resist and bites her fairly soon after capturing her. However, the Warheads aren't aware of that, and they risk missing the opening of their portal home to rescue Leona. In the attempt, Liger meets the guy he knew, whose turns out to be his brother, named Lynx.
Liger is unable to kill him personally, but the Warheads later blow up the entire building the vampires were housed in, and it's assumed that Lynx is dead. The vampire leader survives, though, and Leona turns.
Shrike shows up to help, and kills the lead vampire. The Warheads intend to take Leona home, but Shrike pulls her away at the last minute, saying that he doesn't want their world to be infected. It also turns out that Shrike is sort of a vampire too.
I suppose the possibility of Shrike, Leona, and even Lynx appearing again was a consideration if this did well. It's said that there are more Warheads miniseries in the works, but they won't manifest. Two of the Warheads - Liger and Stacy Arnheim (the one in the mecha suit) - will appear in the all star Marvel UK book Dark Guard, though.
Quality Rating: C
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place after the Warheads defect from Mys-Tech at the end of their regular series.
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
In that sense, they're closer to zombies, which makes the bad guys kind of similar to the ones from the final issue of their regular series.
Sounds like this miniseries was a preview of things to come for future Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard :)
We're the Marvel UK stories still appearing in the U.K. itself in an anthology title? That might explain why this story isn't much different from the regular series: thy would have run in the same mag at home, and the splitting them into two titles for the US was just a cash grab. Might as well: as poor;y as minis might sell, they couldn't sell much worse than the ongoing MUK titles. But then, maybe they did.
I found the best Marvel UK titles to be worse than the worst Marvel US comic. They had no bearing on the MU at all. I used to buy every marvel comic, but it would take me a while to read these ones. I also used to read letters by Ben Herman all the time :)
@Walter, the Overkill anthology was still being published. It ended in Aug 94. It's hard to get good information on exactly what was getting reprinted (UHBMCC has no info, GCD has covers only and is actually missing a lot). But yeah, could be that these were just published as more Warheads stories in the anthology.
