Issue(s): Warlock and the Infinity Watch #24
Cover Date: Jan 94
Title: "Trial"
Credits:
Jim Starlin - Writer
Tom Grindberg - Penciler
Harry Candelario - Inker
Lynaire Brust - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
When i was reading last chapter, i made a note for myself on the irony of Pip the Troll fighting a bunch of trolls. They are obviously different species, but i thought it was worth a comment. But i had forgotten that this issue actually focuses on that.

All of the Watch (plus Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange) are prisoners of the trolls, scheduled to be sacrificed to a slithering god thing that they keep at the bottom of a pit. But it's pointed out that Pip is a troll, and so he's entitled to trial by combat.

Pip is even allowed to choose a surrogate. The surrogate has to be male, and super-powers are not allowed (Moondragon is held at knife-point to enforce that). So Pip chooses Warlock. The irony is that this is just for Pip's life; even if Warlock wins, he still has to be sacrificed. And his opponent is Ulik's bigger, meaner older brother, Olik.

Warlock manages to dodge Olik and confuse him with taunts.

And it turns out this is all a distraction. While watching the fight keeps all of the trolls occupied, Pip is able to teleport all of his allies to safety. They all escape and head towards Odin, to warn him about Thor.

Tom Grindberg's stylized art is looking pretty subdued in this issue, which i consider a good thing. And the story is fun. I think the implication that all "trolls" throughout the Marvel universe are somehow related is interesting. And the scenario here is cute. It's still pretty sparse plotwise, and there are no subplots, but it's closer to a "regular" issue of Infinity Watch in terms of the humor and in being an opportunity for Warlock to use his wits. Of course it just gets us out of this little detour and doesn't really further the Blood and Thunder plot, but this was a nice break.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part eight of Blood and Thunder. Part nine is in Thor #470.

References: N/A

Crossover: Blood and Thunder

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I was thinking the same thing about trolls you were as I read the review of Warlock Chronicles 7, so I took another look at Pip's first appearance in Strange Tales 179. There Warlock indicates he's been told unfavorable things about trolls, which I think works well with this issue's idea of a troll commonality. As someone from Earth who'd met Thor and Sif, Warlock's more likely to have heard about Asgardian trolls than those of Pip's planet.

Years later, Starlin would write a few captions in his Thanos solo ongoing that retconned the Titanians as being derived from Asgardisns rather than Eternals. I don't think this retcon really took hold, but it's perhaps a parallel to the idea that Asgardian trolls might have space-brethren as well.