Creative Team Announced for Marvel’s First Warhammer 40,000 Comic Series

When we previously covered the announcement that Marvel Comics and Games Workshop were planning on partnering for a new line of Warhammer comics, speculation was rife about what creative teams this partnership would bring together. Well now we know, as Marvel have just confirmed that writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jacen Burrows will be teaming up for Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar this October!

Here’s the official blurb:

A legendary Space Marine Chapter Master of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Marneus Calgar leads his elite Ultramarines against humanity’s greatest threats and has had his dark past shrouded in mystery…until now. This October, writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jacen Burrows will unite to tell Marneus Calgar’s never-before-told origin story – from his beginnings on the world of Nova Thulium, his campaigns in the Black Crusades, and to the unfolding mystery of the Black Altar as a deadly threat from his past reemerges to threaten the present of the Ultramar system.

Pretty cool, right?

Gillen, whose love of tabletop gaming – Warhammer 40K in particular – is well documented, spoke about his clear affection for the series, saying “I am venerable enough to have bought Rogue Trader in 1987. Since then, I like to think every hastily dry-brushed Necron, every badly edge-highlighted Marine, every ignored Harlequin (as painting Motley petrified me) has prepared me for writing the first Warhammer comics for Marvel.”

He continued, adding “If I said, ‘Getting to explore the roots of Marneus Calgar and setting the stage for Marvel’s Warhammer comics is a dream come true,’ I would be betraying everything this grim future should be since ‘dream’ implies the possibility of hope. But getting to do this is the sort of thing Slaanesh would wave in my direction if she wanted me coming over to the tentacle-y side.”

“Or to translate for those less indoctrinated in 40K,” he concludes, “I’m excited.”

Speaking about the announcement and the partnership as a whole, Jon Gillard, Games Workshop’s Global Head of Licensing adds: “When we first started working with Marvel on comics, we knew it was going to lead to something exceptional, and it really has. We were both keen to focus on one of the most central Warhammer characters there is and tell their origin story, something that Marvel does oh so brilliantly.”

“Kieron’s depth of Warhammer knowledge mixed with his extraordinary comic writing skill has delivered a unique series that further expands upon the already massive 40K lore. As huge comic fans ourselves we couldn’t be more excited about this first expression of our partnership with Marvel.”

Designed to appeal to newcomers and 40K aficionados alike, Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar #1 goes on sale this October.

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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