The long-running saga of Grendel continues this July. Creator Matt Wagner returns with Grendel: Devil's Crucible - Defiance, an all-new four-issue limited series that sees Grendel Prime return to Earth, only to find that humanity and the ruling "Necro Lords" have turned against the Grendels, forcing Prime to go undercover. The series is colored by Brennan Wagner, and lettered by Steve Dutro and Rob Leigh.
"Devil's Odyssey was a dramatic break in the futuristic setting of Grendel. And Devil's Crucible goes one step further by turning the precepts and setting of that world on its collective ear," said Wagner in a statement. "Gone are the dominant Grendel clans and their military elitism, and yet that fascistic power structure has been replaced…by something far worse! I've got some major surprises on deck for this storyline and a word of warning for longtime readers; be careful what you wish for!"
Check out Matt Wagner and Brennan Wagner's main cover and a Brennan Wagner solo variant below.
Devil's Crucible - Defiance is the first chapter in a planned new Grendel trilogy from Wagner and Dark Horse, first announced back in 2021. The sequels, provisionally titled Devil's Crucible - Sedition and Devil's Crucible - Necrotic, have yet to receive any firm details or release dates.
Grendel appears to be enjoying a real resurgence right now, with Wagner recently returning to the original story of the masked assassin in a "Master's Edition" hardcover, which expanded the first Grendel tale, 'Devil by the Deed' into a full graphic novel with 120 pages of new art.
Grendel: Devil’s Crucible - Defiance #1 is published by Dark Horse Comics on July 3.
Grendel has crossed paths with Batman several times, despite the characters being published by different companies. But that's not even scratching the surface of this list of the most unlikely comic crossovers ever.
