Warhammer 40,000 comics
Warhammer 40,000 comics are spin-offs and tie-ins based in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. Over the years these have been published by different sources. Originally appearing in Inferno! and Warhammer Monthly, the initial series of stories have been released as trade paperbacks by Black Library, who have also released original graphic novels and shorter prestige format comics.
In 2006, Games Workshop licensed Boom! Studios to publish comic books for the franchise, which they started releasing at the end of the year. In 2019, it was announced that Marvel had partnered with Games Workshop to publish Warhammer 40,000 comics.
History and background
As part of the game
The works produced by the Black Library detail the interactions of the Warhammer 40,000 armies: Chaos Space Marines, Daemonhunters, Dark Eldar, Eldar, Imperial Guard, Necrons, Orks, Space Marines, Tau, Tyranids, and the Witch Hunters. They are collaborated efforts between the authors of the Warhammer 40,000 game rules and the writers of the background.These works are intended to expand on the storylines, characters, armies, and organizations discussed in the Codexes. Combined with contributions to White Dwarf magazine of articles, stories, and rules, as well as miniature lines produced by both Games Workshop and Forge World, these works are an expansion of the original Warhammer 40,000 game and its other companion games.
As part of the fictional universe
Most of the graphic novels take place thousands of years after the fall of the Emperor of Mankind at the hands of Horus, his once-loyal son who turned to the worship of Chaos. Many millennia have passed since then, but the Imperium of Man is still at war both with the Chaos armies once led by Horus and with many other new enemies.These stories are written from the perspective of humans—primarily those of the Imperial Guard, the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the women warriors of the Sisters of Battle, the orders of the Inquisition, and the genetically-enhanced Space Marines. They focus on the Warhammer 40,000 game, with occasional forays into such spin-off games as Necromunda or Inquisitor and use of vehicles and equipment found only in Epic 40,000 or Battlefleet Gothic.
Publishers
Black Library
Bloodquest
Bloodquest: Eye of Terror Trilogy, by Gordon Rennie and Colin MacNeil, is a collection of three works titled Bloodquest, Bloodquest: Into the Eye of Terror, and Bloodquest: The Daemon's Mark. The trilogy involves the First Founding Space Marines chapter, the Blood Angels, as they struggle first against the Orks and then against the armies of Chaos.;Plot synopsis
Captain of the Blood Angels, Leonatos, was given a weapon called "Encarmine," the "Sword of Belarius," as a prize for his prowess as a warrior and for the accomplishments of his men on the battlefield. However, Garshul the Destroyer, an Ork, manages to capture the weapon, causing Leonatos to be dishonoured and then exiled. He wanders with his fellow soldiers as they try to regain their honour by hunting down the sword. This takes them into the Eye of Terror where they battle the forces of Chaos that control the planet so they can finally regain their treasured weapon and their honour so they could be welcomed back once again amongst their brethren.
;Critical review
Bloodquest was winner of the 2004 Eagle Award for Favourite British Comic while running as a strip for Warhammer Monthly.
;Film adaptation
In April 2000, Exile Studios started work on adapting Bloodquest into a CGI film. While initial progress appeared promising, Exile announced on the 10th of March 2003 that "BloodQuest should be considered to be on indefinite hold"; the project was to all intents and purposes cancelled.
Daemonifuge
Daemonifuge, originally published in Warhammer Monthly, is a series of Trade Paperbacks about the life of Ephrael Stern, a member of the Adepta Sororitas, and is collected as Daemonifuge: Heretic Saint. The main two books of the series are Daemonifuge, by Kev Walker and Jim Campbell, and Daemonifuge: The Lord of Damnation, by Kev Walker, Gordon Rennie, and Karl Richardson.In addition to the original series, a smaller series was released called Daemonifuge: The Screaming Cage. This series was published in Warhammer Monthly as three part story, and the collection reproduces the original series with additional pages added/edited into the original plot.
;Plot synopsis
Heretic Saint publishes the story in chronological order, rather than the order they were published in, in three "books" coming from the three separate volumes.
In Book I: The Screaming Cage, we first meet Ephrael Stern, a Seraphim ranked Sister for the Order of Our Martyred Lady. Mysteriously, she was the sole survivor out of 12,000 that was sent to the planet Parnis in order to battle a daemonic infestation. Inquisitor Silas Hand originally was sent to identify if she was tainted by Chaos and if that was the reason for her survival. While incarcerated, she is attacked by a fellow sister who is possessed by a daemonette of Slaanesh. She defeats them and passes all of the Inquisitor’s tests. Hand was forced to return with her to the planet Parnis in order to figure out her role in the destruction of her Sisters.
During the return, their vessel's navigator was revealed to be a Chaos cultist and destroyed their ship the "Hammer of Thor." Hand, Stern and a troop of her sisters were on a drop ship and escaped the destruction. Shortly after landing upon the planet, they find a lost convent and discover the Screaming Cage. A living sculpture made from the lost nuns. They explain what happened to Stern, how she died and was brought back and escaped. Unfortunately, the daemon Asteroth behind all this arrives and enters into battle with the sisters. He escapes through a warp gate and the others follow to stop Chaos breaking through but they tell Stern to escape.
In Book II: The Lord of Damnation, Stern is rescued by space marines, unaware they have also been infiltrated by Chaos. Luckily, Inquistor Septimus Grinn is working undercover and they escape the ensuing debacle aboard the Inquisition lightship "Golgotha". Returning to Gathalamor she is confronted by the Ordo Malleus who have already tried and convicted her in her absence. She defeats them and falls in with various heretic sects and while she escapes off planet she is captured by pirates and sold on to the Dark Eldar Archons of Commorragh. Eventually, she is rescued by Kyasnil, a pariah Eldar, who leads here into the webway in search of the Black Library. Unfortunately, they get captured by Chaos forces again.
In Book III: The Thrice Born, the Inquisition attack the Chaos ship but Stern kills herself rather than fall into either of their hands. She is buried on Jenicae, a world at war with Nurgle, but when the Inquisition check her tomb her body is gone. She is found out in the jungles fighting Chaos and healing troops. The Inquisition move to neutralise her but her powers have increased again, so they call in a Culexus assassin. Stern uses her newfound powers to escape into the webway, along with the pariah, and they travel once more towards the Black Library.
;Critical review
Daemonifuge was nominated for the 1999 Eagle Award for Favourite British Comic while running as a strip for Warhammer Monthly. It won the 2003 National Comic Award for Best Collected Series or Graphic Novel.
Daemonifuge: The Screaming Cage was reviewed by Frank Sronce for RPGnet in 2002. Sronce describes the work as "very nicely illustrated" and "with my very peripheral knowledge of Warhammer 40,000, I had no trouble following the plot".
Deathwatch
Deathwatch, by Jim Alexander, tells the story of the Ordo Xenos military division, Deathwatch, and their battle against an alien infestation.;Plot synopsis
A group of Deathwatch, commanded by Ultramarine Jerron, is sent to battle against the alien enemies of the Imperium of Man on the planet of Pavia. Unlike other invasions by aliens, this invasion had the ability to appear as humans and infiltrate the Pavian society.
Deff Skwadron
Deff Skwadron, written by Gordon Rennie, is one of the few comics written from the Ork perspective and so gives an insight into Flyboyz and Smartboyz.Black and white pictures. Elements of dark comedy.
Flames of Damnation
Published in 2005 and written by various authors, Flames of Damnation is a collection of smaller works that revolve around the actions of the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines against the forces of Chaos, Orks, Eldar, and many other aliens that seek to battle the Imperium of Man.It collects together two earlier volumes Eternal War and Eternal Damnation.
;Critical review
According to Black Library, Comics International reviewed the book and stated: "Gritty sci-fi… with lashings of action and a bit of something for everybody".
Inquisitor Ascendant
Inquisitor Ascendant, by Dan Abnett, about the Imperial Inquisition's struggle against the forces of Chaos was produced in two parts. His first collaboration was with Simon Coleby, and his second was with Jim Brady.;Plot synopsis
Inquisitor Ascendant follows the story Inquisitor Defay and his apprentice, Gravier on the planet of Nicodemus. They are sent to battle Chaos infestations and are aided by an Ecclesiarchy cardinal named Sarthos. Their investigation and cleansing of the Chaos infestation leads them through many battles and even close experience of the taint first hand. The second part follows a future Gravier, now an Interrogator, and his experience with his previous mentor.
Shortly before the cancellation of the Warhammer Comic, a short strip was published, again by Abnett and Coleby, detailing an Inquisitorial operative infiltrated an Adeptus Mechanicus base to free a servitor built from the body of Gravier. It was intended as a prelude for a third volume of the series which was never written.