Marvel Announces Warhammer 40,000 Comic by Kieron Gillen, Jacen Burrows

Kieron Gillen and Jacen Burrows will launch a new Warhammer 40,000 Marvel comics line this fall. Earlier today, Marvel Comics announced a new Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar series written by Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Star Wars, DIE) and illustrated by Burrows (Neonomicon, Crossed, Moon Knight). The series will act as an origin story for the leader of the Ultramarines, showing his beginnings on the world of Nova Thulium, his campaigns in the Black Crusades, and his dealing with the unfolding mystery of the Black Altar. The comic will also set the stage for an upcoming line of Marvel Warhammer comics.

Warhammer 40,000 is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, featuring highly detailed paintable miniatures who do battle on battlefields designed by the players. Technically a spinoff of the now defunct Warhammer game, players choose one of several factions to build an army from, each of which have different abilities and styles of play. As the game’s name suggests, Warhammer 40,000 is set in the distant future and features everything from undead androids, mysterious alien species, and equivalents to more traditional fantasy races like orcs and elves. Although many game stores and conventions feature active Warhammer 40,000 player bases, there is also a thriving scene based solely on building and painting Warhammer miniatures.

In a press release released by Marvel earlier today, Gillen spoke about his enthusiasm for Warhammer 40,000. “I am venerable enough to have bought Rogue Trader in 1987,” he said. “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. 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 said, “I’m excited.”

The first issue of Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar will be released in October.