Grendel: God and the Devil [Paperback]

Matt Wagner (Author), Tim Sale (Author), John K Snyder III (Author), Various Artists (Author)

Book Description

Series: Grendel | Publication Date: August 12, 2008

In the centuries since the mask of Grendel was last seen, humanity's survived a third World War, the fall of Western Civilization, and the rise of an all-powerful church state. But when the depraved Pope Innocent XLII begins construction of a new church tower hiding a powerful and deadly secret, two men will rise against the church's corruption. One is Orion Assante, a man determined to expose the Pope for who he really is. The other is a mysterious figure wearing the all-too-familiar face of Grendel! Grendel: God and the Devil masterfully interweaves sanity with madness, churches with corporations, and good with evil in one of the most stunning and prophetic stories of modern comics. One of Wagner's riskiest and most compelling works, this massive volume will thrill every Grendel fan, and dazzle anyone searching for a great story told in a whole new way.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wagner's multifarious Grendel character takes a leap several centuries into the future with his 10-part God and the Devil series, originally serialized in 1989 and remastered in 2003, collected in a dense graphic novel that will serve as a hearty meal for serious fans but may baffle newcomers. It's the year 2530 and most of the world's surface is ravaged wasteland. A newly reconstituted Vatican lords over the livable areas of the American West, its corrupt hierarchy greedily raking in donations for the construction of a Babel-like tower, while instituting a savage new Inquisition to keep the faithful in line. Two things stand in the way of iron-fisted Pope Innocent XLII: straight-laced investigator Orion Assante and the masked nihilist trickster Grendel himself. Wagner's take on the church as evil empire comes straight out of the Middle Ages and works quite well for a pseudo-postapocalyptic America. But while the money-grubbing clergy (and their mercenary guards) are quite adequate villains, Assante is a blank protagonist. The story lines are densely tangled, and Wagner's penchant for overwrought narration and random moments of ultraviolence throws more layers on top of it all. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (August 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593079672
• ISBN-13: 978-1593079673
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #675,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God and the Devil, September 3, 2008

By 

Ralph Jenkins (Manassas, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grendel: God and the Devil (Paperback)

This long-awaited trade paperback (it collects Grendel #23-33, or Grendel: God and the Devil #0-10) is a sequel of sorts to the Grendel: Devil's Legacy storyline (the Christine Spar Grendel). However, the story here is much more epic. This story takes place in the wake of a third World War, the fall of Western civilization, and the rise of a powerful church state. It actually features two Grendels - Eppy Thatcher, a mentally unstable drug addict, and Orion Assante, a wealthy aristocrat. Eppy and Orion each attack the corrupt church and its sinister, calculating pope, but their methods are vastly different. A wild card presents itself in Pellon Cross, a rogue C.O.P. who serves only his own interests. Featuring great artwork by John K. Snyder III, Jay Geldhof, and Tim Sale (chapter 0) and new digital coloring by Jeromy Cox (Mage: The Hero Defined), this may be the best story arc in Matt Wagner's centuries-spanning Grendel saga. Highly recommended. I only wish there had been a hardcover edition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Missing the covers..., October 6, 2008

By 

B. Powell "bman08" (Barre, VT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Grendel: God and the Devil (Paperback)

This is far and away my favorite Grendel arc. The art and story are superior. Everything Matt Wagner was reaching for in the series comes to a head here. The only thing I was sad to see missing from this reprint were the original comico covers.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best of the comic genre to come out of the 80s, April 11, 2010

By 

BlueBird123 "BlueBird123" (San Diego, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grendel: God and the Devil (Paperback)

Matt Wagner is one of the better comic book writers out there. Like Alan Moore or Bill Willingham, he understands how this genre works and writes stories that are fun, violent and decently plotted. I include this series story arc on my favorite reading list which includes The Watchmen, Black Kiss, The Dark Knight returns and Miracleman. The story works much better if you understand the grendel history, so I recommend you read previous collections first. Do you like reading stories that include vampires, demonic possession and a theocratic dictatorships? If so, you will enjoy this story