'Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar' Review: It felt more like an advertisement

I wrote my first impressions post on the comic of Marneus Calgar a while ago at this point, and tonight I finally sat down and finished the fifth and final volume within the short run. It was definitely a bit different to the others I had read. This one had a significantly different art style to it that I wasn't sure how I felt about. It seemed incredibly cartoonish in a way, and I don't know whether that ended up suiting the comic or feeling more like it ruined some of the more hard-hitting aspects of learning about an Ultramarine which should otherwise be strong and deeply threatening. Even down to the world it detailed, it felt as if something was missing from it, being more of a story that didn't take much time in the present and lived more in the past. And it's here that it felt a bit more like an advertisement for something bigger rather than being its own comic run with a story to tell. The others didn't quite feel this way, they felt like a story that came and went, with an idea that felt grounded. As if we were watching a mission in their lives unfolding and the difficulties that enter their day-to-day lives. All the violence and death that comes with living in an era that only knows war. To some degree this comic felt similar, just for the wrong reasons.

This story focused on the character of Marneus Calgar, or more so the stolen identity of Marneus Calgar. With constant flashbacks to his childhood, we see the horrors of his youth as he was training to hopefully one day become a Space Marine. It detailed the difficulties that the children would face from a young age, all the testing that they would go through that would inevitably lead to the deaths of many applicants. From the age of 12 they're already being taught to survive on their own, as well as with each other. Tasked with killing and attempting to survive the harshest conditions. It's a rigorous training that leads to many dying in the process. The real Marneus Calgar killed by a heretic to which his friend chose to take his name in vengeance, removing his own identity in the process. The comic details the many tasks he faced as well as attempts at his life from those who switched side, rejecting the Emperor. I think I would've preferred if the comic had focused entirely on the past, instead of having these somewhat cliche moments of the present that had the new Marneus reflecting on the past and now filled with hate. There still were many aspects of the comic that I did enjoy, however.

As the story progresses it reaches the point of new-Marneus entering the Space Marine era after the endless tests and surviving the harshest of conditions where others had perished. I really liked the moments in which the story detailed the changes that were made to his body from the age of 12 to 18, the constant upgrades with the surgical procedures that added new organs to his body to help him take on additional hardships. From the ability to taste a victim's blood to gain new information, or automatic cleansing of the body from various toxins. It detailed each and every upgrade in single panels, showing this aspect of body horror to it as it also presented these upgrades as something highly admirable. The real process of becoming a Space Marine being the perks that come with an upgraded body. And it continued on, showcasing the implementations that turned him from a child capable of adapting to harsh environments and problems, to a freakish warrior that should downright be feared. This was definitely my favourite part of the comic, and it's met with little snippets of lore that are walled in between other panels, telling us of planets or specific acts that take place for Space Marines as well as the children aspiring to become them.

It was the rest that began this dive into more advertisement than story, where it felt like it had to sprinkle in some more random action in the present to show his capabilities as an adult, though it didn't have much weight to it outside of specific panels, and that art style felt all too tame to really show that true brutality of things. Perhaps an intentional decision as to avoid having to increase the age ratings? I guess that's how it felt a bit more, some action scenes showing intense gore, but nothing all that graphic where it showcases anything beyond a bit of blood. An artistic choice that removed some detail but still showed the graphic nature of war and strength in the year of 40,000. I do think I would've preferred a different art style, and it's not really due to the lack of detail in the violence, it just didn't seem that appealing, or really capable of showcasing the true scale of things, especially when we're being told the story of an Ultramarine.

I don't think this was something that should be considered a must-read for Warhammer fans. Perhaps if you're interested in a bit of the lore and want to get a closer glimpse at certain characters. But I do think it could be skipped. This is ultimately where it felt more like an ad than something that really explored. Had it just focused on his childhood, I do think it would've been a better story, however.