For twenty-five years, the true origin of Matt Wagner's Eisner Award-winning anti-hero, Grendel, has remained largely unseen, available exclusively to collectors able to pay high prices for extremely rare, out-of-print issues. Now, for the first time anywhere, Dark Horse collects the original appearance of Grendel! A successful novelist by day, Hunter Rose becomes the unstoppable assassin Grendel by night, the leader of a vast criminal empire opposed by the mysterious wolf Argent. Containing the black-and-white interiors and full-color covers of Primer #2 and Grendel #1-3 originally published by Comico, this handsome hardcover volume is an essential piece of comics history, presenting the earliest work of Matt Wagner, the legendary creator behind such acclaimed projects as Mage, Sandman Mystery Theatre, and Batman: The Monster Men among many others. With new cover art by Wagner, the Grendel Archive Edition is a must-have for Grendel fans and the ultimate starting point for those interested in one of the most influential creator-owned comics of the last quarter century! Reprints the very first black-and-white appearance of Grendel in celebration of the character's 25th anniversary.