Plot
Grendel is one of comics' most provocative characters. From the beginning, Matt Wagner's stories have won critical and popular acclaim. This long-awaited continuation of the storyline picks up several years after the events of Grendel #40. Following the death of Orion Assante, the world has fallen into chaos under the rule of Laurel Assante, the Grendel-Khan's last wife.Ten-year-old Jupiter Niklos Assante, heir to the throne of the Grendel-Khan, is kidnapped from the retreat in which his rapacious stepmother has hidden him, away from his rightful power. The child is worth a hefty ransom, but there seems to be more than money on the mind of his kidnapper -- who is none other than Grendel!
Created as a fail-safe device, the cyborg Grendel-Prime kidnaps Jupiter, the rightful heir to the empire, in order to protect him from political intrigue and power lust. This goal puts them on a road through the world's harshest environments. From the radioactive cesspool of New York City to piracy on the high seas and all the way to the frozen Siberian wasteland, Grendel-Prime and his young companion fight for their lives and Jupiter's spot on the throne.