Warhammer 40k made its name through the hellish depths it explores the grimdark galaxy it’s set in. Of all these factions, the Imperium are undoubtedly the main characters, if the sheer number of Space Marine models haven’t clued you in. Even so, there are no “heroic” factions in this setting, and the Imperium’s hyperfascist grip on its citizens are proof of that. Even so, there are bright spots in this grimdark galaxy, and web comic artist Feyn drew such spots to life.
I stumbled upon Feyn’s works as I’m sure many others did: sorting r/ImaginaryWarhammer by “Top of All Time” and scrolling down. It was there I first encountered his comic series about Mara, an Imperial Guardswoman who defected to the Tau Empire. As far as Warhammer 40k factions go, there’s objectively no better quality of life outside the Imperium than being Gue’vesa for average humans.
The Astra Militarum are famously seen as some of the most expendable ground troops in the setting. The above comic is adorable, but it masterfully showcases how “alien” concepts of xenos kindness are to Imperium citizens. Another artwork features Mara being cared for by O’Shen, an elite of the Water Caste.
This is why the Tau Empire tempts humans so easily. Sure, you will always be a second-class citizen to the Tau. It’s also true you’re likely being manipulated towards the whims of the so-called Greater Good. But whereas the Imperium batters its citizens into submission, and Chaos tempts you with dark magic, the Tau make you want to join them with kind words and harsh truth.
Obviously, they’ll kill you the moment you turn against the Greater Good. Feyn does not shy away from the Tau’s darker side. Even so, kindness is a privilege so rarely afforded to lowly Guardsmen, so who can blame those who defect? In the Warhammer 40k games, Space Marine always stuck out to me for its sympathetic portrayal of Guardsmen. But the bitter reality is that Captain Titus’ kindness is an exception in the Imperium, not the rule.
The very first page of Feyn’s series portrays that perfectly.
Despite tasking these starving, stressed and barely armed soldiers with impossible tasks, the Imperium still sees it fit to kill more to “keep the rest in line.” As Ciaphas Cain once famously said:
“……I realized Commissars who threw their weight around tended to end up dying heroically for the Emperor, even if the enemy was a suspiciously long way away at the time.”
When her regiment suddenly encounters the Tau, she sees her Commisar fighting against a Fire Caste soldier. We see the Guardswoman wrestle with her long-held belief in the Emperor, and the harsh reality that this Commisar has killed countless friends. As she lays dying, she steels herself for one final decision.
That decision saves her life, as the Fire Caste soldier decides to bring her in as part of the Tau Empire. Feyn’s comics are a showcase of what I love most about Warhammer 40k fans. Artists who see this grimdark galaxy full of pain and misery, and say “Hey, what if we found happiness within all that?”
Instead of sanitizing the brutality, Feyn’s comics show how that brutality can be overcome. Every single character in his comics have scars, and yet they’re still capable of smiling. Nothing says the indomitable human spirit than that, and I hope you enjoy his works as much as I do.
You can read Feyn’s works for free on Patreon. If you love literally any of these comics, feel free to share that passion over at the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
