Britannia

by Peter Milligan, Juan Jose Ryp (Artist)

Overview

On the fringes of civilization, the world’s first detective is about to make an unholy discovery…

Ruled by the Fates. Manipulated by the Gods. Commanded by Caesar. In the year 65 A.D., one’s destiny was not his own. At the height of Nero’s reign, a veteran of Rome’s imperial war machine has been dispatched to the farthest reaches of the colonies to investigate unnatural happenings… In the remote outpost of Britannia, Antonius Axia – the First Detective – will become Rome’s only hope to reassert control over the empire’s most barbaric frontier…and keep the monsters that bridge the line between myth and mystery at bay…

From comics mastermind Peter Milligan (X-Statix, Shade the Changing Man) and incendiary artist Juan Jose Ryp (NINJAK, Clone) comes a psychological journey into terror, temptation, and bloodshed in Valiant's latest magnum opus.

Collecting BRITANNIA #1–4.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682151853
Publisher:	Valiant Entertainment, Llc
Publication date:	03/07/2017
Series:	Britannia Tp
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	864,166
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	13 - 16 Years

Editorial Reviews

04/10/2017
Something rotten is happening in Britannia, and ancient Rome’s best (and perhaps only) detective, Antonius Axia, is dispatched to figure it all out. Axia is already plagued by nightmares, and the journey through the cold outskirts of Rome’s territory sends Axia into the arms of both literal and figurative demons. Despite the imaginative concept, a supernatural detective story set against the turmoil of Emperor Nero’s erratic rule, the execution is surprisingly dull. Axia remains something of a cypher, and Nero, for all his frothing and teeth-gnashing and murdering, feels like little more than a screeching villain copied from a Saturday morning cartoon. Milligan’s past writing on titles such as Hellblazer and X-Force was witty, satirical, and dark, but this is more of a procedural with togas. However, Ryp’s (Batman and Robin) art is both visceral and eerie, excelling at capturing the mood of the grim, muddy era. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2017
"I like to catch people naked," confides the detective. "They often reveal a little more than they mean to." But this isn't Mickey Spillane country—it's ancient Rome. By favor of the Vestal Virgins, war veteran Antonius Axia receives supernatural gifts of deductive insight to become Nero's "detectioner." Sent to the empire's shaky outposts on the island of Britannia to investigate troop deaths, he confronts druid sorcery, corrupt local leadership, and a demon recalling H.P. Lovecraft's shoggoth. If Milligan's (Hellblazer; 5 Ronin) dialog sounds modern, his multilayered plot adeptly introduces the classical-era characters, interweaves their shifting agendas, establishes sex as a source of magic, and wraps up this "case" by volume's end. Ryp's (Clone) detailed art creates a slightly romanticized realism with strapping men and pretty girls—in togas, naturally. The dank fog of druid strongholds comes off especially well thanks to colorist Jordie Bellaire. However, brief notes would have helped with historical context. VERDICT Bearing distant kinship to Sherlock Holmes, the compelling Antonius and his exploits will entertain mystery and horror aficionados looking for novelty. Readers of Ruth Downie and Lindsey Davis's "Roman Empire" crime novels might also enjoy.—MC

Library Journal