Whenever you see pictorial renditions of Nero he always seemed to be aggressively dimwitted. As emperors go he was the runt of the litter. And his only historical legacy that is remembered is that Nero played his fiddle as Rome burned to the ground. For a society known for its government and financial infrastructure, that isn’t the best light to be known. Still he was emperor of Ancient Rome, which meant he was powerful. Under this regime writer Peter Milligan uses this period in history as a backdrop for his latest comic ‘Britannia.’ It’s mixed with the myths, realities and politics of the time. With a centurion at the center is called on to handle a problem for the chief vestal Rubria, his life becomes deliciously complicated.
For the reader Milligan centers his narrative on Antonius Axia, a trusted Roman warrior who is thrust into the position of secret-keeper and detective. For Rubria this enormous favor Axia does for her reveals just how much power the vestal virgins had back in the day. They were literally keepers of the flame. If that flame went out, Rome would no longer be the glorious center of the world. Their gods would abandon them and they wouldn’t have the reputation of being the greatest force in ancient times. They also kept watch over sacred objects, artifacts that only deepened the mystery of why Rome is still looked at today as the perfect society. But every society is seemingly built on the bodies of many. That bloodshed comes along with sex, violence and the manipulation of both for personal gain. Think of the series ‘Rome’ on an intimate scale. However, instead of focusing on sexy, famous figures in history like Caesar and Cleopatra, Milligan chooses to start his story at the beginning of Nero’s tenure. Perhaps the ruination, where the veneer has begun to severely rub off is where the real drama is. And the bloom is definitely off the rose at this point. But where is Milligan taking us? More importantly, why is Axia in Britannia?
That’s where the real drama begins. A place steeped in mystery in its own right, long before it was Great Britain, Britannia was ruled by their own set of gods and superstitions. Druids, the Ogham language, sacrifices made to monsters who dwell in the forest, Axia has his work cut out for him. As a detective how do you make sense out of a world so different than the one you know? How do you battle monsters when you still have so many of your own? For Axia there is no time to dwell, he must act. The thing is that he doesn’t seem prepared. Maybe someone wants him to fail before he’s even begun to investigate.
Stories that have historical elements have a danger of being as dry as a college lecture. But that’s not what this comic is. What Milligan does here will have you laughing out loud while simultaneously being filled with terror. There are also moments of humanity sprinkled in-between. Ironically at the end of this first issue there’s a small history of what the vestal virgins meant to Rome and its founding. As women they seemed gender-fluid, having the ability to have the rights of men while controlling their sexuality in remaining virgins during their reign. Being an advisor to emperors is a tricky way at navigating life. But for several hundred years they managed the most tyrannical of men and survived. Milligan has chosen a period of time that still fascinates people and by centering on the power plays of a sect of women, he writes a memorable story that has you clamoring for the next issue.
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