Valiant Entertainment 2016
Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Juan Jose Ryp
Coloured by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Dave Sharpe
Emperor Nero, hearing of Atonius’ abilities, sends him to Britannia to solve a dark mystery: someone--or something--is killing Roman Soldiers. Many of the Legionaires believe a demon hunts them. As Axia traces the clues to a forest, he is ambushed.
This has been a very well thought out and executed story. Axis’ own journey to this far away land ties into his past in ways he and we never thought it would. I like that this kind of strips away the romanticism of history and gives it this dark depth that explores more common ideology of the time. Plus there’s something exciting about seeing the birth of the detectioner in history that’s thrilling even if the circumstances are shrouded in more occult ways.
In some ways I miss the fact that the world is able to believe in rituals and magic, fighting demons that come to prey upon our minds. Whether they are true or not is up to those who have the experience but still the nature of what we see here with his encounter in the woods with both the mad Legionnaire as well as with the angry spirit and the work it took to save him from it. The Wyrd Woman to me seems very much like a Druid type character who uses the Earth and it’s forms to come to his aid. It’s this blending of what we know and what could have been that make this so much fun to explore. Peter is taking the reality and the mythology behind them and creating something exciting and spectacular to witness.
Juan’s interiors here continue to amaze me. His attention to detail is stunning and the scope of what he puts on the page is truly inspirational. The use of page layouts through angles, perspective and the use of backgrounds immerse the reader in what’s happening beautifully. The characters themselves take on a life of their own and through their facial expressions and body language we get more characterisation than through the words alone.
I like that we see so much layering in the story here as well. From Axis’ past with the birth of his son, to the Wyrd Woman and what she’s going through to the Legionnaires and their feelings of Rome, Nero and being so far from home all coming into play with. It’s not unlike a perfect storm of circumstances that meet up and create something much more powerful and deadly than that which you would normally see. The effects of the environment, superstition and the battle fatigue that preys upon the mind creates scenarios that you don’t see as much today.
As Axis continues to do what he’s been tasked to do will he find the answers he seeks or will he succumb to forces that are beyond his control? Who knows but he’s out of his depth here with those whose power is unlike any he’s ever witnessed. With all his training from his days as a warrior and with the Vestal Virgins be enough to see him through this? We’ll find out next issue.
Valiant has introduced someone that is beyond a doubt one of the most intriguing new character creations. Here’s to hoping that this will be the first in a series of stories to feature him and his adventures.