It’s could be a little strange to see a historical comic book in this modern world of superheroes and supernatural stories . The more fantasy injected into stories, the better they are received, but Britannia #1 comes to change all this, with a story where fantasy is not the principal element.
Britannia #1 hits all the right points that a great comic should.
The script here seems to be the result of good investigative work. There has been a lot of reading and researching done into ancient Rome and its culture. It’s all very well reflected and designed for adult audiences that will no doubt love it for what it is; an entertaining story with strong historical roots and fantasy decorations.
Very light, interesting and well paced, Britannia #1 has what it needs to catch the readers eye on every page and keep them keep reading. Whether it’s a full scene, a single image, some bit of dialogue or a surprising plot twist, Britannia #1 hits all the right points that a great comic should.
All that said the story has lots of blood and fights throughout, but it’s not overly gory and fits well into the world that is being presented. Britannia #1 has the right amount of action and story and is a good reflection of the nature of that society.
I do not consider myself as a history geek, but I did enjoy the last pages filled with information about the real Vestal Virgins, their role in Rome, their position and much more. I would like to see more of this in the coming issues, considering not many comics have this interesting extra content.
The first three pages of the comic were a marvel to see and something I’d like to add to my pseudo collection of comic posters (Does Valiant make posters and do they ship to Venezuela?). These early pages were the main thing that hooked me right away with Britannia #1. The art here is great and I wouldn’t have had any problem if the whole comic was drawn in that style, or if we had a cover, even if it was alternative in that style.
The style employed does change after the first few pages, and although very different from the first and more common in terms of comic books, it’s clean with bright coloring and fluid inking on every panel. It’s good, but the change is a bit strange even though it all still looks lovely.
The coloring is definitely my favorite part of the entire first issue. It adds so much charm and enchantment to the scenes that even the death scenes look beautiful in Britannia #1. I don’t feel disturbed seeing how these people brutally kill each other, and you may remember the issues I had reviewing Survivors’ Club which way seems much more graphic because of style choices.
Britannia #1 really is the perfect choice for history geeks! If you are a fan of history, magic, mythology and stunning colors, then Britannia is the right choice for you. The best news of all is that there are three more issues coming, even if we do have to wait an entire month for the next one. Hopefully Valiant will expand this series as it’s off to a great start.
5/5
“Superb”
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