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Pax Romana #1-4
Pax Romana
Collects issues 1-4 of PAX ROMANA plus bonus materials!
From the mind of comic book innovator Jonathan Hickman, comes the exhilarating time-traveling epic: PAX ROMANA. The creator of THE NIGHTLY NEWS brings his unique sensibility to science fiction and the result is a visually stunning look at a new history of the world. PAX ROMANA tells the tale of 5000 men sent on an impossible mission to change the past and save the future.
From the mind of comic book innovator Jonathan Hickman, comes the exhilarating time-traveling epic: PAX ROMANA. The creator of THE NIGHTLY NEWS brings his unique sensibility to science fiction and the result is a visually stunning look at a new history of the world. PAX ROMANA tells the tale of 5000 men sent on an impossible mission to change the past and save the future.
144 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2009
26 people are currently reading
933 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,224 books2,048 followersJonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for creating the Image Comics series The Nightly News, The Manhattan Projects and East of West, as well as working on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, FF, and S.H.I.E.L.D. titles. In 2012, Hickman ended his run on the Fantastic Four titles to write The Avengers and The New Avengers, as part the "Marvel NOW!" relaunch. In 2013, Hickman wrote a six-part miniseries, Infinity, plus Avengers tie-ins for Marvel Comics. In 2015, he wrote the crossover event Secret Wars. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
March 16, 2018
Reading a Jonathan Hickman book is like playing WhirlyBall – you have to gauge precisely just how drunk to be in order to get the most out of the experience. Drink too little and you risk being overwhelmed by what’s going on; drink too much and you just end up hurting yourself.
Drink just the right amount, though, and you’re treated to an experience that’s pretty singular, even if you have a hard time describing it afterward.
I’d put Pax Romana up at the top of the Hickman books I’ve read—it’s an intriguing high concept that’s executed well, though I could take or leave the art. A good place to start with Hickman, or to wash the taste of his Avengers run out of your mouth (Scotch also helps with that).
(On a related note: if you’ve never played WhirlyBall, I’m sorry your life has been so boring and pointless.)
Drink just the right amount, though, and you’re treated to an experience that’s pretty singular, even if you have a hard time describing it afterward.
I’d put Pax Romana up at the top of the Hickman books I’ve read—it’s an intriguing high concept that’s executed well, though I could take or leave the art. A good place to start with Hickman, or to wash the taste of his Avengers run out of your mouth (Scotch also helps with that).
(On a related note: if you’ve never played WhirlyBall, I’m sorry your life has been so boring and pointless.)
May 2, 2023
This was an appropriate purchase post-Popemania and for Holy Week. I planned to save it for the Holy Weekend by I couldn't resist it. I've read the first issue from Comixology's gallery of freebies and I was so curious on how the story progressed from there.
Like all of Jonathan Hickman's work I've read, Pax Romana is an ambitious endeavor. It is eesentially a retelling of the history of the world, as how history turned out when modern day Vatican-backed mercenaries traveled to the past at a critical point in history to ensure the rise of Constantine I and the Catholic Church.
Hickman researched a lot of history for this project. So much inspiration did he drew from it that he had to utilize a lot of text on order to tell his story. I don't know how he was able to packed so much story in four issues; with the material he presented here, especially in the back matter, he had potted enough for an ongoing series of at least 30 issues. It still ended satisfactorily but he could have had a modern epic in his hands here.
Like all of Jonathan Hickman's work I've read, Pax Romana is an ambitious endeavor. It is eesentially a retelling of the history of the world, as how history turned out when modern day Vatican-backed mercenaries traveled to the past at a critical point in history to ensure the rise of Constantine I and the Catholic Church.
Hickman researched a lot of history for this project. So much inspiration did he drew from it that he had to utilize a lot of text on order to tell his story. I don't know how he was able to packed so much story in four issues; with the material he presented here, especially in the back matter, he had potted enough for an ongoing series of at least 30 issues. It still ended satisfactorily but he could have had a modern epic in his hands here.
November 24, 2018
Great high concept, poor execution. The Catholic Church sends soldiers back in time to stop the Roman empire's fall. Honestly, this is almost a prose novel with some pictures. What art there is is so static and lifeless. This would have worked better had Hickman made this a fully fleshed out alt history novel along the likes of Phillip K. Dick's Man in the High Castle. As a comic, I was too often bored with it because it's just people standing around talking.
January 30, 2018
Johnathan Hickman can sure write a damn fine sci-fi story. I give him credit for the ability to craft a very interesting tale.
In Pax Romana, the Catholic Church decides to send back a team of soldiers/specialists to change the events of history. The idea is to send in the team during the time of Constantine and help to cement the power and influence of the Church into a monolithic religion. The ONLY religion.
The team that is recruited are all devout Roman Catholics. But once they are sent back into time-it turns out they may all have agendas of their own. What follows is an interesting look into how the past could be manipulated by a handful of people if they had the advantage of modern technology. While the concept has been done before by many authors, Hickman's story does a creditable job of keeping up the quality of such tales.
I enjoyed the different outcomes of the various "political systems" that were being tried out in order to build the perfect future society. A clever and intelligent story. The artwork is not much, but this is not really a comic book per se. It is more of a book with illustrations and the format is closer to that of a play than the traditional dialogue bubbles.
I am unsure if there is more to this story. I liked what I read but felt the end to be rather abrupt. If there are more volumes to this series than I am certainly willing to read it and that will also up the rating. If this is a stand alone book then the ending was too soon and abrupt, if it isn't then everything is fine and this will be a 4 star rating. For now, great story, but a 3 star rating for a somewhat abrupt ending.
In Pax Romana, the Catholic Church decides to send back a team of soldiers/specialists to change the events of history. The idea is to send in the team during the time of Constantine and help to cement the power and influence of the Church into a monolithic religion. The ONLY religion.
The team that is recruited are all devout Roman Catholics. But once they are sent back into time-it turns out they may all have agendas of their own. What follows is an interesting look into how the past could be manipulated by a handful of people if they had the advantage of modern technology. While the concept has been done before by many authors, Hickman's story does a creditable job of keeping up the quality of such tales.
I enjoyed the different outcomes of the various "political systems" that were being tried out in order to build the perfect future society. A clever and intelligent story. The artwork is not much, but this is not really a comic book per se. It is more of a book with illustrations and the format is closer to that of a play than the traditional dialogue bubbles.
I am unsure if there is more to this story. I liked what I read but felt the end to be rather abrupt. If there are more volumes to this series than I am certainly willing to read it and that will also up the rating. If this is a stand alone book then the ending was too soon and abrupt, if it isn't then everything is fine and this will be a 4 star rating. For now, great story, but a 3 star rating for a somewhat abrupt ending.
February 21, 2018
Wow, I’m very disappointed. I’m a big fan of Hickman’s work. East of West is my favorite comic, his New Avengers is great, I also think that The Nightly News is ridiculously underrated... so what the hell was this?
What’s it about?
Uhh... that’s a bit hard to explain. Pretty much it’s about a political thriller about the Catholic church and Rome with some sci-fi stuff... you’ll understand why I can’t give a better description later.
Pros:
The art is freaking amazing! I think it’s a cool art style for sure.
This book is pretty unpredictable.
I know it sounds weird but I really like the panel layout. At first it’s a bit annoying but once you’re used to it it’s actually really cool!
I like the ending.
Cons:
The story is a bit hard to follow.
The characters aren’t interesting in this book.
I always have to say this sadly but... why do some authors mix comics and prose in the same book? Especially since, in the case of this book, it’s stuff that would be perfectly fine (possibly even work better) as a comic book scene! I wish more authors would just pick a format for their book instead of trying to mix formats.
This book is pretty boring which is a most unpleasant surprise. Usually Hickman’s books are exciting, this had a few brief action scenes but for the most part isn’t exciting at all.
Overall:
Disappointing for sure. It’s hard to believe it’s Hickman, I usually love his work but this... no. It’s not horrible but it’s nothing I’d recommend and I would even say I dislike it. If you’re a fan of Hickman’s work don’t expect this to be nearly as good as his other stuff and if you’ve never read Hickman you really shouldn’t start here.
2/5
What’s it about?
Uhh... that’s a bit hard to explain. Pretty much it’s about a political thriller about the Catholic church and Rome with some sci-fi stuff... you’ll understand why I can’t give a better description later.
Pros:
The art is freaking amazing! I think it’s a cool art style for sure.
This book is pretty unpredictable.
I know it sounds weird but I really like the panel layout. At first it’s a bit annoying but once you’re used to it it’s actually really cool!
I like the ending.
Cons:
The story is a bit hard to follow.
The characters aren’t interesting in this book.
I always have to say this sadly but... why do some authors mix comics and prose in the same book? Especially since, in the case of this book, it’s stuff that would be perfectly fine (possibly even work better) as a comic book scene! I wish more authors would just pick a format for their book instead of trying to mix formats.
This book is pretty boring which is a most unpleasant surprise. Usually Hickman’s books are exciting, this had a few brief action scenes but for the most part isn’t exciting at all.
Overall:
Disappointing for sure. It’s hard to believe it’s Hickman, I usually love his work but this... no. It’s not horrible but it’s nothing I’d recommend and I would even say I dislike it. If you’re a fan of Hickman’s work don’t expect this to be nearly as good as his other stuff and if you’ve never read Hickman you really shouldn’t start here.
2/5
February 9, 2012
And then it just...ends. And far too early for my tastes.
I've finished this book days ago and haven't known how to capture the significance of this work. It simply amazes me how much time and thought must have gone into planning the intricate interplay of historical confluences that play out here. I think this book is fantastic - and when I use the word fantastic here I mean it literally... The fantasy, the scope of imagination, and the sheer sense of wonder and surprise that the creators evoke gives new meaning to this tired, overused word.
I am absolutely impressed with Hickman's persistent adherence to his brand - the design sensibility in this book stays with the colourful, gritty-but-clearly sketched out and over-emphasised images that pervade his work - and I love the storytelling tools (asides, callouts, transcripts) that give me a sense I'm looking into secret, lost records of amazing things that no one would believe happened.
My greatest "complaint" is that I want to read so much more about this world, people, politics, wars and nuances of "what if you could change history?" that are woven so thoroughly throughout. It sure seems like Hickman was done, but there's so much potential for more. So glad I got to experience this.
I've finished this book days ago and haven't known how to capture the significance of this work. It simply amazes me how much time and thought must have gone into planning the intricate interplay of historical confluences that play out here. I think this book is fantastic - and when I use the word fantastic here I mean it literally... The fantasy, the scope of imagination, and the sheer sense of wonder and surprise that the creators evoke gives new meaning to this tired, overused word.
I am absolutely impressed with Hickman's persistent adherence to his brand - the design sensibility in this book stays with the colourful, gritty-but-clearly sketched out and over-emphasised images that pervade his work - and I love the storytelling tools (asides, callouts, transcripts) that give me a sense I'm looking into secret, lost records of amazing things that no one would believe happened.
My greatest "complaint" is that I want to read so much more about this world, people, politics, wars and nuances of "what if you could change history?" that are woven so thoroughly throughout. It sure seems like Hickman was done, but there's so much potential for more. So glad I got to experience this.
November 17, 2018
High concept and a story only Hickman could pull off. The art is a little weak and at times it wasnt really needed. The dialgoue is where this story shines. Worth checking out if you havent read Hickmans works.
November 2, 2016
This took a lot of effort to keep reading this, and at one point I wanted to DNF this. The whole layout is different from anything I have read before. The art was something I didn't care for either. But enough about that. This is a time travel story where soldiers think to correct the Timeline of the Roman Empire and to ensure that it survives and thrives because they thought this was the best point in history. I just thought this was okay, and I definitely don't think this is for everyone.
November 27, 2024
"A bunch of 21st century PMC soldiers get isekai'd back in time to give emperor Constantine modern weapons to
save the Catholic Church
. "
You just gave a group of futuristic mercenaries modern weapons, gold, and a divine right....
It goes as well as you would expect.
2/5 Interesting wish-fulfillment for someone with an art style out of a fever dream and dialogue, this would have been better in a book format.
You just gave a group of futuristic mercenaries modern weapons, gold, and a divine right....
It goes as well as you would expect.
2/5 Interesting wish-fulfillment for someone with an art style out of a fever dream and dialogue, this would have been better in a book format.
April 5, 2010
I've been following Hickman since Nightly News blew up a few years ago, and of all of his ideas, this is probably my favorite. The premise is a potential 5 star concept, the execution however is a bit shallow. My feelings are a little mixed about the artwork as well. I can't help but feel despite the impeccable graphic design, the artwork falls back on too many shortcuts. There's a static quality to the actual pen and ink that doesn't transcend the overall presentation enough to let me give it a pass. Characters move in amorphous (though oftentimes evocative) spaces that ultimately point out the fact that the narrative is skipping through huge concepts without allowing us to grasp anything. Additionally, the characters are opaque, with only the General Chase character standing out as a tragic figure undone by his own heart.
I do feel the story is oftentimes brilliant with its insight on how the long, tumultuous arrow of human history could be "streamlined" if time travel were possible. If a specific group had the foreknowledge and the resources to go back in time at a pivotal point, one wonders if social engineering on such an elemental scale could happen, but I think the scenario given by Hickman is plausible. Additionally, making it a Catholic mission adds a religious critique that is pretty irresistible when it comes to asking WHO might do such a thing.
Despite all of it's great things, at the end of the day I felt like I was reading a cliff notes version of a longer narrative. I think this is especially true in the last 3 or so pages, where whole swaths of interesting conflict are summed up in single images. That said, the last line is a pretty nifty mindblower.
I do feel the story is oftentimes brilliant with its insight on how the long, tumultuous arrow of human history could be "streamlined" if time travel were possible. If a specific group had the foreknowledge and the resources to go back in time at a pivotal point, one wonders if social engineering on such an elemental scale could happen, but I think the scenario given by Hickman is plausible. Additionally, making it a Catholic mission adds a religious critique that is pretty irresistible when it comes to asking WHO might do such a thing.
Despite all of it's great things, at the end of the day I felt like I was reading a cliff notes version of a longer narrative. I think this is especially true in the last 3 or so pages, where whole swaths of interesting conflict are summed up in single images. That said, the last line is a pretty nifty mindblower.
November 14, 2014
The Vatican invents time travel and sends an army back to 311AD Constantinople to civilize and Christianize the world, to prevent the Dark Ages, and to eliminate in advance competing world religions. All goes well at first but as time passes the leaders of the expedition find themselves at one another's throats.
Pax Romana is very text heavy for a graphic novel. The art (watercolors?) is pretty but virtually irrelevant. An afterthought, an accent.
The plot is highly intelligent, very dense, heavy on alternate history. It covers the first few decades after the Vatican incursion, focusing on the planning and then the enlistment of the first Christian emperor Constantine, then ends abruptly with a summary of the next thousand years or so. Perhaps the title was canceled and Hickman was given one issue to wrap up?
I had a lot of respect for Pax Romana, found it to be unexpectedly thick with theme and feasibility, but had a hard time getting into it. It's smart but not very engaging.
Pax Romana is very text heavy for a graphic novel. The art (watercolors?) is pretty but virtually irrelevant. An afterthought, an accent.
The plot is highly intelligent, very dense, heavy on alternate history. It covers the first few decades after the Vatican incursion, focusing on the planning and then the enlistment of the first Christian emperor Constantine, then ends abruptly with a summary of the next thousand years or so. Perhaps the title was canceled and Hickman was given one issue to wrap up?
I had a lot of respect for Pax Romana, found it to be unexpectedly thick with theme and feasibility, but had a hard time getting into it. It's smart but not very engaging.
January 31, 2023
Riconosco le potenzialità di quest'opera ma non è proprio il mio genere.
November 30, 2015
Great concept, poor execution.
I love books that use an alternate take on historical events but this was just too much concept/treatise, not enough actual story. I never felt like Hickman took any of the characters beyond simple archetypes and combined with very text heavy panels, it really made me struggle to get through the book.
Full review here at Graphic Reviews
I love books that use an alternate take on historical events but this was just too much concept/treatise, not enough actual story. I never felt like Hickman took any of the characters beyond simple archetypes and combined with very text heavy panels, it really made me struggle to get through the book.
Full review here at Graphic Reviews
April 25, 2019
Storia di fantascienza, che narra un viaggio del tempo di un gruppo di uomini nella Roma di Costantino, per cambiare la storia.
Una bella idea... ed è tutto quel che ha questa miniserie. Una bella idea. Ma non sviluppata.
Infatti, la storia dà la sensazione di essere monca: sembra promettere qualcosa che poi non viene mantenuto. E con i personaggi è difficile entrare in empatia, a causa di una scarsa, se non inesistente, caratterizzazione (e sono inutilmente tanti, i personaggi).
Non mi è ben chiaro il motivo per cui questa storia sia uscita fuori così. Anche perchè è molto verbosa, è tutta dialoghi: i disegni sono praticamente solo personaggi, non ambientazioni ed azioni, e addirittura ci sono pagine di solo testo. Ma a che serve tutta questa verbosità se poi la trama è poverissima ed i personaggi non sono approfonditi?
In teoria, dovrebbe esserci una riflessione sul potere... ma, pure quella, è monca. Troppo banale, in ambito supereroistico (genere in cui solitamente "milita" Hickman, ma a cui non iscriverei questa miniserie) è stato affrontato già molte volte, ed in maniera decisamente più intrigante ed intelligente.
Peccato, un'occasione persa.
Una bella idea... ed è tutto quel che ha questa miniserie. Una bella idea. Ma non sviluppata.
Infatti, la storia dà la sensazione di essere monca: sembra promettere qualcosa che poi non viene mantenuto. E con i personaggi è difficile entrare in empatia, a causa di una scarsa, se non inesistente, caratterizzazione (e sono inutilmente tanti, i personaggi).
Non mi è ben chiaro il motivo per cui questa storia sia uscita fuori così. Anche perchè è molto verbosa, è tutta dialoghi: i disegni sono praticamente solo personaggi, non ambientazioni ed azioni, e addirittura ci sono pagine di solo testo. Ma a che serve tutta questa verbosità se poi la trama è poverissima ed i personaggi non sono approfonditi?
In teoria, dovrebbe esserci una riflessione sul potere... ma, pure quella, è monca. Troppo banale, in ambito supereroistico (genere in cui solitamente "milita" Hickman, ma a cui non iscriverei questa miniserie) è stato affrontato già molte volte, ed in maniera decisamente più intrigante ed intelligente.
Peccato, un'occasione persa.
June 30, 2020
Jonathan Hickman is a mad genius.
On top of his incredible ability for world building and realizing insanely intricate concepts and plots, he’s not half bad an artist as well.
How far would humanity have gotten without the church slowing our progress? What can we do when the clergy cannot impose its mediocrity on us anymore? In Pax Romana, the world gets a due over as a group of people get to go back knowing what we know now.
A very cerebral and intelligent read that’ll leave you dreaming of what could have been.
On top of his incredible ability for world building and realizing insanely intricate concepts and plots, he’s not half bad an artist as well.
How far would humanity have gotten without the church slowing our progress? What can we do when the clergy cannot impose its mediocrity on us anymore? In Pax Romana, the world gets a due over as a group of people get to go back knowing what we know now.
A very cerebral and intelligent read that’ll leave you dreaming of what could have been.
January 13, 2015
To read Pax Romana is to watch a man masturbate. Jonathan Hickman has produced such a pure specimen of self-wank brain-spunk that it's a mystery that I enjoyed it at all.
Like all "written and illustrated by" comics, Pax Romana suffers most from not having an editor. It's top-heavy with words, the plot is unfocused, every character speaks with a singular voice, and it exists only to tweak the nipples of the author and the few others who share his daydreams. Plus, there are plenty of typos (Mediolanurn, caeser, gaurd).
The nucleus inside Pax Romana is a good one. The first act is fascinating and shows real promise, but it devolves almost immediately into a sub-literary sub-intellectual ham-fisted non-story. The whole comic is basically a poor man's sociology/anthropology/philosophy tract. Hickman doesn't even offer a resolution to his story; there is nothing connecting the last act with the first one. Hickman probably felt like a four-issue limited series seriously hampered his "creative vision", and doubtlessly it did, but he does nothing to address the problems of the abbreviated format. Instead, he gives us a thrown-together Cliff's Notes version of his mountains of cum-sticky legal pads (on which he has written the phrase MEANINGFUL SOCIAL COMMENTARY over and over in underline and bold).
It has an interesting aesthetic, but maybe not a good one - the art is pretty but cumbersome during the more comic-booky action scenes. I opted for a non-zero star rating, I guess, because I liked the layout and premise.
Like all "written and illustrated by" comics, Pax Romana suffers most from not having an editor. It's top-heavy with words, the plot is unfocused, every character speaks with a singular voice, and it exists only to tweak the nipples of the author and the few others who share his daydreams. Plus, there are plenty of typos (Mediolanurn, caeser, gaurd).
The nucleus inside Pax Romana is a good one. The first act is fascinating and shows real promise, but it devolves almost immediately into a sub-literary sub-intellectual ham-fisted non-story. The whole comic is basically a poor man's sociology/anthropology/philosophy tract. Hickman doesn't even offer a resolution to his story; there is nothing connecting the last act with the first one. Hickman probably felt like a four-issue limited series seriously hampered his "creative vision", and doubtlessly it did, but he does nothing to address the problems of the abbreviated format. Instead, he gives us a thrown-together Cliff's Notes version of his mountains of cum-sticky legal pads (on which he has written the phrase MEANINGFUL SOCIAL COMMENTARY over and over in underline and bold).
It has an interesting aesthetic, but maybe not a good one - the art is pretty but cumbersome during the more comic-booky action scenes. I opted for a non-zero star rating, I guess, because I liked the layout and premise.
November 18, 2021
2'5 stars.
Tomo rústica de la miniserie de 4 capítulos. También comprado de segunda manos y bastante barato que al final menos mal.
Año 2045 ¿Y si el Vaticano construye la máquina del tiempo? De ahí nos vamos al imperio romano, en el año 300 y como este particular grupo se dedica a hacer historia.
Se pueden ver las filas de Hickman en cuanto a infografías, grandes partes de solo texto cual obra de teatro, líneas temporales.... Tambien mucho blanco, un dibujo extraño que se erige como lo mejor de la obra. Luego quizás me decepciona un poco más debido a que era algo que le tenía ganas, me parece más pesado de lo que debería. El final me gusta más que su inicio, el inicio se me ha atragantado bastante, pero hacia la mitad de la obra ya entra mejor.
Tomo rústica de la miniserie de 4 capítulos. También comprado de segunda manos y bastante barato que al final menos mal.
Año 2045 ¿Y si el Vaticano construye la máquina del tiempo? De ahí nos vamos al imperio romano, en el año 300 y como este particular grupo se dedica a hacer historia.
Se pueden ver las filas de Hickman en cuanto a infografías, grandes partes de solo texto cual obra de teatro, líneas temporales.... Tambien mucho blanco, un dibujo extraño que se erige como lo mejor de la obra. Luego quizás me decepciona un poco más debido a que era algo que le tenía ganas, me parece más pesado de lo que debería. El final me gusta más que su inicio, el inicio se me ha atragantado bastante, pero hacia la mitad de la obra ya entra mejor.
December 13, 2015
An original comic book, in more ways than one, and also typical Hickman: crazy concepts, new twists on old ideas, and lots & lots of potential - and then it's over abruptly.
I feel like this 4-issue mini-series could have been a 12-issue maxi-series. It certainly has enough material for it. Good sci-fi, and philosophical food for thought.
I feel like this 4-issue mini-series could have been a 12-issue maxi-series. It certainly has enough material for it. Good sci-fi, and philosophical food for thought.
January 31, 2015
Brill. Maybe could have been stretched out a bit. too short for me.
October 21, 2016
Very early in Hickman's career but you can already see the seeds of greatness.
Highly recommended !
Highly recommended !
October 17, 2019
Pax Romana is fairly standard alternate history fare, but Jonathan Hickman has a flair for taking a basic idea and making it a thought-provoking referendum on religion and systems of government. In some cases (The Nightly News), he gets too far up his own asshole to tell a good story or make a concrete point. In Pax Romana, mercifully, Hickman manages to weave a solid tale and make you think.
Essentially, in the near future, as Islam overtakes Europe, the Catholic church unexpectedly stumbles upon the solution to time travel and decides to send back a legion of modern soldiers to ancient Rome. Their goal? Ensure that Catholicism reigns supreme for the next millenia. Of course, immediately after the soldier's arrival in the third century, the plan goes off the rails.
Again, it's nothing special or particularly surprising, but it all plays out smartly and Hickman's signature design elements actually benefit the story for once. I even found myself enjoying the dense pages of interview text. And I absolutely enjoyed the alternate history timeline at the end of the book. Attention to detail gets me every time.
Essentially, in the near future, as Islam overtakes Europe, the Catholic church unexpectedly stumbles upon the solution to time travel and decides to send back a legion of modern soldiers to ancient Rome. Their goal? Ensure that Catholicism reigns supreme for the next millenia. Of course, immediately after the soldier's arrival in the third century, the plan goes off the rails.
Again, it's nothing special or particularly surprising, but it all plays out smartly and Hickman's signature design elements actually benefit the story for once. I even found myself enjoying the dense pages of interview text. And I absolutely enjoyed the alternate history timeline at the end of the book. Attention to detail gets me every time.
November 28, 2021
There’s so much potential in this story, and what is there is very good, but it reads more like the story bible or first volume of what should have been a much longer series. And much respect to Hickman for taking on the art chores himself, but it would have served the story better if he’d turned them over to someone else. It feels like more of a visual novel than comics.
Still, as a fan of Hickman’s, I enjoyed reading this early work. It’s got all of the building blocks of his signature style, just in a very raw and unrefined form. The man does not write small stories.
Still, as a fan of Hickman’s, I enjoyed reading this early work. It’s got all of the building blocks of his signature style, just in a very raw and unrefined form. The man does not write small stories.
December 27, 2018
I love the idea, the art was cool, but the presentation was so disappointing. It's similar to Hickman's "Nightly News," and both were just not enjoyable simply due to their basic aesthetic style. Such a shame.
March 8, 2019
Maybe it was the complicated unusual structure, maybe it was the prose-style writing, maybe it was the cyclical nature of the plot (a dog chasing its own tail ad infinitum) too many maybes. This didn't really do it for me. Never thought I'd ever say that about anything Jonathan Hickman.
December 26, 2023
Pudo haber durado al menos dos números más para adentrarse en lo demás que sucedió y eso hubiese sido perfecto. Fuera de eso, este es un sólido trabajo de historia especulativa.
December 30, 2021
Se arriesga mucho con los que quiere hacer... y no le sale del todo bien.
El arte es precioso y la idea es guapísima, pero tiene algunos fallos que para mí son imperdonables.
Primero, los personajes no tiene cara, literalmente. En un cómic sabes quién habla porque hay un cuadro de texto con una flechita que sale del personaje que está hablando, si los personajes no tienen cara, no sé quién está hablando y eso hace que sea todo muy confuso. Excepto Nicholas, que tiene barba y se le ve la silueta de la barba, me he pasado todo el comic super perdido.
Segundo, muchísimo texto. Hay 5 o 6 veces que hay una página doble casi entera de texto, que tienen una mezcla de exposición de lo que está pasando y exposición de lo que va a pasar. Esto es un cómic, quiero ver lo que pasa, no leerlo.
Tercero, el final. Que básicamente no es un final, sino que ocurre algo que podría ser el fin de la primera temporada de una serie de televisión y luego en 4 páginas hace que pasen unos 1000 años donde te explica cómo se llega a donde estamos.
Obviamente no todo es malo. El concepto me ha flipado, es algo que me hubiera gustado ver más desarrollado, pero los problemas que surgen de cambiar la historia y como eso afecta a los personajes está bien llevado.
Y el arte me provoca sentimientos encontrados. Por un lado está muy chulo, el banco es el color base y eso ya le da un toque distinto, le sumas que casi no hay viñetas sino una distribución de personajes y bocadillos muy buena, los fondos con acuarela, en general todo está muy chulo. Pero eso mismo hace que los personajes sean irreconocibles, como he dicho antes.
En general, creo que esto debería haber sido un libro con ilustraciones o algo por el estilo, como comic no me funciona. Lo hubiera entendido mucho más, y por lo tanto disfrutado mucho más.
El arte es precioso y la idea es guapísima, pero tiene algunos fallos que para mí son imperdonables.
Primero, los personajes no tiene cara, literalmente. En un cómic sabes quién habla porque hay un cuadro de texto con una flechita que sale del personaje que está hablando, si los personajes no tienen cara, no sé quién está hablando y eso hace que sea todo muy confuso. Excepto Nicholas, que tiene barba y se le ve la silueta de la barba, me he pasado todo el comic super perdido.
Segundo, muchísimo texto. Hay 5 o 6 veces que hay una página doble casi entera de texto, que tienen una mezcla de exposición de lo que está pasando y exposición de lo que va a pasar. Esto es un cómic, quiero ver lo que pasa, no leerlo.
Tercero, el final. Que básicamente no es un final, sino que ocurre algo que podría ser el fin de la primera temporada de una serie de televisión y luego en 4 páginas hace que pasen unos 1000 años donde te explica cómo se llega a donde estamos.
Obviamente no todo es malo. El concepto me ha flipado, es algo que me hubiera gustado ver más desarrollado, pero los problemas que surgen de cambiar la historia y como eso afecta a los personajes está bien llevado.
Y el arte me provoca sentimientos encontrados. Por un lado está muy chulo, el banco es el color base y eso ya le da un toque distinto, le sumas que casi no hay viñetas sino una distribución de personajes y bocadillos muy buena, los fondos con acuarela, en general todo está muy chulo. Pero eso mismo hace que los personajes sean irreconocibles, como he dicho antes.
En general, creo que esto debería haber sido un libro con ilustraciones o algo por el estilo, como comic no me funciona. Lo hubiera entendido mucho más, y por lo tanto disfrutado mucho más.
August 22, 2013
Mais uma bomba conceptual saída da mente radicalizada de Jonathan Hickman. Imaginem a possibilidade de que a descoberta das viagens no tempo é dominada pelo Vaticano que faz uso dos seus enormes recursos para enviar ao passado uma força militar que altere a história para um percurso mais agradável à Santa Sé. Só que... o comandante nomeado, um especialista em estratégia americano que passou por todas as academias militares de prestígio do mundo ocidental, está-se nas tintas para o sonho húmido dos cardeais e usa as armas modernas para travar a queda do império romano, garantindo que o curso da história seja radicalmente alterado. Átila e os bárbaros são travados à força de balas, África unida e pacificada, Ásia e Américas cooptadas pelas potências romanas, e em 1421 os sucessores do imperador Constantino preparam-se para terraformar o planeta Marte. A história sai dos lábios do papa-genético, cujo ADN reúne o código genético do comandante militar original e o ADN dos papas sucessores, ao jovem geneticamente modificado imperador que irá herdar o trono romano. História alternativa, viagens no tempo, gedankenxperiment cheio de e ses intrigantes, e um estilismo gráfico que aposta mais na ilustração e no infografismo do que nos meios tradicionais de narrativa gráfica em banda desenhada.
July 26, 2016
Dagnabbit, Jonathan Hickman, as a double major in English literature and Classical history with literary ambitions of my own I really, really wish I had written this. My jealousy is palpable.
In 2045, Islam has taken over Europe, and the west and far east are indifferent to monotheism in general. The Roman Catholic Church is in decline when their investment in the CERN research facility brings time travel into their grasp. After much deliberation, it is decided to go back to the time of Constantine and correct all the Church's mistakes in order to usher a more enlightened and peaceful age, and preserving the power of the Church of course. It's only one chapter in before the 5000 mercenaries and handful of clergy sent back in time dramatically abandon that plan for one of their own.
The art design is unique and appropo to the story. The narrative is sharp and smart. Most of all, this is one of the very few time travel stories I've read that truly understands that ancient man is just as smart as modern man, they just have significantly less history and information to work with.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? This should have been a long term series spanning a couple of years in comics. As a mini-series it is just too ambitious for such a short work.
In 2045, Islam has taken over Europe, and the west and far east are indifferent to monotheism in general. The Roman Catholic Church is in decline when their investment in the CERN research facility brings time travel into their grasp. After much deliberation, it is decided to go back to the time of Constantine and correct all the Church's mistakes in order to usher a more enlightened and peaceful age, and preserving the power of the Church of course. It's only one chapter in before the 5000 mercenaries and handful of clergy sent back in time dramatically abandon that plan for one of their own.
The art design is unique and appropo to the story. The narrative is sharp and smart. Most of all, this is one of the very few time travel stories I've read that truly understands that ancient man is just as smart as modern man, they just have significantly less history and information to work with.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? This should have been a long term series spanning a couple of years in comics. As a mini-series it is just too ambitious for such a short work.
November 19, 2025
Si j’ai bien compris, des mercenaires surarmés nés à la fin du XXème siècle débarquent en 312 après J.-C., au temps du règne du premier empereur chrétien, Constantin, et tout le monde se met à causer en angliche, ou bien en français quand on lit l’excellente traduction de Jérôme Wicky publiée par Urban Comics.
Sinon, c’est génial !
Sinon, c’est génial !
May 16, 2017
I get the accolades: futuristic story, very beautiful design, moody characters, subdued color palette.
But the story was a whole lot of build-up, and fast forward to how it all turns out in the end. Not a great story arc.
Oh, and it sure didn't pass the Bechdel test. I think it had 2 female characters, neither of which had more than like 3 lines.
And while I absolutely love his design work, i couldn't help but notice lots of the characters are drawn with head tilted forward, dramatically lit, so you don't see their eyes. FWIW. Like Clooney in a noir film.
But the story was a whole lot of build-up, and fast forward to how it all turns out in the end. Not a great story arc.
Oh, and it sure didn't pass the Bechdel test. I think it had 2 female characters, neither of which had more than like 3 lines.
And while I absolutely love his design work, i couldn't help but notice lots of the characters are drawn with head tilted forward, dramatically lit, so you don't see their eyes. FWIW. Like Clooney in a noir film.
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