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Millénaire #1
Millennium
As the first Millennium approaches, Middle Ages Europe is torn apart by violence and unrest. Ghoulish creatures prowl the land, strange lights are seen blazing through the sky, and sinister machinations threaten to destabilize the Continent’s entire political and religious structure. Holy relics merchants, Raedwald the Saxon and Arnulf, travel these brutal roads, surviving by brains and brawn. The world is about to catch the original millennial fever!
292 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 2003
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34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 30, 2023
This graphic novel has been described as a mix between The Name of the Rose and The X Files. There is nothing that says The X Files, but it does feel unique. Set in 10. century France where supernatural and ordinary goes hand in hand, story starts in with a gruesome scene which sets the mood and lays a foundation for the rest of the murder mystery thriller sprinkled with supernatural.
Raedwald the Saxon, somewhat of a mix between Cadfael and William of Baskerville, along with his companion, brute Arnulf, runs into the ambushed convoy and burned survivor. But that's just the beginning of their problems. Nicely intertwined story by Richard D. Nolane with a nice art by François Miville-Deschênes.
Judging by the ending, this is not the end of this adventure.
Raedwald the Saxon, somewhat of a mix between Cadfael and William of Baskerville, along with his companion, brute Arnulf, runs into the ambushed convoy and burned survivor. But that's just the beginning of their problems. Nicely intertwined story by Richard D. Nolane with a nice art by François Miville-Deschênes.
Judging by the ending, this is not the end of this adventure.
November 27, 2021
It seems that the author did an impossible thing, combining both “The Name of the Rose” and “The X-Files”. At the surface, it is a perfect detective series with two fellas who travel from one point to another, discovering the 10th century medieval world. It is not only an action story with bloody battles, girls, and artefacts, but also a very interesting comment on the relations between an individual and the church, rationality and belief. The whole story starts from the loss of some old relic with two skeletons of angels. It is believed that it could heal, but then this artefact became a reason for the conflict between several powerful institutions: the inquisition, the king, the fanatics, and, of course, the so-called synchs (the aliens with powerful force and technology). The main characters, the Sax and his very massive companion, trying to find our this chest with bones, also revealing other secrets due to their skills -- intelligence and intuition.
In fact, it was a great and funny reading, although sometimes I got tired of massive bubbles of dialogues (such a shame for this small format!). The very concept of the alien’s interference in Christian history looks interesting. It reminds the same thing in the recent comic “Lake of Fire” with the same setting and idea. Also, some moments seemed somewhat weird, thus not everything was balanced and structured in terms of the main plot. Perhaps, Richard D. Nolane should have kept something in a secret, left to the reader’s imagination, but even without it the comic is the best example of a modern BD.
It is clear that without a brilliant art, the comic would not be so attractive. For François Miville-Deschênes, every frame matters: he depicts trees and fields, castles and villages, everyday life and battles with such meticulous realism that one really starts to feel a spirit of the Middle Ages. He also brilliantly knows how the composition should look like, mixing different points of view. Highly recommend for those who looking for something new and unusual, also ready to make your way through tones of dialogues.
In fact, it was a great and funny reading, although sometimes I got tired of massive bubbles of dialogues (such a shame for this small format!). The very concept of the alien’s interference in Christian history looks interesting. It reminds the same thing in the recent comic “Lake of Fire” with the same setting and idea. Also, some moments seemed somewhat weird, thus not everything was balanced and structured in terms of the main plot. Perhaps, Richard D. Nolane should have kept something in a secret, left to the reader’s imagination, but even without it the comic is the best example of a modern BD.
It is clear that without a brilliant art, the comic would not be so attractive. For François Miville-Deschênes, every frame matters: he depicts trees and fields, castles and villages, everyday life and battles with such meticulous realism that one really starts to feel a spirit of the Middle Ages. He also brilliantly knows how the composition should look like, mixing different points of view. Highly recommend for those who looking for something new and unusual, also ready to make your way through tones of dialogues.
February 8, 2025
[5/10]
A limited series published by Les Humanoides Associes: historical horror-adventure starting in A.D. 997 in a sort of alternative middle ages that is rife with dangers and supernatural elements. Lead character is the Saxon Raedwald, a merchant of holy relics who gets involved in some high stake plots at the courts of France, Burgundy, England and the Vatican.
Raedwald works more like a private investigator, hired by kings and popes to hunt for secret manuscripts, for dangerous monsters and for traitors amongst the powerful. He is helped along by a trusty bearded giant called Arnulf, a former slave that Raedwulf liberated and whose huge axe solves a lot of practial problems for the duo... Arnulf’s axe and the Saxon’s tricky golden crucifix that hides a sharp stiletto. Later in the series, a fiery sea captain named Rowena will share in the adventures and in Raedwald’s bed. The red-headed woman is a fierce fighter, but she does have a tendency to lose her clothes.
The turn of the millennium is a very dangerous place, filled with bandits hiding in forests, ghouls, trolls, even giant kraken in the northern seas and an undead bloodsucker that comes all the way from the land that will be called Romania. Rogue warlords, slave merchants, Saracen pirates, alien angels in flying ships, preachers of the end of days and, most dangerous of all, masked inquisitors from the Abbey of Cluny conspire to stop the quest of Raedwald and company over five albums:
The Hounds of God
The Skeleton of Angels
The Devil’s Breath
The Poisoned Ministers
The Shadow of the Antichrist
>>><<<>>><<<
The premise had a lot of potential and the world building was intriguing but my expectations from this publisher were not met here: The writing was uneven, filled with too many cheap conspiracy theories [including one about the crucifixion] and resorting to gratuitous nudity when the writer ran out of ideas. Exotic locations and explicit gore can only take you halfway to a gripping adventure.
The graphics and the colouring were adequate, with good production values, but Francois Miville-Dechenes is not someone I will hunt for in the future.
For an alternative idea about a good medieval series with fantastic elements and excellent graphics I recommend Thorgal by Van Hamme and Rosinski.
A limited series published by Les Humanoides Associes: historical horror-adventure starting in A.D. 997 in a sort of alternative middle ages that is rife with dangers and supernatural elements. Lead character is the Saxon Raedwald, a merchant of holy relics who gets involved in some high stake plots at the courts of France, Burgundy, England and the Vatican.
Raedwald works more like a private investigator, hired by kings and popes to hunt for secret manuscripts, for dangerous monsters and for traitors amongst the powerful. He is helped along by a trusty bearded giant called Arnulf, a former slave that Raedwulf liberated and whose huge axe solves a lot of practial problems for the duo... Arnulf’s axe and the Saxon’s tricky golden crucifix that hides a sharp stiletto. Later in the series, a fiery sea captain named Rowena will share in the adventures and in Raedwald’s bed. The red-headed woman is a fierce fighter, but she does have a tendency to lose her clothes.
The turn of the millennium is a very dangerous place, filled with bandits hiding in forests, ghouls, trolls, even giant kraken in the northern seas and an undead bloodsucker that comes all the way from the land that will be called Romania. Rogue warlords, slave merchants, Saracen pirates, alien angels in flying ships, preachers of the end of days and, most dangerous of all, masked inquisitors from the Abbey of Cluny conspire to stop the quest of Raedwald and company over five albums:
The Hounds of God
The Skeleton of Angels
The Devil’s Breath
The Poisoned Ministers
The Shadow of the Antichrist
>>><<<>>><<<
The premise had a lot of potential and the world building was intriguing but my expectations from this publisher were not met here: The writing was uneven, filled with too many cheap conspiracy theories [including one about the crucifixion] and resorting to gratuitous nudity when the writer ran out of ideas. Exotic locations and explicit gore can only take you halfway to a gripping adventure.
The graphics and the colouring were adequate, with good production values, but Francois Miville-Dechenes is not someone I will hunt for in the future.
For an alternative idea about a good medieval series with fantastic elements and excellent graphics I recommend Thorgal by Van Hamme and Rosinski.
March 11, 2022
The conceit is that two sellers of religious relics in some very dark ages discover that the iconography of Christianity has deep roots in outer space. Set pieces with pent-up ghouls breaking their chains, lowborn slugs manipulating volcanoes to create impromptu nuclear weapons, and Julia Fox-like bodacious beauty busting out all over, give the proceedings a Heavy Metalish sheen.
March 27, 2025
Good Art. Good Characters, Environment, and Tale.
A Saxon, Raedwald, with a Sherlockian mind for solving mysteries is called upon to see into the source of the savage act committed against the King of the Franks. Journeying with the highly relatable Christian brute, Arnulf, they navigate a landscape of politics, society, and religion. All of which are corrupted by bad men, while also used for Good by good men.
Raedwald and Arnulf have a bit of the Samson and David appeal in their faith to God, their yearn for the world, and their willingness to smash heads.
The tale is immediately savage, with depravity and gore coming from barbarians. Though the story has a great historical feel, I hope the faith and God aspect does not get tarnished with twisted faith acolytes and their false gods. The order of Cluny and the Hounds of God contrasted with the Abby and our protaganists show that God doesn't need hounds rabidly pursuing worldy secular rules disguised as religion and politics. I am intrigued with the tale though, especially the brutal environment partnered with the historical conversations and the detective mystery.
On top of all that, and beyond the threat of man's ambitions, are the beastly, ancient ghouls roaming the countryside. Mysteries of the Sylphs lay upon the air as well.
Millennium:
Part 1: Hounds of God
Part 2: The Skeleton of Angels
Part 3: The Devil's Breath
Part 4: The Poisoned Ministers
A Saxon, Raedwald, with a Sherlockian mind for solving mysteries is called upon to see into the source of the savage act committed against the King of the Franks. Journeying with the highly relatable Christian brute, Arnulf, they navigate a landscape of politics, society, and religion. All of which are corrupted by bad men, while also used for Good by good men.
Raedwald and Arnulf have a bit of the Samson and David appeal in their faith to God, their yearn for the world, and their willingness to smash heads.
The tale is immediately savage, with depravity and gore coming from barbarians. Though the story has a great historical feel, I hope the faith and God aspect does not get tarnished with twisted faith acolytes and their false gods. The order of Cluny and the Hounds of God contrasted with the Abby and our protaganists show that God doesn't need hounds rabidly pursuing worldy secular rules disguised as religion and politics. I am intrigued with the tale though, especially the brutal environment partnered with the historical conversations and the detective mystery.
On top of all that, and beyond the threat of man's ambitions, are the beastly, ancient ghouls roaming the countryside. Mysteries of the Sylphs lay upon the air as well.
Millennium:
Part 1: Hounds of God
Part 2: The Skeleton of Angels
Part 3: The Devil's Breath
Part 4: The Poisoned Ministers
October 3, 2022
Currently available on Kindle Unlimited, this is the first episode of a recurring series.
Part medieval detective story set just before the first millennium, part fantasy with a tinge of sci-fi, this tale provides a glimpse of the medieval mind where belief in God and the saints, and in evil monsters, and in miracles dominates rational power politics … except that miracles are real and as predictable as a science, and the monsters are real too. Intriguing.
The story is well put together with a tight plot and good dialogue, but the central characters are only vaguely sketched. The sidekick is easy to understand, but the super smart detective fellow is more slippery: he’s a merchant of relics and hence deeply entwined in religious and power politics, as relics are effective and predictable machines of great power. This makes the story a bit obscure in this first episode, undoubtedly to become clearer in time.
The art is nice and clear, well detailed, but nothing particularly remarkable.
All in all this is a good read, no more at this stage, and I’ll gladly read on to understand a bit more about this alternative medieval world.
Part medieval detective story set just before the first millennium, part fantasy with a tinge of sci-fi, this tale provides a glimpse of the medieval mind where belief in God and the saints, and in evil monsters, and in miracles dominates rational power politics … except that miracles are real and as predictable as a science, and the monsters are real too. Intriguing.
The story is well put together with a tight plot and good dialogue, but the central characters are only vaguely sketched. The sidekick is easy to understand, but the super smart detective fellow is more slippery: he’s a merchant of relics and hence deeply entwined in religious and power politics, as relics are effective and predictable machines of great power. This makes the story a bit obscure in this first episode, undoubtedly to become clearer in time.
The art is nice and clear, well detailed, but nothing particularly remarkable.
All in all this is a good read, no more at this stage, and I’ll gladly read on to understand a bit more about this alternative medieval world.
August 15, 2015
The art and the story are pretty good. I read the digital version for this but I plan to get physical copies for the whole serie.
October 30, 2024
POPKULTUROWY KOCIOŁEK: Twarda oprawa komiksu skrywa przed nami komplet pięciu tomów francuskiej serii Milenium autorstwa Richard D. Nolane. Akcja jak sam tytuł wskazuje, rozgrywa się na przełomie tysiąclecia. Bohaterami są tutaj Raedwald Sakson i jego towarzysz Arnulf. Kolekcjonerzy i sprzedawcy świętych relikwii, którzy podróżują po Europie, badając doniesienia o demonach, dziwnych światłach, opętaniach, a także pewnym spisku, który zagraża całej politycznej i religijnej strukturze kontynentu.
Scenariusz łączy elementy kryminału, powieści historycznej i fantastyki, od samego początku tworząc naprawdę wciągającą treść. Autor umiejętnie buduje napięcie, stopniowo odsłaniając kolejne karty tajemniczej układanki. Świat przedstawiony w komiksie jest barwny i szczegółowy, pełen mrocznych zakamarków i zaskakujących zwrotów akcji. Nie brakuje tutaj również dużej dawki mocnej treści przeznaczonej tylko dla dorosłych czytelników. Do tego dochodzą naturalne i przekonujące dialogi i bohaterowie, którzy są wiarygodni i zapadają w pamięć. Całość historii w pewnym dużym uproszczeniu można określić połączeniem Imienia Róży i Z archiwum X.
Brzmi to wszystko bardzo ciekawie, ale tytuł ma również pewne swoje niedociągnięcia. Każdy z rozdziałów z jednej strony jest częścią serii, z drugiej zaś można go traktować jako samodzielny odcinek. Powoduje to niestety urywanie niektórych wątków lub ich znaczące skrócenie. Nie jest to również pozycja, która zachwyci fanów szybkiego tempa akcji. Autor bardzo powoli (momentami nawet trochę zbyt ślamazarnie) pcha fabułę do przodu. Jest kilka momentów (na szczęście jest ich bardzo mało), które w moim odczuciu są niepotrzebnie zbyt przeciągnięte. ...
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/milen...
Scenariusz łączy elementy kryminału, powieści historycznej i fantastyki, od samego początku tworząc naprawdę wciągającą treść. Autor umiejętnie buduje napięcie, stopniowo odsłaniając kolejne karty tajemniczej układanki. Świat przedstawiony w komiksie jest barwny i szczegółowy, pełen mrocznych zakamarków i zaskakujących zwrotów akcji. Nie brakuje tutaj również dużej dawki mocnej treści przeznaczonej tylko dla dorosłych czytelników. Do tego dochodzą naturalne i przekonujące dialogi i bohaterowie, którzy są wiarygodni i zapadają w pamięć. Całość historii w pewnym dużym uproszczeniu można określić połączeniem Imienia Róży i Z archiwum X.
Brzmi to wszystko bardzo ciekawie, ale tytuł ma również pewne swoje niedociągnięcia. Każdy z rozdziałów z jednej strony jest częścią serii, z drugiej zaś można go traktować jako samodzielny odcinek. Powoduje to niestety urywanie niektórych wątków lub ich znaczące skrócenie. Nie jest to również pozycja, która zachwyci fanów szybkiego tempa akcji. Autor bardzo powoli (momentami nawet trochę zbyt ślamazarnie) pcha fabułę do przodu. Jest kilka momentów (na szczęście jest ich bardzo mało), które w moim odczuciu są niepotrzebnie zbyt przeciągnięte. ...
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/milen...
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