Nothos

Βασίλειος Βασιλεύς / Basil Basileus #2

by Spyros Theocharis, Chrysa Sakel (Illustrator), Eileen Stephenson (Editor)

The events surrounding the eventful life of one of the most famous historical figures of Byzantine history continue with the second part of “Basil Basileus” comic book series.

“Nothos” is narrated by the eunuch Basil Lekapenos , the leader of the Byzantine Senate. He is the uncle of the young emperor Basil and he holds the real power in the medieval Roman Empire .

Unsatisfied with the current balance of power, emperor Basil seeks allies to help him take the reins of power. Are Ariadne and Nikephoros Ouranos the people who will help him restrict Lekapenos’ influence in the palace?

While the two Basils struggle for dominance, a bigger threat looms in the East. General Bardas Skleros has been proclaimed emperor in the city of Melitene and with a powerful army, he’s marching toward Constantinople to claim the Roman throne.


Back cove r note by Nikolaos Tsivikis

In this comic book, drawn by Chrysavgi Sakellaropoulou and written by Spyros Theocharis, the usually boring Byzantine stories become colorful adventures on paper where the action-packed plot and the dark destiny of the main characters meet the medieval Roman state's accuracy of the artistic production of its material culture. In “Basil Basileus” almost the entirety of Asia Minor, its natural and urban landscape, come together in order to make the reader perceive the geographical and national size and wealth of the medieval state we conventionally name Byzantium.

Nikolaos Tsivikis
Byzantine Archaeologist
Institute of Mediterranean Studies

Genres: Comics

52 pages, Paperback

Published August 4, 2022

Reviews

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The excellent retelling of the story of the Byzantine/Roman emperor Basil II continues in this sequel to the first volume "A Test of Loyalty". As with that installment, here Sakel and Theocharis continue to humanize Basil and make him understandable as never before, and to do so with spectacular artwork that only gets better and better. I am grateful to them for their work to make the remarkable history of Byzantium come alive for new audiences! In this installment, we get a look into the machinations of the imperial chamberlain, a eunuch bastard of an earlier imperial family, as he undermines Basil to advance himself while a usurper swallows more and more of the Anatolian themes. In the end Basil's power is at a low ebb, setting up his maturation into the spectacular, if grim and forbidding emperor he went down as in history.
Sakel's art continues to dazzle, and I love how, as accomplished as she is, her work gets better with each new graphic novel. I spent a long time just looking at some of her illustrations, especially her fantastic depictions of the opulence and complexity of the palace and the grandeur of Constantinople's spaces. I know she'll top herself, but I'm not sure how!

[nastia · Rating 5 out of 5]

νικηφόρος ουρανός babygirl

[Oneirosophos · Rating 2 out of 5]

My full review in Greek:

https://www.comicdom.gr/2022/11/21/va...

[Jarod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two follows the story of the Basil Lekapenos, who ruled from behind the throne in the 10th century AD. The beautiful, forever lost medieval metropolis that it is set in will never fail to enthrall and to stimulate our imaginations.

[Κεσκίνης Χρήστος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Συνεχίζει από εκεί που τελείωσε το πρώτο τεύχος.
Ο Βασίλειος είναι ακόμη νέος και άπειρος και η Πόλη κινδυνεύει περισσότερο από τους Βυζαντινούς, παρά από εξωτερικούς παράγοντες.
Συνομωσίες, διαπλοκή, μάχες, ναυμαχίες...
Έχει από όλα και μάλιστα με πολύ καλό σχέδιο. Πάμε για το επόμενο.