Romulus #1
Writer: Bryan Hill
Artists: Nelson Blake II
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editors: Ryan Cady & Ashley Victoria Robinson
Publisher: Image imprint Top Cow
Romulus is the story of Ashlar, how she turns against her life’s sole purpose, and decides she wants to save 5 billion people.
Hot off the news that Postal (his other image book) is getting adapted for a T.V. show, Bryan Hill has Romulus on the stands. This time, instead of a mysterious town in the middle of Wyoming, we are introduced to a secret society that runs the world. Our protagonist for this story is Ashlar, a wolf (assassin) for Romulus.
First issues are hard to pull off. You have to introduce a new world, introduce characters and give the reader a reason to come back for the next issue. Hill and Blake pull all of that off in spades because of some deft storytelling.
The first 10 pages of Romulus introduce us to the world, character and give us a sense of why we should care. Narratively speaking, it’s very similar to the first 10 minutes of The Revenant. In that film, the first 10 minutes gives us all the backstory of protagonists and sets the plot forth. Hill and Blake accomplish the same goal in about 10 pages. Highlighting key moments in Ashlar’s life, a montage sequence of some training and some history of the secret organization is given. This works with Blake’s vibrant artwork because the montage doesn’t give you all the details you want, but it does give just enough to add impetus to the plot.
In the latter half of the book we see Ashlar engage in direct action to interdict the plans of Romulus. It features slick art work and storytelling by Blake that make the fight scenes tense yet easy to follow.
Nelson Blake II wasn’t someone whose artwork I’ve seen elsewhere, but his storytelling in Romulus is good. His panel layout on the pages is never confusing. There are a lot of panels on some of the pages and never does his artwork suffer for it. Blake’s artwork in most of the panels leads the reader’s eyes to the next panel. When the action sequences do occur in the latter half of the comic, he drops the backgrounds from the panels and the focus is on the life or death fight between two warriors. It’s a subtle little detail but it strengthens the storytelling.
Hill’s narrative is strong throughout the book. There is a lot of information to be disseminated in this book and never is it done through huge chunks of text that slow the pace of the book. Clues about the mysterious organization’s past is interwoven into the narrative. His dialogue throughout is terse, to the point, but always leaves you wanting more.
Petri’s lettering skills really enhance the action sequences of the book. I liked the sound effects of Ashlar crashing through glass or post fight when she retrieves her sword and it reads ‘kick’, and then ‘catch’. Little nods like that were cool and added to my overall enjoyment of the book.
Quick note on the history Easter eggs/nods that are dropped. Romulus is the founder of Rome and one has to wonder what role he played in founding this organization. Romulus’s birth mother, put him and his brother Remus in a basket on a river to avoid their death. They were found by a she-wolf who nursed them. It is interesting to note that in this book the she wolves are the assassins for Romulus. The wolf metaphor runs strong throughout the entire book. Lastly, the seven spheres of perfection bear some numerical significance because Rome was founded on seven hills. I’m interested to see what Hill and company do with these hints.
The Verdict
Buy it! Heroes who go against their training and breeding to be something more, interest me. Romulus gives us a hero who is trying to do the right thing despite her upbringing. I’m in for the long haul with a story like this and I encourage all to join along.
