Britannia: Lost Eagles of Rome #2
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Robert Gill
Colourist: José Villarrubia
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: Valiant
Review by Josh Rose
After a Roman Legion lost three golden eagle standards in the forests of Germany, Detectioner Antonius Axia and the gladiator Achilla are on their way to Alexandria to find the general who was in command. Britannia: Lost Eagles of Rome #2 sees Antonius and Achilla navigate their way through the political landscape of Roman Egypt, avoiding the local threats and those from Rome.
I feel like this issue was extremely new reader friendly. Peter Milligan had a quick recap of what happened in the first issue within the first two pages. From Rome and Nero’s reaction to the lost Eagle Standards, to why Antonius and Achilla are going the opposite direction of their last known location. Readers could pick this up having not read issue one and enjoyed it just fine. Meanwhile, there’s a romance blooming between Antonius and Achilla. In addition to the wonderful character development, Milligan also ends this issue on a cliffhanger worthy of The Walking Dead.
I’m really enjoying Robert Gill on the art for this series. I love the wide shots he uses so we can see the background of Rome on the harbour, and the interior of the Library of Alexandria. The fight scenes he draws are incredibly dynamic and eye catching. José Villarrubia’s bright red colours are definitely a part of the reason why. Villarrubia’s colours are natural; greens, browns, blues; colours that fit within that time period. Villarrubia uses red to draw the reader’ eye around the page, from Antonius and Achilla’s clothing, to splatters of blood. But the most eye catching page in this entire issue is when the library is set on fire. The white background against the red, fiery blaze is absolutely gorgeous.
The Verdict: Buy It!
The mystery continues and the stakes are higher than ever! What happened to the Eagles? What’s going on in Alexandria? What happened to Antonius? Britannia: Lost Eagles of Rome #2 cements this series as the best Britannia series yet!
