Pax Romana

I like history. I like Romans. It, therefore, stands to reason that I like Roman history. And that, friends and countrymen, is a fact.

The 'pax romana' refers to a period in Roman history, ushered in by Ceasar Augustus, during which the empire was at its peak. It's also the latest comic series from writer/artist Jonathan Hickman, creator of last year's most excellent series "The Nightly News".

I must confess that "Pax Romana" caught me off guard. I didn't know much about the book going into it, but my socks were officially knocked off by issue #1. The premise alone is fascinating (a tasty religion/science/time travel melange), but it's Hickman's style that seals the deal (he writes like Bendis after a week-long speed binge - I honestly didn't know so many words could be packed onto a single page), complimented by art that I swear came from that illegal Bill Sienkiewicz / Ashley Wood clone I cooked up last year (that reward is still valid if anyone finds him, by the by).

I mean, c'mon... what's NOT to love about a book that opens with the line, "I am the Bishop of Rome, the Panchen Lama, the Pratyekabuddha, the Last Caliph, the Eternal Priest of Amon-Ra, the Black Rabbi and the White Shaman... I am the Vicar of Christ... I am the Gene Pope".

(No snippy comments about the religion-centric quote above; as Hickman himself notes, the story is more a sociological study couched in quantum mechanics and religious dogma and less an overt commentary on religion proper, organized or otherwise).

Seriously, go pick up this book and give it a read. I will be here when you get back. Promise.

(they keep me chained to the desk...)

Later