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Empire Volume 1

Creators: Mark Waid, Barry Kitson
Publisher: DC

Reviewed by Rob Manuel

I had heard about this series awhile back. What would happen if evil won? What would happen if all the forces of the world couldn't stop them? What would happen if the hero lost? People described it to me as "The Sopranos" as Super Villains. That begged the question, is Tony Soprano, the matriarch of a New Jersey mob family, anything like Golgoth, the self-imposed ruler of the world?

Hang on. The point is coming just around the corner.

Both are family men. Tony will lie, steal, or kill to keep his family ahead of the game. Tony is ruthless with only a single mind set on making sure he stays on top. Tony protects his family - people who he trusts and people related to him through blood. This is where Golgoth differs. As a Super Villain, he knows that to get to the top, you have to stand on a lot of bodies - even if they're your family.

Empire Volume 1 opens with the last of Earth's forces falling to the wayside. Endymion - Earth's mightiest hero - disappeared without a trace. Golgoth controls the world and his control is absolute. One man, however, cannot maintain an Empire alone. It takes dedicated workers controlled by drugs and fear to really keep the masses under your thumb. Kafra, through a computer connected to his body, controls all media going out to the people. Stop, rewind, playback - truth is only as real as what comes on the TV. Xanna is Golgoth beautiful and deadly assassin. With most of the population under your control, Xanna finds herself becoming board and increasingly curious about the true power behind Golgoth. Lohkyn plays the part of the new head spy in the regime. And then there's Delfi - the beautiful daughter and the final crowning jewel of Golgoth's empire. After her mother passed away, Golgoth keeps his daughter close and out of the spotlight. The emperor of the world may soon learn that you have to sacrifice everything to gain everything. As the mystery of the death of Golgoth's wife unfolds, the emperor finds its not easy to control the world.

Waid really draws out his anti-hero, Golgoth, in such a way that you have to like him. The action in this story is secondary to all the intrigue and back stabbing which fills the covers. Supporting character like Lucullan - Golgoth strategist who constantly uses the wrong words - and Tumbril - who puts the fun in torture - keep the stories moving and switching feet if a plot line starts to lose its shine. The graphics, under Kitson's care - are deceptively colorful. You would expect such a dark and often disturbing story to drip with black ink. Instead, the artwork is reminiscent of late 90's superhero explosion - where pastels roamed free. The light tones seem to intensify the darkness within the pages. My main complaint about Empire is its lack of one character - Golgoth. When given a chance to see a villain succeed, we never get to see how he does it, his driving force, or the real man behind the mask. I guess, that folks, is better left for the next comic book issue.

Rating: (3 out of 4 stars)

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