Empire # 1 Review

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Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: As Ye Sow…

Written by: Mark Waid
Penciled by: Barry Kitson
Inked by: James Pascoe
Colored by: Bad @$$
Lettered by: Comicraft
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics

Due to being out of the comic loop at the time, I missed out on the original EMPIRE series that lasted for only two issues at the now defunct Gorilla Comics. Mark Waid is one of my favorite writers, his work on FLASH helped define the character that Wally West has become, so any new work by him gets on my radar. The press releases concerning the return of this book certainly piqued my interest. Waid and Barry Kitson together creating a story about a universe where the bad guy won. Sounds cool to me.

Last month DC kindly reprinted the two Gorilla Comics issues in EMPIRE # 0. These books serve as a great primer to this new mini-series. I would strongly recommend picking up the zero issue, since it introduces the splendid cast and details many of the events that led to Lord Golgoth, the bad guy, taking over the world. If money is tight, you can’t find the now sold out # 0, or you don’t want to make a larger financial commitment than necessary, by all means don’t be scared away from picking up the first issue. Its still works well as an introduction on its own, and can easily be grabbed and enjoyed by a newcomer. I’ve only been reading the book for a month and just listen to me talk like I’m the guy who discovered this comic!

Mark Waid, who of course also wrote the classic KINGDOM COME mini-series, is at nearly his best with EMPIRE. The concept of the book is grabbing without a doubt, but it could be a real boring bad-guy-rule-all if not for the superb cast of characters. Golgoth has almost completely subjugated the planet, and outside threats are fairly minimal at this point. Yet the rogue’s gallery of Ministers he keeps near him are more likely to be his downfall than any outsiders. The cast is robust; it’s not often that a group of characters are so well fleshed out after such a short period in print.

EMPIRE more than anything else is a big soap opera disguised as a comic book. There’s lots of conniving, sex, and varying levels of stupidity amongst the cast. The issue works very well on its own merits, the characters are what pulls you along page by page. Lord Golgoth’s meeting with the latest emissary from Greenland shows the reader just why he was so successful in taking over the world. Yet for his almost all knowing status, like many father’s it seems Golgoth is missing things that are happening under his nose. Delfi is the character that brings a small measure of humanity to the monstrous Golgoth. Yet for all of his machinations it seems his little girl is quite the corrupt little thing.

While the writing is engrossing, it would lose much of its luster without the stunning artwork. Barry Kitson and James Pascoe capture this world gone wrong magnificently. The look has that not far in the future feel, but still leaves enough recognizable so we know this isn’t happening in a distant age. The coloring by Comicraft is lively and fits the soap operatic feel I mentioned. This isn’t a pretty world by any stretch, but these characters revel in the vile world they live in.

EMPIRE really is a complete package. It’s obvious that Mark Waid and Barry Kitson took a lot of time to craft this wonderful world. I hope the series is successful enough to spawn a series of minis. Much like Kurt Busiek is now doing with his ASTRO CITY property, EMPIRE seems like it will work best in that format. Of course an ongoing series would be great, but I think the minis will work best, and not fall behind schedule. All things said I really hope to see a lot more of EMPIRE now that it’s finally found a new publishing home.