Empire

If you're at all like me, you've probably wondered what it would be like if, for once, the bad guys actually came out on top. With Empire you get the chance to see what that might be like. Instead of heroes protecting the world, you'll be treated to Golgoth and his merry band of mercenaries ruling the world with an iron grip. Come on, you know you've always sympathized with the villains. Why can't they win once? This series shows you why.

After hearing all of the good things that people have had to say about this series, I thought it would grab me right away, but it didn't. In fact, I found the first couple of issues to be rather... blah. They laid the groundwork for the rest of the series, but I just wasn't impressed. So there's some evil badasses that rule the world. Whoop-dee-do. I wasn't impressed...... until I got a little ways into the story.

Once you know the cast of characters, however, Waid dove into the interweavings of what it would be like to have to be ruled by a despot. Golgoth keeps people loyal through addiction. He feeds them a drug that enhances their skills and is horribly addictive. When someone stumbles upon the secret of where this drug comes from, however, the subterfuge begins.

The constant back-stabbing, misdirection, and cut-throat dealings are what makes this miniseries as interesting as it is. Well, that and that art is pretty darn good too. I think it might be a little too colorful for this series, but it still was plenty graphic and conveyed the sheer evil of some of the characters very well.

So, if you want to read about bad guys beating up on everyone that is good, while constantly infighting with themselves, then this is definitely a title for you.

Ratings:
Art: 3.75
Story: 4
Overall: 4