This column marked my very first “blurb,” ever – a quote from this piece appeared on the back cover of Rex Mundi #6. Yeah, it is a small thing, but I got a kick out of it. Means someone is reading!

There can be no doubt that among fans of all sort of literature, alternate-reality stories are especially popular. Whether it is in the realm of fiction, like Orsen Scott Card’s Tales of Alvin Maker and Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus, or in the comic world with such stories as the Age of Apocalypse, fans eat this kind of story right up.

Most all of us are familiar with Marvel’s Age of Apocalypse, which featured a completely altered timeline for the entire Marvel Universe. This story enjoyed a great deal of popularity amongst the comic community, and still does to this day. The concept of an alternate comic universe has been used several times since then, based partly on that popularity- most notably in Marvel’s Mutant X and Exiles titles.

Image’s Rex Mundi is similar in that it does take place in an alternate Earth. However, it follows more in the footsteps of Seventh Son in that it presents a different view of our own history. Rex Mundi is set during the year 1933, in France. The split in this version of history took place way back in 1520, when the Inquisition assassinated Martin Luther for his heretical ideas. History buffs may know that this was three years after he posted his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church, beginning the road of Reformation which lead to the weakening of the grip of the Roman Catholic Church in England, and the rise of the Protestants.

This was a severe blow to the Protestant Reformation, and other upstart philosophies like Calvinism met the same fate. Consequently, the Roman Catholic Church maintained its power throughout Europe, and later in America. As such, the 1933 of Rex Mundi is a very different place than our own pre-World War II society.

The Catholic Church still maintains power throughout much of the Western World. Monarchies still thrive, and the Inquisition still exists. The Inquisition, an agent of the church, knows no political boundaries, and acts as a worldwide “police force,” enforcing not only spiritual, but earthly laws with the same brutal methods. Not that the lines between the two are all that clear- basically if it is a sin, it is illegal. Jews, Muslims, and any other “deviant” religion are seen as heresy, and the Church works to stamp them out, much as they did in our own history. The Holy Land is still under the control of the Ottoman Empire, and talks of Crusades are still not uncommon in this somewhat modern world.

Sorcery also seems to exist in the world of Rex Mundi, in the form of the Cabbalah, Judeo-Christian mysticism. Much as it is in our own world, magic is viewed as largely mythical, and its practice is quite obviously frowned upon on by the church. However, we find out very quickly in Rex Mundi that it is indeed very real, and something our hero will have to face time and time again.

Cast of Characters

Julien Sauniere is a physician and something of a detective. He is both loved by his patients and hated by the Guild of Physicians (to which he belongs) because of his practice of treating Jews and those who cannot afford to pay for his services. He was approached by Father Gerard Marin in finding a scroll that was placed in his care by the Church and recently stolen. Sauniere is sucked into an investigation by the deaths of a whole string of people, including Father Sauniere himself, and the hooker who they initially believed was behind the theft.

Genevieve Tournon is also a physician, and an old lover of Julien. She has recently been working as a personal physician to the Duke of Lorraine with aspirations to become the first female to sit on the board of the High Council. To those ends, she has been employed by the Duke (in exchange for a recommendation) to resume her relationship with Julien in order to keep track of his investigation. She soon finds that the Duke may have links to the Knights Templar, an order deemed heretical by the Church back in the 1300s (historically), and is believed to have links to the Shroud of Turin, the Holy Grail, and the Arc of the Covenant. While she is still serving as a “spy” for the Duke, she has just begun to suspect that there is a great deal more going on than she was ever made aware of. Coming issues of Rex Mundi are sure to tell where her loyalties will finally lie.

Thoughts

I can’t say enough about this book. Arvid Nelson has done a truly amazing job weaving the world of Rex Mundi, making something that is so complicated to describe easy to sink into while reading. It is clear that he has wealth of historical knowledge, which he has drawn upon to create this title, and for a history fan like myself, it is greatly appreciated. It seems as if you are rewarded for knowing history in Rex Mundi, as everything that was known about the Catholic Church and the world on the whole during their peak is applicable to this story.

The characters are indescribable and fascinating. Most of the main characters (I could not mention nearly as many as I wanted to above, simple because I could not describe them in any way that would do them justice) appear sporatically, with little background story given. They however, have specific roles in the society Nelson has created, and you can divine all you need to know about a character by his actions alone, without the need for endless exposition. Brother Moricaud, for instance, the mysterious cloaked and masked Grand Inquisitor appears sparingly, and little is known about him, but you know right away by his position in the church and his role in the story exactly what kind of man he is.

This title is all about detail, and that does not stop with the story. The art is truly amazing. EricJ (art) and Jeromy Cox’s (color) work fits seamlessly with the tone of the book. It is dark, morbid, and vibrant, and the attention to detail is amazing. Beyond the characters (which are outstanding), the real treasure in their art is the backgrounds. Everything from the rooms people are in, to the odd rendition of 1933 France is compelling and fresh. They also do a brilliant job of conveying the “noir” tone of the book with the dark and detailed work. Everything has an eerie feel to it, especially the murder scenes, which capture frightening images without resorting to gratuitous blood and gore. I tend to gloss over art when describing a title, but frankly- it is impossible to do that with Rex Mundi. The art is as important as the story with this title, and both are ideal examples of what comic books as a “mature art form” should be.

Bottom Line

I am the kind of person who is a firm supporter of “fun” in comic books. I enjoy titles like Pete, the P.O.’d Postal Worker and Image’s own Savage Dragon for that very reason. I utterly despise it when a title pretends to be epic and scope and serious, when all I really want to read is the hero beating up the villain.

On the other hand, I am also the kind of person who reads Shakespeare and Poe for pleasure, and willingly goes to a museum to see fine art. When a comic like Rex Mundi comes along, I am the last person you will hear shouting the “Comics for Fun!” slogan. Rex Mundi is art, nothing less. In my mind this team has achieved the perfect blend of literature-quality storytelling and breathtaking visuals.

Usually I recommend a book because I think you will enjoy it. That is the case here. But there is something beyond that. With novels and art, there are the “trashy” stuff like Rolling Stone and posters of supermodels (and the like) that we all enjoy, even if they have no real importance in the grand scheme of things. Then there are pieces of art like Don Quixote or Dali’s “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” that we enjoy not only because of their brilliance, but because they represent the best of what that art form has to offer. As far as comics go, Rex Mundi fits in the latter category.

Rex Mundi #4 was recently released, and Rex Mundi #5 is due out soon. You can find an online version of Rex Mundi #0, as well as Brother Matthew: Blessed are the Meek- an online comic set in the world of Rex Mundi in its entirety at Shrunken Head Studios.

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