Customer Reviews

Empire

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you ever wanted to read a comic book that focused on the Super Villain then this is the one for you.

Golgoth is a somewhat tragic and complex character who is the type of super villain that Lex Luthor and Dr. Doom dream about being. He's a very successful conqueror and having to deal with that success, and the costs it extracts from him. He's come a long way and he's had to make some sacrifices to do so.

Highly recommended for anyone who cringes at the stupid mistakes comic book villains make, or at the inevitable return to the status quo usually required of long standing series where the "hero" is the main character. That's pretty much the opposite of this character.

I like that Golgoth comes across somewhat like a real person who seems to wear his mask at times to help him hide the emotions of dealing with what his intellect has told him he must do, even when in his heart he'd rather not do it.

This is top notch Mark Waid work. Being an adult title, he is not held to any code, so there is some swearing and brief nudity as well as violence. But unlike some other writers, Waid does not wallow in this freedom, the adult content is just touched upon in the right places and not used simply for shock value. Barry Kitson's art is fantastic. This story is focued on Golgoth, the supervillian who has taken over the world. It is an interesting perspective and a terrific read throughout. I hope they produce more in the future since the door is open for sequels. If you like the more adult take on superheroes like Dark Knight, then give this a try.

This story finally tells a superhero story from the perspective of the bad guy. Great concept, it's amazing how nobody thought of this before. Excellent execution, great story (even if you don't like superhero stuff), very unpredictable, and the ending will not let you down. I honetly feel like if this was cleaned up a little and a tad more ambitous, could have been as groundbreaking as Watchmen.

Re-readability: 8/10

*I always put re-readability in my reviews for people who like to keep their TPB to re-read*

Mark Waid is doing something these days that seemingly no one else with his history is, or has even thought of. Instead of working within current continuity and frameworks of existing characters -- think Grant Morrison and Batman, Geoff Johns and Green Lantern/The Flash (both great writers doing great work, expanding the mythos of these pre-existing characters) -- Waid explores uncharted territory in 'Empire'. Things are turned on their head, with the villain, Golgoth, the victor and the lone superhero who could defeat him killed on live TV. Golgoth controls nearly all, and is in the process of eradicating the small, remaining pockets of resistance around the world.

But what is actually required to rule the world? We see Golgoth's family suffer, his "loyal" followers plot their own machinations, and his painful, inevitable acceptance of the need to be merciless, no matter who or what the cost. It is a unique vision Waid and Barry Kitson, the artist, have created. Kitson's work demands more than a passing mention -- he brings this disturbing world brilliantly and believably to life. The "twist" or "loose thread" at the end isn't either, in my opinion -- it's a hint at a possible sequel, and also a comment on the power humanity can bring to a purpose -- be it good or evil.

I also recommend Waid's current series "Irredeemable", which is another step in Waid's unique extrapolations of the the "hero vs. villain" dichotomy. 'Empire' asks "What if a villain won, and ruled the world as a result?" 'Irredeemable' asks "What if the world's greatest hero, riven with emotional and mental instability since childhood, breaks completely, and becomes the world's greatest villain?" Start with 'Kingdom Come', read 'Empire', and then check out 'Irredeemable'.

I won't post any spoilers, but there were at least three completely unnecessary and occasionally detrimental tangents taken in Empire, one of them happening so late and being so inconsequential to the events of the story that it was basically a waste of paper.

Also, I personally found it very hard to figure out what the story of Empire was supposed to be.

Taken at its word Empire is about the stresses a supervillain has to deal with after having successfully conquered the world, however, that premise is quickly negated in the comic (turns out he's still in the process of conquering the world), and further on it's completely ignored so that a series of fruitless subplots can take place instead.

These subplots focus heavily on the main character, Golgoth's, supporting cast, and in doing so serve only to turn Golgoth into little more than a bit player in his own comic. The subplots also resolve themselves quickly with little bearing on the main narrative, and do so ostensibly at the climax of Empire. This makes for a very disappointing climax, seeing as almost all of the conflicts died down rather than coming to a head.

In short Empire has gorgeous art but the story felt as if Waid was attempting to reveal the links in a chain one by one, yet ultimately the links didn't seem to be, err... linked.

Waid decides to turn his hand to a villain, with th excellent Kitson doing the artwork.

Here, a superhuman dictator is the protagonist. This graphic novel is all about how far will he go to maintain control of his massive, far-spanning Empire.

The answer - a lot. Don't expect a lot of sweetness and light. When this man has to make ruthless decisions, he most definitely errs on the side of ruthless.

I stayed up way to late last night because I couldn't put this down. I read the last three chapters after intending to only read one.

Mark Waid is one of the great storytellers in comics and as he says in his forward he gets to construct the whole world in this story.

The result is a "protagonist" who is a cross between Darth Vader and Julius Cesar. Golgoth runs a horrifying empire with an iron fist. This book really scared the hell out of me.

Ok, I will be the first to admit that I am a sucker for a well written graphic novel ... and this is indeed one such well written graphic novel. Mark Waid has been a favorite of mine for quite some time, and so I anticipated reading this since the date I purchased it. And Kitson's art was pretty darn impressive. Yet, however interesting the story started out and continued to be as I progressed ... I just didn't feel a full "completeness" to the entire story arc ... and found too many loose threads for my taste in the end. Perhaps this feeling derives from the very core history in the story of how "Empire" came to be picked up by DC, but I would not re-read this title. Great escapist entertainment for an evening, but I am already looking to pass it on and out of my permanent collection. Thanks Mr. Waid/Mr. Kitson for the effort, just fell a little flat.