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Rating: 
Summary: Secret Societies, Murder and Magical Suspense
Review: I have bought and read comic issues #0 thru #11 and I am hooked! This is a great comic series with impressive art (in a 30's noir style) ala Casablanca. It is set in an alternate historical Earth in which the American Civil War ended in a stalemate and in which Europe continues to dominate world and colonial affairs. Amidst this engrossing melieu enters a doctor who begins to uncover the mystery of the San' greal or the Holy Grail. For those who have enjoyed "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and "Da Vinci Code" this will be a worthy addition to grail lore. It draws heavily on the historical Crusades, the Knights Templar and the Catholic Inquisition. It is fast paced and well drawn and colored and I promise you that you'll enjoy every turn of the page.
Rating:
Summary: A dark, engaging, extremely well-thought-out story.
Review: It's worth mentioning that the cover Amazon is currently showing isn't the actual cover.Not that the cover really matters. It's what's inside that counts and this is particularly true for Rex Mundi (Latin for "King of the World"). I was told by my comic seller that I absolutely must try this trade paperback out, which collects issues #0-5 together. He said it's about a Europe, France in particular, that might have been. There's no separation of Church and State, America is known as the Confederate States of America (after the Civil War ended in a stalemate) and "feudalism and colonialism are the only modes of political power in the world." Sounds interesting, no? The back of the trade paperback says that this is a quest for the Holy Grail as told as a murder/mystery. The comic itself is very noir in its design and story-telling. Faces are in shadows, all the important stuff happens in the nighttime and everyone seems to have a sinister undertone. It is a very exciting mystery. An added bonus is that the faux-newspaper articles that were inserted into the original comics were *not* left out of this trade. The writer created made-up news stories from this time-that-could-have-been. It's fun to read, gives you a better understanding of the Rex Mundi world and it makes the graphic novel last a little longer. This is one of those comics where I tried the trade paperback out and enjoyed it to much that I'm going to have to start collecting the individual comic books as they come out. If you don't like comic books (because of all the advertisements or whatever), you'll want the next trade paperback. Note: I gave this 4 stars as opposed to 5 because I'm still not too sure what's going on in the story yet. I'm a little confused but that's because I don't quite understand all the nuances of the invented time period yet.
Rating:
Summary: Great for fans of alternative history
Review: Rex Mundi combines alternative history, modern sorcery, religious conspiracies, a murder mystery, and the beautiful architecture of Paris. The more of these elements you enjoy, the more you'll appreciate this book. The creators do a terrific job of fleshing out the setting, and all the incidental mysteries, without losing the thread of the main plot. There are dozens of intriguing little details that leave you wanting to know more about the world they've created. The protagonist, Dr Julien Sauniere, is a persistent investigator, but like many a hero in such a story, is clearly about to get in way over his head. I would compare Rex Mundi to Tim Powers' novel "The Stress of Her Regard." They are very similar in tone, flavor and even setting (although the Powers book is set in Italy and has less "alternative" to its history). If you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other.
Rating:
Summary: Great for fans of alternative history
Review: Rex Mundi combines alternative history, modern sorcery, religious conspiracies, a murder mystery, and the beautiful architecture of Paris. The more of these elements you enjoy, the more you'll appreciate this book. The creators do a terrific job of fleshing out the setting, and all the incidental mysteries, without losing the thread of the main plot. There are dozens of intriguing little details that leave you wanting to know more about the world they've created. The protagonist, Dr Julien Sauniere, is a persistent investigator, but like many a hero in such a story, is clearly about to get in way over his head. I would compare Rex Mundi to Tim Powers' novel "The Stress of Her Regard." They are very similar in tone, flavor and even setting (although the Powers book is set in Italy and has less "alternative" to its history). If you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this. Now.
Review: Rex Mundi is one of the best things to come along in comics in a while. The concept is great, the art is fantastic, the story keeps getting better, and it leaves you with plenty to think about. I've been reading since the beginning, and I'm excited that there's finally a trade!
Rating:
Summary: Buy this. Now.
Review: Rex Mundi is one of the best things to come along in comics in a while. The concept is great, the art is fantastic, the story keeps getting better, and it leaves you with plenty to think about. I've been reading since the beginning, and I'm excited that there's finally a trade!
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