Empire (DC)

(DC, 2003–2004)
™ and © DC Comics

Readers of super-hero comics will be familiar with the unwritten rule that every villain, upon reaching the pinnacle of his scheming and machinations, is toppled by a band of heroes that use strength, intelligence, team-work, or the villain’s own arrogance to save the day. Mark Waid (Captain America, Fantastic Four, Ruse, JLA) turns that formula on its head with the story of a conquering dictator who achieves his goal—ruler of the world.

Meet Golgoth, a masked warrior who led an army of downtrodden Aborigines to conquer first Australia, then Europe, Asia and America. Wielding awesome weaponry, and the astounding ability to teleport instantaneously to any part of the world, Golgoth conquers armies and murders the leaders of countries that refuse to join his empire. So brutal is his reign that it earns him the enmity of both his subjects and what remains of the free world. There the real story begins, as we see the daily struggle to maintain the Empire.

Golgoth sees enemies at every turn, and the petty concerns of his advisers weigh upon him. This series isn't about a villain defeating a team of heroes—it is a political saga worthy of the Roman Empire. At all times, the illusion that Golgoth is all-knowing and all-perfect must be preserved, even if it requires propaganda and executions to achieve it.

Empire is a continuation of the series published by Image in 2000, having now found its home at DC. Issues 0 & 1 reprint the material from the Image Gorilla Comics imprint.

— David Reilly

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