Heart of Empire

(Dark Horse, 1999)
™ and ©1999 Bryan Talbot

This sequel to the epic Adventures of Luther Arkwright revolves around an alternate history of Britain, where the Empire never diminishes, Queen Anne never dies, and Oliver Cromwell’s puritanical influence never fades. Unknown to the despotic Queen and her subjects, a catastrophic event impends, and may focus on her daughter Victoria, who suffers from mysterious migraines and blackouts as well as the shadowy legacy of her missing father Luther Arkwright. There are rumors that the Pope has sent his best assassin to the Imperial Palace in London to commit a dreadful deed, and that Armageddon begins in seven days. Throw in healthy doses of historical reverence, political satire, eroticism and fart jokes, and add celebrity cameos and you have the makings of a classic in a comic book. From the sublime to the profane, Bryan Talbot has once again woven a remarkably complex tale of politics, personalities, and perverse eccentricities.

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