The Royals: Masters of War
Rob Williams, writer; Simon Coleby, pencils & inks (Chapters 1-3); Gary Erskine, inks (Chapters 4-6); J.D. Mettler, colors
Vertigo Comics, 2014
As a longtime Vertigo fan, I've always had a special fondness for their miniseries: some of the most varied and experimental comics they published. But as I moved from buying monthly issues to buying trade paperback collections to relying on library collections for them, around 2014 I began to lose track of new Vertigo miniseries (and libraries seem to have stopped acquiring them as well). The published output was considerably smaller than during the early years of the imprint, when there was typically a miniseries issue published every week. But there were still quite a few, which I discovered during Comixology's Vertigo sales. So I am catching up, in roughly chronological order.
This series ties into a couple of longtime Vertigo interests: British subjects (which follow the frequent hiring of British creators) and a novel approach to superheroes. As it is set during World War II it is also a kind of alternate history. The core concept is that royal families all over the world have superhuman abilities: the purer the bloodline, the stronger the powers. There has been an agreement among the royals that they would stay out of commoner wars. But then England's Prince Henry is so appalled by the carnage of the Blitz that he decides to intervene--which breaks the truce, bringing all of the Royals into play.
From there the story follows many significant WWII events with alternate explanations: Pearl Harbor, Midway, D-Day, the Siege of Leningrad. Historical figures feature in the story as well, including Churchill, F.D.R., Hitler, and Hirohito. Personally I wasn't much taken with the super powers aspect, but the history kept it interesting. Coleby's artwork is mostly realistic: it is generally easy to recognize the real characters portrayed, and the battle scenes are exciting. Not one of my favorite Vertigo miniseries, but it held my interest, at least partly because the lead characters are shown to be in real danger. They may be superhuman, but a happy ending is not guaranteed.
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