Written by: Juanra Fernández
Illustrations: Mateo Guerrero
Coloring: Javi Montes
Publisher: Le Lombard
Gloria Victis #3 Nemesis – Comic Book Review
While in the second issue of Gloria Victis things were looking up for Aelio, who was competing to bring back glory to his family’s name, in the end, just like his father, his chance for fame, fortune and freedom of his beloved Fabia all went up in flames. Even though his life as a slave might be over, so was Fabia’s life when Victor cut her throat, as he became her new owner. Blinded by rage, Aelio swore to take revenge, but in the end he was stopped by an unforeseen ally, a gladiator who is known for his outstanding performance. Nonetheless, what goes around comes around.
Completely moving past the horrible death of Fabia, this issue starts off rather dramatically with Aelio’s ‘master’ burning himself, while setting all of his servants free. While this scene is a rather feisty one, it holds little to no extra value, except for the fact that Romulus is now once again a free man, even though his youth has left him. He makes his way to Aelio, but also encounters the mysterious gladiator, who has sent Aelio on his way to meet one of his acquaintances.
Aelio meets up with Marcus Laciano, who holds a reasonable amount of wealth and influence. Laciano takes Aelio under his wing to tend to the horses and help Marcus’ foreign guests learn about how chariot races are done in the empire. Nonetheless, while Laciano is good for him, soon after Aelio encounters a man from his childhood, and someone that could truly shake the foundations of his life. While it seems Aelio has trustworthy allies that are backing him up, Victor is becoming more and more unstable each passing day.
There might be a lot going on in this issue (and so little at the same time), the pace is actually not that fast, allowing the reader to properly process what is going on. Nonetheless, the story starts off with a few unanswered questions, and a sudden mood change of Aelio, which feels a bit peculiar when looking at the ending of the previous issue. That being said, things are rather pleasant, and it’s clear that Juanra Fernández is preparing for the next big happening in the story.
Compared to the previous album, the illustrations remain consistent, meaning that Mateo Guerrero provides the same quality as he did before. You’ll once again be treated to crisp drawings, with some sketch-lines surrounding the bigger picture, adding an old school and extra artistic impression to the entire album. The bland colors chosen by Javi Montes give the drawings a dated look, which fit the timeframe of the story perfectly.
Conclusion
Gloria Victis #3 Nemesis is in many ways a story about revenge and redemption, but it also feels like an interlude to something bigger that is about to unfold in the coming albums. Nonetheless, even with a proper amount of chariot racing, the issue still feels a lot more laid back than the first tome of the series. That being said, if you loved the previous issues, this will certainly amuse you as well.
Gloria Victis #3 Nemesis - Comic Book Review,
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