Another solid installment in the mystery/adventure series set in Ancient Rome. This time the detectioner Antonius, accompanied by former gladiator Achillia, searches for the symbols of Rome’s (and Emperor Nero’s) imperial power. The story is pleasantly twisty and doesn’t lead exactly where the reader might expect. The dynamic between Antonius and Achillia is a joy to behold – an acerbic friendship underlied by something more. As with the previous installments, I find myself fascinated by the political dimension: Antonius has no reasons to be a fan of Nero and usually has to be coerced into undertaking any task the Emperor has for him (usually by threats against people the detectioner cares about), but ultimately he also seems invested in maintaining the status quo, defending Nero’s rule. Should the series continue, I’ll be very curious to see if there comes a point where Antonius finally breaks.

Antonius Axia has a new case from Emperor Nero - retrieve the Eagles of three of his legions lost in the dark Germanic forests. So where does our brave "detector" and his female gladiator bodyguard go after he consults with the Vestal Virgins? To Germany? Of course not! Rather he heads for sunny Egypt to investigate the commander who lost the eagles, get some sun, and maybe have fun. But in the end, he does do his duty and manage to please Nero, if not the Vestal Virgins.

The art was good, the story line was interesting except for the grating fact that the Eagles were lost under Augustus, not Nero. But an entertaining comic non the less

Another amazing collection from Peter Milligan! I very much enjoy Milligan's Britannia series. I very much enjoy the entire storyline with Antonius Axia, the first "detectioner."

In this volume, we follow Nero's further decent into madness, and seeing the corruption seep through the empire. When 3 of the mighty Roman eagles are lost to barbarians, Nero sends Axia to find them. He dangles freedom in front of Achilla as motivation for a fast resolution. It really starts to get interesting when Axia's gift leads him to Egypt instead of the Germanic forest of Tottenwald.

Will Axia be able to find the Eagles before Nero's assassins find him? Can Axia help Achilla finally get her freedom? Find out in the latest volume of Milligan's Britannia.

It's very rare Peter Milligan writes something I like. With this series, Milligan keeps his writing straight-forward and free of absurdities. In a time of portents and omens, the Detectioner (Yes, I hate that title too!) is the Sherlock Holmes of the Roman empire. The eagle was a prominent symbol of Rome. When the eagle standard of 3 Roman legions go missing in Germany, Axia is sent to find them along with a female gladiator. The relationship between these two really makes this book. Their banter is a lot of fun as they track down the standards. Robert Gill replaces Juan Jose Ryp as the artist on the book. Gill is a talented artist in his own right.

'Britannia, Vol. 3: Lost Eagles of Rome' by Peter Milligan with art by Robert Gill is another adventure with Roman Detectioner Antonius Axia.

This time, the early detective is sent to find the lost eagles, troop standards that were lost in a battle with Germany. The loss of the troops is trivial compared to the psychological trauma of losing the eagles, or aquila, at least to Nero. This time, Antonius is teamed up with a gladiator who has been promised her freedom if she can help find the eagles. The search leads them to Egypt, against Nero's orders.

I enjoyed the first 2 volumes of this series. I enjoyed this one less. The story feels a bit more standard of a whodunnit and less mystical in nature. The art quality seems to have dropped this time around too. I do still enjoy this series, though.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Volume 3 of “Britannia” sees Antonius Axia, The Detectioner, and Achillia, former gladiatrix, sent on assignment by Nero. The two must recover the 3 golden eagles of Rome, which were stolen during a skirmish in Germany. Without the eagles, the plebeians are rioting in the streets of Rome, calling for Nero’s head. The investigation leads Axia and Achillia on a twisting journey involving a Roman general, a descendant of Ramses, the plagues of Egypt, and the missing eagles.

This is a solid continuation of the “Britannia” series, and reaffirms why “Britannia” is my favorite Valiant title. As a reader, you cannot help but root for Axia. He is an intelligent, likable character, who does have flaws. Achillia is a still a headstrong, awesome warrior. The main cast of characters (Axia, Achillia, Rubria, Nero) makes an appearance, but this particular case results in a lot more strain, threats, and miscommunication. This volume contains the usual suspense and political intrigue, but also throws in a bit of romance. The art is beautiful, and the coloring is tasteful. After that ending, I can’t wait for the next volume!

I have to admit that I was excited when I heard this book was coming out, even though elements of the first two volumes left me feeling lukewarm on the series. So what's the deal? I think Antonius Axia and Achillia make a good team. A Roman soldier and a former slave gladiator sounds like a good combo to me.

Nero is just as crazy as ever in this volume. The Eagles of Rome are a symbol of Rome's might, and the emperor's ability to rule, that are taken into every battle. When three go missing in a campaign against the Germans to the north, Axia is tapped to find them and restore Nero's standing with the Roman citizens. Pretty much all the elements that I've enjoyed about this book are back. In addition to the characters already mentioned there are the Vestal Virgins, Axia's son, and his steward/friend. Axia and Achillia explore a new area of this Roman centric world. I think the thing that makes this book work so well is the interactions between these two characters. They complement each other nicely.

I liked the art a lot. There are times where it felt a little rushed (both art-wise and story-wise). Everything moves along at a nice pace though, so it was hard to get hung up on some of the little things that might have otherwise bothered me about the book. This book still doesn't tie the series into the overall Valiant universe. That's okay with me because it has become it's own thing. I think somewhere down the line it will get tied in with the other books. There's no rush. I just want to see more of these characters.

Having moderately enjoyed the previous two entries in this graphic novel series, I wasn’t against continuing it, as just the idea of a detective in Roman times is pretty awesome. This time he’s searching for the army standards that were lost in battle against early Germans. He’s also got a female sidekick he’s hot for but won’t take advantage of, despite the fact she makes it pretty obvious she’d welcome it.
With so little real estate on each page it’s tough to show detailed detective work, but what there is, is fascinating, especially from a historical perspective.
Storywise, I find it humorous that he’s probably the smartest person in at least Rome if not further, and yet so naïve at the same time. Just about every move he made was the right one at the moment but wrong in the big picture, and he doesn’t get it until it’s told to him. Hopefully by the time the next volume comes out I’ll have forgotten how bad he screwed up so I won’t pity/disrespect him, which otherwise makes him pretty useless.
The art is pretty standard, complimenting the story but not enhancing it.

This volume was weaker than the previous two before it. The plot was easy to predict and was lackluster as there was no true supernatural/surreptitiousness to compare logic ad reason to.

Another good story from the Britannia series. I wasn't really drawn to the artwork but the story was good with lots of intrigue, twists, turns and battles. Fans of this series will enjoy this third volume about Antonius Axia, the empire's finest "detectioner" and hero of Britannia.

In this story Antonius is on a quest to find the lost eagles of Rome. Without these treasured Roman symbols, Nero's hold on the Roman empire weakens and the wolves are gathering, determined to take his place. Antonius knows that much is at stake and he will use all his wits, gifts and sword fighting skill in his efforts to find them.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Quickly becoming a huge fan of the Britannia series of graphic novels. Great artwork and stories lines in all of the volumes.

Britannia is historical, well-written, and the artwork is colorful and detailed. It’s epic cinema storytelling rendered on the comic book page.

Eschewing spandex and super villains, this graphic novel shows another kind of visual tale.