Caligula #5

Written by David Lapham
Art by German Nobile

I've been enjoying Lapham's twisted take on the twisted Roman Emperor, but this issue had a problem that really affected my enjoyment.  For some reason, the art in this issue is much darker and muddier than all the previous issues.  On Avatar's website, there are some preview pages, and for them, the colouring looks much lighter and more like the previous issues.  The one I brought home looks like a Radical comic.

Storywise, I like what Lapham's been doing with this comic, mixing the supernatural with the historical.  We are a little closer to learning just what Caligula really is, as his reign further devolves into paranoia and terror.  Nobile portrays Rome as an increasingly degraded city, with people starving in the streets.  I love the scene where Incitatus, the horse, is made a Senator of Rome.

Our hero, Junius, continues to demonstrate an ancient version of Stockholm Syndrome, while still working with the noble Laurentius to bring Caligula down.  His character is becoming increasingly complicated, as he vacillates between loving the Emperor and plotting his demise.  Also of interest this issue is the emergence of Jewish monotheism as a threat to Caligula.

I look forward to seeing how this series is going to end.  I only hope that Avatar fixes the colouring issue, so we can actually see how this series is going to end.