Britannia #2 continues with Antonius Axia investigating the strange happenings near a Roman fort in Britannia. It opens with Antonius being summoned by a spirit shaped like his late wife and he’s tempted. However, he’s able to regain his composure and strikes at the image causing the monster to vanish. What he doesn’t know is that his resistance to such a demon was possible due to the Vestal Virgins reshaping him in the Fire of Vesta and giving him powers even he doesn’t know yet.

After searching through the field, Antonius and his fellow soldier discover that Fort Paulinus was actually moved, and the remains from a massacre belong to the local Brits and not the Romans. It’s not long before they’re found by Roman soldiers who question their presence. Antonius informs them that he’s been sent on a mission by Emperor Nero but he detects something’s off with them. What is really going on in Britannia and can Antonius trust the soldiers? And how much do the Vestal Virgins truly know about this monster?

The opening sequence with Antonius seeing a vision of his dead wife interspersed with Rubria stating how he’s been reforged by the Fire of Vesta was fascinating. I wanted to know more about the monster plaguing those in Britannia or what Rubria did to Antonius. And then the subsequent revelation that the fort was moved coupled with the shadiness of the troops stationed there made for a great situation. Even the initial interaction with Prefect Gabinius was intriguing since it hinted at something more sinister. So Antonius’s investigation was compelling because I wanted to know what was going on too.

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It wasn’t until Rubria and Nero’s exchange that I started to feel this issue was progressing slowly with the main story. Peter Milligan’s love for the material was clear but I started to wonder where the story was going. Aside from Rubria confirming that Antonius was to be used as a weapon, the power struggle between Rubria and Nero was presented last issue so it seemed repetitive here. And considering how Antonius was already being treated by the Roman soldiers it didn’t need to be stressed even more that they didn’t want him to uncover the truth.

It would get better after this when Antonius’s investigation would continue. Tying the Roman soldiers’ transgressions to the rebellion of the local people and possibly the mysterious monster was a good touch. I won’t give away any spoilers so I’ll just say that the events in Britannia are much more enjoyable than the politics in Rome. And I hope next issue focuses more on Antonius’s mission and the people there.

SUMMARY

Despite some bumpy parts, Britannia #2 is overall a solid issue that starts to peel back the mystery of Britannia. Antonius as a character is at his strongest when he’s investigating and given a clear context. This allows the story to move forward in the most compelling way since it brings the local population into play. Rubria and Nero’s interaction mainly feels like a distraction considering next to nothing was revealed about their true plans. However I am hopeful right now that all these different story threads will start coming together better next issue. And I’m looking forward to that.