The Royals: Masters of War #1-#6 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I read the first five issues of this series in one sitting and impatiently waited for the sixth one.  When it finally came, I wasn't disappointed.

I find the conceit of this series fascinating, and I'm surprised that more people aren't talking about it.  I loved the idea that the royal families of the world are actually mutants; their bloodlines now mean something beyond the odd facial structures that come with in-breeding.  Williams uses the Second World War as the device to tease out a world with empowered royals, when the young British prince Henry breaks the agreement between the families that they wouldn't get involved in wars between their countries.  This agreement itself is fascinating, since it goes to the idea that the royal families see themselves as separate from the people that they rule.  The immortal Japanese emperor is a great example of this distance, since his powers have given him experiences that truly do separate him from humanity at large.  

But, this series is really a family drama.  Henry's incestuous love for his sister Rose was unexpected, and I found myself questioning in the first few issues why Williams included it.  But, in the end, it goes to this idea of "separateness."  (I'm sure the Germans have a great compound noun to describe this phenomenon.)  Henry is so disconnected from the world that he's left with only his sister to love, in a nod to "Flowers in the Attic."  (Is that why she was named Rose?)  Again, it's taking the idea of royal families to an extreme to consider the lives that they live.  Moreover, Williams showing the depths of Henry's isolation makes the character all the more heroic, since he's still able to see across that divide and commit to saving his people.

But, Williams doesn't just make everyone as sympathetic characters as Henry.  For example, Henry's father considered their family so above the population that he forgets his role as the people's leader in the first place, betraying Britain to Germany to save his family.  Of course, his definition of "saving" them includes killing three of the five members of his immediate family.  Here, Williams complicates matters by making it clear that ascribing their behavior to isolation might be a stretch.  Maybe Henry really just loved his sister and the King was really just crazy.  (Rather than incest or insanity, Henry's brother simply choose to drink away his loneliness.)

It's this complex psychological examination of the characters that fuels this series, and we don't end it with any tidy diagnosis.  I was surprised when I learned that this series was only six issues, since I feel like Williams has really hit on a great idea here.  I'd love for him to use it to set up an ongoing series set in the present or a near future.  In the meantime, I'd highly recommend this rather depressing read for anyone looking for an offbeat take on the superhero genre.

***** (five of five stars)