After 6 years, 25 issues and a new artist and publisher, Rex Mundi finally begins its third act. With the end finally in sight, what else has changed in Arvid Nelson’s epic alternate-history thriller?

In a 1930’s Paris where magic is real and the Catholic Church never lost its grip on power, a prostitute is found murdered. She is covered in occult symbols cut into her skin, and a brilliant young doctor called Sauniere is drawn into the investigation. Shadowy agents of the Church seek to prevent it coming to light, and Sauniere goes on the run, though not before rekindling an affair with old flame Genevieve Tournon, the Duke of Lorraine’s physician. Eventually, they discover that the murder was connected to the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau, and the lost tomb of the Merovingian king, Clovis II. The Duke of Lorraine seizes the French throne and invades Spain, and war breaks out across Europe.

In this issue, #7, the opening of the fifth volume, the Russians have seized Paris, but Lorraine continues to press on single-mindedly into Spain. Sauniere is in Rennes-le-Chateau, attempting to drink away the pain of the revelation that Genevieve has been acting as a spy for Lorraine. The mysterious masked Inquisitor, Brother Mordicant, takes him to Clovis’ tomb, and by working together, they finally gain access. The tomb is a map that points to their next destination, the Grail Castle – Catalonia.

For a long time it seemed like Rex Mundi wouldn’t make it this far. The first three volumes were issued through Image, and became progressively later as day jobs and personal issues pressed down. Then in a remarkable turnaround last year, original artist Eric J was replaced with Juan Ferrera, and they signed to Dark Horse, who gave them the platform (and presumably money) they’d always really needed. Issues began to come out regularly again. Now, with at least a year’s worth of issues still to come, there is talk of a movie being produced by Johnny Depp. Although hard-won, this is a remarkable success for a first title.

Rex Mundi is not entirely successful creatively, however. The story has become so complex that no single issue really makes sense on its own, though luckily the extended gaps between issues in the early years which made it nigh on impossible to follow seem to have ceased. Each issue includes a detailed story-so-far and character biographies, which help make things clearer. However, for a reader to come on board at this point – something which Dark Horse seem to be attempting to encourage – would be daunting indeed.

Although never actually plagiaristic, much of the story and setting are very familiar. Particularly, the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail material seems over-used in the wake of The Da Vinci Code, although it must be remembered that Rex Mundi started first. It also uses the styles of detective fiction, Gothic horror and even war thriller. Like a JK Rowling novel, the richly-imagined world and labyrinthine plot keep you turning the pages, but equally the clunky dialogue and awkwardly-inserted exposition often leave the reader exasperated. Furthermore, the back-matter, a fictional newspaper called “Le Journal de la Liberté”, never really works convincingly, neither moving the plot forward nor entertaining in its own right.

The art has improved dramatically since the move to Dark Horse, with Ferrera’s fluid pencils replacing Nelson’s laboured and static work. Ferrera’s work has a 1930’s Art Deco feel, which suits the story well, though sometimes verges on the cartoonish. The overall effect gives the impression of having been done quickly, but not carelessly. The story is told in a simple, classic style that lets the story flow smoothly without the reader ever becoming confused by experimental layouts or unclear transitions, recalling Hergé in technique, if not in style.

However, it is just this 1930’s picture-serial atmosphere that often seems to clash with Nelson’s aspirations for the series. This is occasionally underlined by histrionic lettering and dialogue worthy of George Lucas, and indeed Rex Mundi frequently comes across as a ham-fisted Indiana Jones rip-off. Nelson often seems unsure whether he is trying to write a Boy’s Own adventure or a serious piece of speculative fiction. He is too didactic for the former, but his characters too one-dimensional for the latter. Yet the story does manage to engage – it would seem unlikely that Rex Mundi would still be around otherwise.

Rex Mundi has a great deal of ambition, and unfortunately fails to live up to all of it. If you like a ripping yarn, and the thirties style and metaphysical overtones appeal to you, there is plenty here to keep you reading. If you’re already bored of Indiana Jones and religious conspiracy theories, there probably isn’t. Arvid Nelson must be praised for his determination, at least, and seems likely to be a fixture in the comics world for many years to come. Personally, I find there’s room for a consistent, old-fashioned yarn in my buying-pile.

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