Angus McKie

In a world held in the iron grip of a totalitarian empire, the dying Pope, guided by a vision from God, sends his top assassin to the Imperial Palace with a dire mission -- but the countdown to total destruction has already begun! Meanwhile, the Princess Victoria embarks on a quest that will turn her world upside down. The long-awaited stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Luther Arkwright is finally here. Bryan Talbot has created an amazingly complex, yet accessible universe filled with action, adventure, romance, heroism, and betrayal. An epic tale that builds inexorably to a roller-coaster ride that will have you hanging on every word and every image!

In a city to rival Gotham, the intrigue and tension begin to build as we enter the Imperial Palace and meet the Empress' public and private personas; one an Elizabethen fever-dream, the other a walking nightmare! A labor of love by Eisner award-winning writer-artist Bryan Talbot, sumptuously colored by Angus McKie (Martha Washington).

From the splendors of the Imperial palace and the new St. Paul's Cathedral to the dangerous streets of Alsatia, the cracks in Queen Anne's rule are beginning to show. The seeds of rebellion are taking root, a Papal assassin stalks the royal court, and Princess Victoria is discovering the extent of her own, possibly uncontrollable, psychic powers.

Luther Arkwright's daughter, Princess Victoria, comes into her own when she single-handedly thwarts an assassination attempt on activist Gabriel Shelley. Guns, knives, and hand grenades become toys in her hands, then she becomes putty in Shelley's. Meanwhile, papal assassin Father Barberini continues to stalk Victoria's mother, the Queen.

It's the eve of destruction and London goes wild as Victoria descends into a terrifying nightmare. From sunrise over Alsatia to the living hell of Bedlam and beyond, from betrayal and plots of violent revolution to hot sex in the Queen's bedchamber, this is probably the best single issue of any comic you'll buy this year. Featuring a three-page strip by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean.

An issue full of revelations. American reporter Hiram J. Kowolsky discovers his assistant Angela is much more than she seems. Old Harry Fairfax finds that he still has some of his old spark (but keep him away from open flame!). The extent of the plot against the royal family is revealed. And Princess Victoria receives the shock of her life.

As the countdowm to cataclysm nears its conclusion the pace is heating up. The assassin Barbarini shears a bloody path to the Empress's private orgy. The Levellers enter Britannia Square to face the Militia like lambs to the slaughter. We witness disaster at ZeroZero, the death of four major characters, and at last face the true Heart of Darkness. All this plus the Rat Woman, Kenny Baker, and Fairfax's finest fart yet.

All hell breaks out as we hurtle towards the finale; the massacre begins in Britannia Square! Panic at Zerozero as WOTAN screws up! The Rat's Castle Squad is caught in a withering hail of bullets! An inexorable countdown to total destruction! And Victoria finally confronts the ghastly truth, the source of all her ills and the true Heart of Empire. Let the battle commence!