Empress #2

Empress, Issue #2 is about the Empress's escape.  The story takes place 65 million years ago, when a galactic civilization is situated on a soon-to-be-devastated-by-an-asteroid Earth.  The title combines far-reaching science-fiction imagery with action sequences.  Action and comedy sequences only work if you care about the characters in one way or another.  Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando works because he had a daughter, and because his quick wit makes you like him.  A black comedy like The Young Ones works because you hate all the characters and like to see them get taken down a notch.

The Emperor is the guy you want to see taken down a notch, and the Empress, her family, and her bodyguard are the ones you're starting to root for as you get into this title.  The eldest child, the daughter, wants to go home again, knowing that it would mean the death of her mother and the captain of the guard.  She's the type you want to see eaten by the dinosaur in the end, but she goes along with the story and even helps out a little at times.

I love the detail in this comic, and as Mark Millar states in the back matter, that's 99% on Stuart Immonen, the penciller, although I do believe the coloring by Ive Svorcina is important as well, as are the editing, inking, and lettering, of course.  While there are titles like Power Lines, which are one-man shows, most comics are a collaborative effort.  Millar goes out of his way to thank everyone involved in the process, the sign of a good leader.