Rex Mundi Volume 1: The Guardian of the Temple

by Arvid Nelson

Book Overview

Rex Mundi is a quest for the Holy Grail told as a murder mystery. It is a tale of sin, murder and redemption in an alternate-history Paris where magic is real and the Catholic Church never lost its grip on power. This critically acclaimed volume follows Doctor Julien Sauniere as he investigates the theft of a medieval scroll from a Paris church. He stumbles onto a series of horrific ritual murders and an ancient secret society somehow connected...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582403414
• ISBN13: 9781582403410
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.8" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

Very happy with all aspects of this purchase

I ordered this book and one other Rex Mundi book of the set (for my niece's B-day present) and they both arrived in not "like new", but "new" condition. Extremely happy with this site. AS is my niece.

Rex Mundi Vol. 1

Pure Genius. I couldn't put it down. If you enjoy history & mysticism, this is certainly for you. After each issue there are newspaper articles from the world of Rex Mundi that really immerse you in the story. Incredible. The art is spectacular. I can't rave enough about this.

The Da Vinci code meets The X-Files

This series is what the The Da Vinci code should have been.

Rex Mundi Volume 1: The Guardian Of The Temple (Rex Mundi)

This is a masterpiece. for a long time have not read comics like this and really, only remember Eisner works that where as good. Excellent. A must have !!

A MAGNIFICENT ACHIEVEMENT IN COMICS

Rex Mundi is one of the best comic book series going today. A rich thriller in the mode of the Da Vinci code, yet set against a backdrop of an alternate history during 1930's Europe where the Catholic Church dominates the affairs in a battle with Muslim heretics for control of the world. It is within the shadowy world of secret sects, government plots, and religious conspiracies that Doctor Julien Sauniere (Sauniere was also the murdered curator in the Da Vinci code as well as an early 20th century French priest) is visited late one night by Father Marin, an old friend. He seeks Sauniere's help because an ancient scroll has been stolen from the Church's vaults...a scroll linked to the Merovingians, a royal bloodline of France, written in the 13th century. No one knows that the scroll has been stolen, except for a young prostitute befriended by the priest. The priest suspect sorcery was used to steal the scroll from the locked vault. Soon after, both the priest and the prostitute are murdered and Sauniere finds himself under the gaze of the powerful catholic "police" the robbed and masked inquisition who want Sauniere to stop nosing around. Meanwhile, political intrigue is afoot as the sinister Duke of Lorraine is seeking to consolidate his power base to launch a modern day crusade at the advancing tide of Islam, and once again reclaim the Holy Land. Sauniere's former flame Dr. Tournon is now personal doctor to the Duke who sends her to see Sauniere to find out just what he knows about the recent theft of the scroll. This thriller takes place through the bright streets and the dank catacombs of Paris. While some make look at it as a mere offspring of Dan Brown's mega-bestseller, writer Arvid Nelson has taken the story beyond mere religious thriller by mixing in the alternate history and making it a political thriller as well. There are several sides pulling at Sauniere including the church, Duke Lorraine, and a mysterious assassin in white. Nelson has effectively created a Da Vinci Code with a broader brush and loftier goals. As rich as the story is, the art of Eric J. is ever richer...stunning even. Eric's work has a unique, cinematic quality to it. The angle of his panels are laid out with the keen eye of a movie director and you almost feel like you are watching a film rather than reading a graphic novel. You can almost feel the damp clamminess as Sauniere traverses Paris' underbelly. Equally notable is the colorist Jeromy Cox. Color is something you tend to overlook until you see something truly exceptional, and Cox is exceptional. Is blending of colors and textures is as important to the book as Nelson's story or Eric J's art. It perfectly complements the setting. Rex Mundi is a true achievement in comics. If you haven't been reading this outstanding series, now is your chance to read it from the beginning. My highest recommendation! Reviewed by Tim Janson