The following contains spoilers for Dead Romans #1, now on sale from Image Comics.

Image Comics' latest series, Dead Romans, reenacts one of history's decisive battles that made a heavy dent in the Roman war machine for good. Although the conflict remains the central plot of the story, the duality of duty and love set it apart from regular entries in the historical fiction genre.

At the height of its imperialism, the Roman Empire accrued victory upon victory, conquering lands far and wide. And just when it felt that nothing could stop the dogs of war, a General from within the Roman ranks betrayed his masters for his homeland. Set in the backdrop of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, Dead Romans #1 (by Fred Kennedy, Nick Marinkovich, and Allison O'Toole) tells the story of Prince Arminius who gathered all the tribes of Germania to attack his own battalions in an ambush. The Princes' exploits not only ensured Germania's freedom for centuries to come but also gave the man an iconic status in the annals of history.

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The Battle Of Teutoburg Gives Dead Romans a Unique Background

Dead Romans #1 Honoria and Arminius

According to history, before Arminius became a Roman General, he was a hostage of the very people he served. As a child, he was taken from Germania to Rome after the Cherusci tribe's defeat and received aristocratic education due to his noble blood. With the past fresh on his mind, Arminius learned the tactics of the Roman army, rising quickly through the ranks to stand beside Commander Varus while, in secret, allying with the Germanic tribes. So, in 9 AD, when three legions of Roman soldiers entered the narrow and muddy trail of Teutoburg Forest, the Germanic alliance rained down upon them like hellfire, giving them no quarter.

Dead Romans #1 focuses solely on the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and its protagonist Arminius. While there are no historical records of a woman named Honoria in the legionnaires' march, the book takes certain liberties to ensure elements of romance and vengeance are present to add conflicts along the hero's journey. To Arminius, liberating his country is just as important as making Honoria the queen of his future sovereign nation. This struggle between duty and devotion is a clear deviation from known history. Yet it adds to the General's drive and raises the stakes when things go awry. As Arminius loses Honoria in the skirmish that he himself designed, their relationship suffers a strain as his betrayal will no sooner come to light.

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Dead Romans Highlights The Many Qualities Of General Arminius

Dead Romans #1 Germans versus Romans

Like his real-life counterpart, Arminius in Dead Romans is a clever and able leader. In the short time that he spends with his Cherusci brothers, he douses any fires of dissent and establishes himself as the commander-in-chief of the various tribes. Not only is this a difficult task to accomplish, but appealing to their better nature while wearing the garb of a Roman officer takes both courage and charm. All this proves that he has a good grasp of human nature, which is how he uses Commander Varus' vanity to his advantage, pushing the legions deeper into the forest. As Arminius uses his cunning to achieve his goals, suspense seeps into the story to deliver readers an invigorating read along the lines of graphic novels like 300, to name a few.

Historically, Arminius has been hailed as an icon since his revolt had a cascading effect on Roman policies that slowly released its grasp on Germania. But modern-day Germany steers clear of references to the once-renowned General due to his nationalistic connotations made during the unification of Germany in the 19th century. As the events of Dead Romans transpire, Arminius is yet to be the hero that he is lauded for in the present day. He has only just put the first phase of their plan into action and the body count will only rise as the story progresses. It is one thing to read historical events as a passive engager but to see them unfold through raw depictions of violence and emotion set Dead Romans apart from others in the genre.