Millennium

Blending a classic Middle Ages setting, supernatural elements, religious zealotry, and detective fiction, this massive volume—originally published in France—feels a bit like Sherlock Holmes trapped in time with a dash of aliens. Our hero, Raedwald (generally referred to as the Saxon) and his right hand man, Arnulf, travel the world solving crimes that are heavily steeped in religion and corruption–such as healing holy relics and determining who really killed Jesus Christ. Though the art is wonderfully layered and gives as much attention to detailed period settings as much as it does to characters, the sheer presence of so many similar men (and so many monks) can make characters difficult to tell apart. The detective and science aspects give the largely religion-based mysteries an intriguing spin, but the stories drag from time to time, and both the Saxon and Arnulf are pretty shallowly drawn. A brisk example of the European adventure comic. (Apr.)