Not a very new type of story. If you're into sword and sandals then go for it. If not I really don't recommend this.

A tale of political intrigue and backstabbing set in Roman times. Lots and lots of nudity. The story wasn't bad and the art was solid but it was very difficult to tell the characters apart. There were a lot of similar character designs.

Did not catch my fancy but I'm sure it's for a very specific audience.

And lo, the tenth book of this Belgian series did come into existence just as the English-language one was gifted to the netgalley reviewers. And lo, they did find this story of Nero's rise to power very soapy and clumsy, with chapters starting halfway down the page, and the characters not always easy to keep separate from one another. Still, it verily did look very good indeed, even if it remained not really of interest to this humble scribe.

This is my first time review a comic/graphic novel, so it might not be too perfect.
I got a copy from Netgalley in order to give an honest review. Thank you for Europe Comics for this copy.

Story

For the first book, I like the story. It’s not too complicated, easy to understand and to follow. Not too many characters and the words are not too long. So, it’s perfect as a comic book. Something that you could read for relaxing while enjoying the story and artwork.

I’ve always been interested in historical fiction, like Greek and Roman history. The time of Nero is one of the most intriguing stories. Given he’s quite cruel in his own way, I think he makes a good background story.
However, in this first book, Murena’s story is not really clear. I hope it become clearer in the next book.

Artwork

Love the artwork. It’s real, as close to human. Not being too exaggerated like big muscles or long legs, but just normal human being. I also like how the lines are accentuated in each drawing, many small lines that create effects like shadows and strengthening each character and background. It gives the comic some serious and dark feeling, but not too dark. The blood in the drawings are also not too much, which is good. It’s just quite a normal amount of blood.

Recommendation

Recommended for those who like historical fiction especially Roman history and won’t squirmed with nudity and blood. Also, if you like some serious drawings, this is the graphic novel for you.

'Murena #1: Purple and Gold' by Jean Dufaux with art by Philippe Delaby is the start of a series about emperor Nero.

The story starts in the reign of Claudius. The brutality of the games, the debauchery of the people, and the machinations of the political wheel are all on display here. Claudius' wife Agrippina is tired of him and wants to make sure her son Nero makes it to the throne. Claudius seems more interested in another woman, so Agrippina takes her violent action.

The art is more of an illustration style like you'd see in book rather than a graphic novel. The coloring is a bit softer, and the illustrations are really nice. They are pretty gratuitous though, showing that this book originated in Europe where there is less sensitivity to this sort of thing. I liked the book and it's art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This is the first in a sequence of at least ten graphic novels set in the time of the emperor Nero and exploring his life and reign. Events are seen from the point of view of the young aristocrat Murena who befriends Nero and his half-brother Britannicus in the last days of Claudius’ reign. The book acts as a teasing first chapter, introducing the dramatis personae, Nero, Burrus, Seneca, Acte and the villainous Agrippina working with Pallas, her freedman lackey.
The artwork is excellent – it reminds me slightly of the Trigan Empire strip in Look and Learn magazine (that certainly dates me!); events closely follow the historical record and the narrative is convincing in a grim and violent way. This is not for the faint hearted: the violence is graphic and there is much nudity, but no more shocking than in recent TV series set in Rome. This opening episode would certainly encourage the reader to follow the series.

Great art work and story line in this graphic novel.

Tedious, unimpressive story of Romans leading up to Nero's reign. Unremarkable, predictable, you've seen it before. A bore to read though the art is kinda ok.

Art is amazing, but I am not going to finish this. Too much repetition, scenes of nudity and a naive portrayal of Roman society with presenting women as whores and men as misunderstood heroes made me want to run away from this one, screaming.

Thank you for an ARC.

I couldnt read it, the textbubbles where all empty and I found no clou how to fix it.
Sorry.

In una Roma soffocata da scandali e intrighi, il giovane Lucio Murena si trova a dover difendere sé stesso e l'amata madre dalla più pericolosa delle nemiche: Agrippina, che dopo aver fatto qualsiasi cosa per arrivare al trovo e assicurare la successione al figlio Nerone, non è certo disposta a cedere il vantaggio conquistato.

Anche se fra lei e il suoi progetti si dovessero frapporre l'imperatore Claudio e il suo amato figlio Britannico.

Una ricostruzione sanguinosa e veritiera della Roma imperiale, che se pecca un poco nella scrittura evoca con efficacia quei tempi di lussuria e intrighi con tavole magnifiche.

E ci mette il dubbio che, a distanza di duemila anni, ben poco sia cambiato.

This is not a classic comic book. This is a modern way to see the classic Greek literature in a graphic way

The illustrations in "Murena" are really good but the characters look a lot alike and it got me confused at times. The story is interesting enough but I prefer stories with more details.

Meticulously drawn, this graphic episode depicts the end of the Emperor Claudius’ life and the rise of Nero as orchestrated by his mother, Agraphina.