This is one of the strongest debut issues I've seen from Vertigo in a long time, and that is saying something. Williams and Coleby have me pumped to read more of this wild world that so closely resembles our own, and I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys stories set in the WWII era. The final page will have you craving more and I can't wait for the next issue of this series to drop. Read Full Review

"The Royals: Masters of War" no. 1 has an interesting premise and was an enjoyable read. If you like reading alternative history and/or historical fiction, this Vertigo book is for you. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Read Full Review

The Royals: Masters of War #1 is a great start to a new story that is both exciting and intriguing.  Rob Williams has set the stage for a great tale and the art of Simon Coleby is just as impressive.  Fans of superheroes and/or military comics should pay attention because this has the potential to be very special. Read Full Review

“The Royals: Masters of War” #1 isn't perfect. There are a few forced lines of dialogue (Harry's melodramatic monologue in the opening segment) and a few wonky faces (again, Rose is the biggest offender. However, the series carries on the strong lineage of books like “Superman: Red Son” and “The Authority,” giving us a Superman like figure who decides to defend those in his care. Like those books, the consequence of that decision turn out to be quite dire, and it will be extremely interesting to see how they play out. Read Full Review

Equal parts Elseworlds, standard-issue Vertigo fare and war comic, "The Royals: Masters of War" #1 is a fresh, unexpected tale filled with familiar notions. Readers the world over are familiar with the concept of royalty perching above the masses, here that perch is fueled by super powers. This is a very sound story on a solid concept with no shortage of action and intrigue. This is a fine addition to Vertigo's modern library. Read Full Review

Prince Arthur is the type of bastard that Dylan was castigating in his song. One might then wager that he will turn out to be the man kicking the hell out of Henry in Berlin at the start of the issue, because he illustrates he's got more power than his little brother. The notion that superhumans are like nuclear warheads, and their involvement in a war leads to mutually assured destruction, is not a new one, but it's always an interesting one. The Royals: Masters of War promises to examine what happens when duty clashes with responsibility, and the odds are good that it will be pretty compelling when it all shakes out. Read Full Review

Williams takes an intriguing "What if"?" question and plays it out well, although it could use some more textual and visual flair. Read Full Review

The Royals: Masters of War #1 shows a lot of promise here with a great introductory issue — we're given solid story setup, characters, tone, and setting. I'm looking forward to checking out the next issue and see where the comic goes from here. I'm hoping this proves to be a very enjoyable time. Read Full Review

Going forward, I'm really keen to see what this series has in store. Based on what is being teased, ‘The Royals' looks like it could get very interesting. Superheroes have been done to death, and will always feel slightly derivative, but it's good to see creators do a slightly different take on the genre, instead of shying away from it as many do these days. This issue handles its original characters and premise well, and is a strong debut for a potentially very strong miniseries. Read Full Review

This series will show an interesting take on people with super powers in World War 2. But if it's like the first issue just showing time skips on just certain parts of World War two it might be hard to connect with these characters. But we'll see if the creators of the comic can pull this off as this is only a six issue mini-series. So I might give it another issue or two to see if this series is a must read. Read Full Review

Simon Coleby's art in the book's opening pages are freaking beautiful. They are filled with detailed and grit, truly capturing " at least what we imagine " a bombing raid looked like. It's horrific, but you can't take your eyes off of it. Things take a slight dip after that, and the extended flashback scene has some stiff moments, especially during a large party. Those stiff panels can't bring down that opening though, and the promise they show. Royals is off to a really good start and it's worth checking out. I'll be back next month, for sure. Read Full Review

The Royals: Masters of War is exactly the kind of big, slightly goofy, idea that you have come to expect from Vertigo. But like other Vertigo offerings, its treated with just enough narrative momentum and fun so that you never really get a chance to be anything other than entertained and charmed by it. Sure, the idea of a royal family with superpowers is something that has been done before and can only work in comics, but its an idea that can work well under the stamp of Vertigo Comics, and while this issue stumbles a bit, its still right at home alongside the other big idea titles that came before it. Read Full Review

Overall, Williams presents an interesting concept with an above-average opening, done well enough to give readers a sense they need to stick it out for a couple more issues before making a final decision. Reader should definitely continue to read the series, if not to see what happens, but to understand exactly how the world's history with super-powered royals has progressed in a similar manner to our world's history without them. Read Full Review

We seem to be in the midst of a revival of World War 2 comic books, particularly those with a twist. This six issue limited series seems to be a fine addition to the mix. Given the storytelling style of the first issue and the nature of its limited run, for me this feels like an excellent book to wait for the trade on unless you really want those sneak previews (which I understand). Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Read Full Review

The Royals: Masters of War is a title with an interesting concept which could benefit from some further refinement. While issue one is not necessarily a bad book, it does suffer from devoting too many pages to focusing on a concept which could have been better thought out. I'm very curious to see where the story goes, but I wouldn't recommend it to others based on the strength of the first issue alone. Read Full Review

This mini-series is probably targeting a niche market of readers. You've probably read a lot of comics that provide super heroes in a real life setting and there is some of that to some degree. The comic seems to cater to World War II battle and political buffs but other readers might pick this up and enjoy it. I recommend giving this a try. Read Full Review

Beautiful artwork, complimenting a great story. An original alternate history take on World War II. I eagerly await the next issue.

Diogo do piruzinho