I can honestly say I have never read anything like it. The title is referring to a group of people who are, you guessed it, ludicrous aristocrats. I myself have read most of Gillen’s work and have always been a fan, which is why I wanted to pick this new issue up. But I have to say, this isn’t my cup of tea.

In general, I am a fan of ridiculous and fun things, this comic is that, but I was not drawn to the story. A Ludocrat Baron who looks like a giant ginger Santa Claus is the main character, and he seems not to be obsessed with the ridiculous and ludicrous as much as he is obsessed with sex and violence that is ridiculous and ludicrous. He attends a wedding with his friend, Hades (not the god from mythology, but a young woman who seems to be a scientist of sorts), and then discusses who he should spread his seed with. The story did taste of European comic inspiration. It reminded me of some of the French comics I’ve read for the ’70s and ’80s. I do enjoy the crazy and colorful character designs, but the characters themselves for the most part fell a little flat. They all speak in the same overly flowery Mad Hatter-like manner. It’s possible that they are trying to build this new and stylized society where all people speak like this, almost like a regional accent? But for me, it was too overpowering and overshadowed any possible character development in the story.

The main theme of the story besides just being absurd seems to be “don’t be boring.” That I do like. I like that their society is built around not being boring, because who wants to be boring? Though having a person be too boring is also punishable by death; that may be going a little too far. If you enjoy stories that are just completely absurd with a dash of fantasy and a healthy dose of sex and violence, then check this one out.

Creative Team:  Kieron Gillen & Jim Rossignol (writers), Jeff Stokley (artist)
Publisher: Image Comics
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