Reviewing the Mail: Week of 5/26/18

Every week, I list whatever new books I've seen in this space. Once upon a time, it was only things that came from Big Publishing, because I got a lot of those, but nowadays it's just anything new, to save me doing all different kinds of posts.

This week I have one book, which was sent by an intrepid publicist: Et Tu, Brute? by cartoonist Jason Novak. Novak has illustrated the deaths of every Roman emperor -- from Augustus in 14 AD to Romulus Augustulus, who Novak says "outlived the Empire." (Note that there's an implicit definition of "Roman Empire" here which may not match your own. If so, I'd recommend hoping this book is successful enough for Novak to follow it up with one on the Byzantine emperors, from Constantine I to XI.)

I love the idea, and I'm surprised no one has thought of it before: perfect title, perfect little one-death-to-a-spread format, and Novak has a great loose inky style (which looks a little like Kate Beaton's more madcap historical work to me) for the material.

It's cheap, and fun, and actually a decent reference for this one narrow string of data -- all good things!

You can find Et Tu, Brute? at the usual places books are sold -- it's being officially published June 12th by the fine folks at Norton.