The Metabaron – Book 2: The Techno-Cardinal & The Transhuman
As the Metabaron’s destiny starts to catch up with him – despite his best efforts to avoid it – Jodorowsky, Frissen and Henrichon turn in what will almost certainly go down as one of sci-fi comics’ highlights of the year. If you’re not already reading this amazing epic, what are you waiting for?
If the first volume of The Metabaron appeared to steer away from the direction the original The Metabarons collection took us, then this second volume steers us right back in again. The current Metabaron sees no future in the universe and refuses to follow the accepted path of the Metabaron dynasty by fathering a child who will ultimately destroy him. So instead, he uses his extraordinary resources to fill his space-base, the Metabunker, with the finest prostitutes in the universe, intending to while away the end of times in an orgy of hedonism.
Meanwhile his arch enemy, the Techno-Pope, sends his most trusted Techno-Cardinal to finish the Metabaron off. A series of twists and turns follows, bringing the story around in a typically unusual fashion, and leaving the reader with that all too rare feeling that they’ve been taken on an epic journey by masterful comic creators.
The art is as stunning as the story, flipping between the personal detail of intense sexual encounters to the massively dramatic destruction of worlds with seamless ease. Niko Henrichon’s illustration is simply beautiful, with some amazing set-pieces including a masterful illustration-led finalé, that will knock anyone’s socks off.
At this stage I can’t recommend this series highly enough. The drama; the chaos; the universe building; the shock and awe of both illustration and plot: it all binds together into one of the best sci-fi storylines I’ve read in ages. Go back to The Metabarons and work your way to here – it’s an investment of time and money but I can’t see how you could end up disappointed.