Orc Stain #7

by James Stokoe

Orc Stain #7 is exactly a year late, having been solicited for February of 2011.  Lately, I've been thinking of the relaunched Prophet as a worthy (and probably superior) replacement to this series in my affections, and it's nice to see a new issue to compare things to.

In Stokoe's series, the Orcs, who are always nothing but fodder in other fantasy stories, are front and centre.  The hero of our story is a one-eyed Orc (called One-Eye - Orcs are nameless) who is believed to be the Orc that the Orctzar has heard about in a prophecy.  His minions had him captured, but One-Eye managed to escape from the belly of a gigantic beast thing.

In this issue, One-Eye works to escape his pursuers, and is aided by Bowie, the swamp witch who betrayed him once before, and her talking cloak, Zazu.  Bowie is interested in the abilities of One-Eye's remaining eye, and she strikes a deal with him to help him escape the Orctzar's army in order to learn its secrets.

They decide that the best way to avoid their enemies is to take the dangerous Mondo Pass through some mountains, which lands them in ever deeper trouble, especially when a group of River Orcs, riding Zors (picture a cross between a Harley Davidson and a squid) come chasing after them.

Stokoe is one insane comics master.  His pages are crammed with more detail than a Where's Waldo page drawn by Geof Darrow, and he continues to play with anthropomorphic beast-items.  Every new panel of this comic is a bit of an adventure in reading, and there are some gorgeous double-page spreads.  This issue has 31 pages of story for only $2.99, making it well worth the wait.  My hope is that the next issue will come our way before another year passes though...

Orc Stain #6

by James Stokoe

It's been a long time since I've read an issue of this series, and I've missed it, but I also feel like it's lost a lot of its momentum.  Orc Stain is still a pretty amazing comic, I've just kind of lost touch with it during its hiatus.

This issue picks up where the last one left off, as One-Eye is searching for a way out of the giant creature he was trapped in (alongside a thousand other one-eyed Orcs), and Bowie, the poison-slinger, attacks the Orctzar's men, who have taken over the local town.  There's a lot of mayhem, as only Stokoe can usually provide.

While the art in this issue is as wonderful as every previous one, it seemed lacking in the strange little visual gags that Stokoe usually peppers his comics with.  I think that perhaps there was just a lot of plot that needed to be gotten through in this installment.  I'm not sure how long this title is expected to run, but it does look like One-Eye is going to be confronting his destiny in one way or another pretty soon.

Orc Stain #5

by James Stokoe

In terms of straight up originality, James Stokoe's Orc Stain is completely in a class of its own.  His story, about the machinations of Orcs, is moving along slowly, but a lot happens in each issue.

This time around, our one-eyed protagonist has been taken prisoner by the forces of the Orctzar, who has been told in a prophecy that a one-eyed Orc will be key to his plans.  To figure out which of the thousands they've captured is their target, the Orctzar's people are sending different one-eyes into a large creature that lives in a mountain (as with most things that happen in this series, this is not all that clear, but is visually very cool).

While this is going on, Bowie, the swamp-dwelling poison thrower we met last issue, is looking to avenger her burned-down hut by messing with the Orctzar's men.  She disguises herself, and infiltrates the Orc's town, causing no end of mischief.

Stokoe's storytelling is incredibly bizarre, but at the same time, there is a very consistent internal logic to this title that shows he's put a great deal of thought into how this story works.  The art and colours in this book are brilliant, and I hope it gets back to a more regular schedule.

Orc Stain #4

by James Stokoe

Orc Stain is fast becoming my favourite oddball comic on the stands.  Stokoe is putting together a very strange, but very enjoyable story with this title.

Since the beginning of this book, we've known that the Orctzar, the leader of all the Orcs, has been hunting for a one-eyed Orc whose ability to open things will provide him with great power.  Our protagonist, One-Eye, has not run into the Orctzar's people until this issue, in which he finds himself in some swamps after his daring escape from trouble last issue.

One Eye is being looked after by Bowie, a female poison thrower, who is really only looking out for her own interests.  When the Orctzar's men arrive, stuff goes all crazy, as it often does in this book.

While the story is diverting and enjoyable, it is the art that really makes this comic unique.  Stokoe is giving us a Geof Darrow level of detail, but with a Brandon Graham level appreciation of weirdness and whimsy.  The book is continually visually surprising, and is stunning.  I really like the colours that Stokoe uses, and when I see how much he is putting into this book, I am amazed that this issue was not later arriving than it was.  Amazing stuff.

Orc Stain #3

by James Stokoe

I love this book.  Hardly anything happens, as the entire issue consists of One-Eye escaping from Pointy Face, who has called for a Poxagronka on him.  Basically, that's a blood feud sort of thing, calling for an eye for an eye and a gronch for a gronch, which is somewhat justified, as One Eye did lope his gronch off last issue (a gronch is exactly what you think it is).

The beauty and madness of Stokoe's book lies in the way in which he structures his chase scenes.  One Eye's escape, carried out while lying naked in a bathtub is brilliant, and much of this issue calls to mind the old Warner Brothers chase cartoons, but in a twisted, more violent sort of way.

What I love most about this book is the use of colour, and the way in which Stokoe is laying out the pictures on the page.  This is one of the more inventive books on the stands right now, and deserves a lot more attention than its been getting.

Orc Stain #2

by James Stokoe

Orc Stain is well on the way to becoming one of my favourite regular series. Stokoe's new comic is an amazing showcase for his particular brand of comics weirdness. In this issue, our hero One-Eye is betrayed by his partner, and almost gets his gronch cut off when he can't pay a proper tribute to the local Orc leader. What follows is a flurry of violence, and the lopping off of a gronch or two.

If you aren't sure what a gronch is, it's pretty much exactly what you would expect. Apparently, they are currency in the Orc world.

Stokoe is imbuing each page of this book with a high degree of visual creativity. His Orcs are incredibly detailed, as are their surroundings. He is inventing some very interesting things, such as Dillo leather armchair disguises and living pop cans, while also constructing Orc culture and traditions. I've always liked Stokoe's art, but it looks better than ever in the lush colours he is using here.

He's really taking his time to establish some of these characters and their surroundings, before he flings One-Eye into the main plot, which involves a territorially aggressive Orc who is hunting for the one-eyed Orc to help him gain great riches.

This is fantastic stuff.

Orc Stain #1

by James Stokoe

James Stokoe's work is quite unique, with the exception, perhaps, of work done by Brandon Graham. Both artists marry a European sensibility to manga, and create comics that feel like they surf the stream of consciousness. Stokoe's Wonton Soup is a wonderful series about intergalactic foodie truckers, and it is a prime example of his unbounded imagination.

Orc Stain is his new monthly title from Image. It's about Orcs, the foot soldiers of the Lord of the Rings books, and countless other fantasy stories. In this comic, the fractious and internecine Orc tribes have been united under the grip of the Orctzar, who is searching for something called the Ganga-Gronch, which is some sort of phallic symbol, apparently. He learns that it can only be recovered by a one-eyed Orc.

At this point, the narrative switches to said one-eyed creature, who is a scavenger and robber, with incredible skills at opening things, such as safes embedded into bears. This is when you know you are reading a Stokoe comic - the endless stream of ridiculous (yet masterfully designed) inventions and details can be overwhelming.

Stokoe's art is incredibly detailed and frenetic, and his colours look fantastic. He's chosen to shade the world in greens, purples, and blues, making it clear that this is no ordinary world. This looks to be one of the most inventive and unexpected books of 2010.