Review: Orphan and the Five Beasts #1 (of 4)

With the number of licensing loses Dark Horse have suffered over the last couple of years, it is easy to forget that the company had a really strong indie presence before Star Wars and the like.  Now is as good a time as any to be served a reminder,

This kung-fu epic in the making is a tale of Orphan Mo, who makes a promise to her dying master to save the land from five former disciples, turned beast who threaten the land.  Armed with his wisdom, Mo starts her arduous quest.  Part Five Deadly Venoms and part surreal grind house, this book captures the at time bonkers nature of some of the best kung fu or ninja movies.

James Stokoe provides the story, art, letters and the cover.  I assume that he must also put the staples in!  All joking aside, Stokoe has clearly poured his heart and soul into this book.  Being a one man band, so to speak, means that Stokoe has a clear plan for Mo.  It also means that there is no-one else to bounce ideas off or take suggestions from.  Case in point, whilst the monologue is detailed, it also can fall into tell and not show.  There is also the the odd element of the advice that Mo receives; is that her remembering her master previous words of wisdom or something else?  Still the dialogue has a funny aspect in an absent minded Mr. Miyagi kind of way.

The art is equally detailed and enjoyable.  Think Art Adams with an Asian twist and you are halfway there.  With the art being so good, it is easy to take the book seriously.  In doing so though, you will certainly get a surprise as the first of the demons is more caricature rather than characterful.  The backgrounds are highly detailed and Mo is well animated throughout the book and through the various clever panel designs.  The colors have a sort of washed out look, that contrasts with some of the fantastic character visuals.  Finally, Stokoe’s letters are cleverly thought out, establishing as much of  characters presence as the script or art.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book to be honest.  Truth be told, I passed initially.  On second glance though,  I bought into the whole master and orphan setup.  True, it does get a little crazy, though I think that that is going to be the charm of this book, in a kind of Scott Pilgrim versus the ex’s way.

Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

Overall – 4 Stars

Written, Art and Letters by; James Stokoe
Published by; Dark Horse Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes
I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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