The Incal, Book 1: Orphan of the City Shaft

Before the Incal #1-3

by Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mœbius, Zoran Janjetov (Illustrator)

Originally created by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, the world of The Incal has inspired writers and artists around the world for decades. This volume allows readers to catch up on John Difool's history and witness the very beginnings of a story that is considered to be one of the best comics in the world. The tale begins with young John Difool, as he tries to survive riots and poverty in the days before the Presidential Cloning. It is here that John must learn to be his own man, as he is slowly drawn into events of cosmic proportions. Collects issues #1-6 of the comic book series.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction

151 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Also credited as Alexandro Jodorowsky

Better known for his surreal films El Topo and The Holy Mountain filmed in the early 1970s, Alejandro Jodorowsky is also an accomplished writer of graphic novels and a psychotherapist. He developed Psychomagic, a combination of psychotherapy and shamanic magic. His fans have included John Lennon and Marilyn Manson.

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig]

Corruption, Exploitation, Cruelty - Welcome to the Jodoverse!

Written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and illustrated by Moebius and others, The Incal was published sporadically in French between 1981 and 2014. It is now widely considered a sci-fi classic, and its universe has become known as the "Jodoverse": a place marked by corruption, exploitation, and cruelty - a world, in short, that increasingly resembles our own. This prequel to the series was originally published from the late 1980s to the mid-90s, and it traces protagonist John DiFool's evolution from petty thief to private investigator.

Does Orphan of the City Shaft live up to the hype that surrounds everything "Incal"? Well, it certainly overflows with fascinating ideas, and Zoran Janjetov, who took on the difficult task of filling Moebius' shoes, provides detailed and highly polished visuals. As a whole, though, the story does not exactly feel organic to me. Plot and character developments are not always plausible, the dialogue is rather wooden (I don't think this is merely a translation problem), and the shifts in tone from realistic to cartoony can be quite abrupt.

Still, the sheer creativity, scope, and relevance of the "Jodoverse" ensure that the entire Incal run is a must-read for fans of comic-book science fiction - though I'd recommend starting with the original story, the one illustrated by Moebius.

[Ed Erwin]

It is driving me crazy to try to figure out where this USA version fits in the original series. Does all of it come from Before the Incal ? or is some of it separate. Anyone know? {Update: It seems that all the content comes from 'Before The Incal', but the order of some sections is changed.}

Also, the bird that only says "Croot". Was that created before or after the creature from US comics that always says "I am Groot"? Google isn't helping!

Apart from those questions driving me crazy, there is some good stuff in this comic. A sarcastic future dystopia not unlike "Transmetropolitan". The art and some other ideas inspired all sorts of things including "Star Wars" and "The Fifth Element". I think I'll need to read more of the series.

[Michael]

Orphan of the City Shaft tells of a young, terribly naive (his surname is "the fool"!) petty thief who somewhat accidentally assembles a "family" of outsiders and, to earn a promotion to another status ("Class R Detective") in his incredibly stratified, viciously exploitive, and terrifyingly corrupt society, starts digging into the world's darkest, most horrifying secret. Needless to say, the powers that be (a stew of political and religious satires) aren't amused. It's a widescreen action extravaganza, incredulous and explosive, packed full of weird scifi dialogue and concepts. It's fascinating and dark, and it's total nonsense at times, but it always seems to know that. The art's detailed and expressive, and the script is ambitious. I think it's pretty terrific.

[Okdavy]

Wow! Great adventure, great art work, just like I remember it from reading Heavy Metal magazine in the 80's.

[Filip Mladenovic]

Ovde je (pogotovo na pocetku) za razliku od Inkala Zodorovski malo vise degutantan bez neke vece poente. Vise puta sam se zapitao cemu pojedine scene zajedno sa komentarima i mogu ih prepisati samo slobodi pripovedaca i crtaca i jednom slobodnijem prikazu frustracije nad polusvetom u kome zivimo. Nakon toga radnja pocinje da se razvija, prica dobija zamah i oblik koji se nalaze i u Inkalu i postaje prava duhovita naucno-fantasticna opera vredna posvecivanju.

[Amauri]

Plenty for you to lay your eyes on, but I feel like the book suffers some in this translation. Dialogue seems stiff and I can't tell if that is by design. Still enjoyable and entertaining, and it does effectively whet my appetite for more in this world.

[Aaron]

Original, bonkers, influential, refreshingly uninhibited, stunning artwork.

[Blair]

A big disappointment. I'd been led to believe that this was a classic of European comics but while the art by Moebius is great the story leaves a lot to be desired.