A Kill Quest Across The Stars: Reviewing ‘The Metabaron’ Book 4
by Tito W. James
The Metabaron character was created by legendary artist Moebius and writer Alejandro Jodorowsky in The Incal. It was later spun off into his own international bestselling series, The Metabarons, with art by Juan Gimenez. The Metabarons: First Cycle is Oedipus Rex mixed with the cinematic scope of Seven Samurai and dunked in the psycho-sexual Scifi of Heavy Metal Magazine.
The second cycle of the series, simply titled, The Metabaron, is a collaboration between Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jerry Frissen, and follows the further exploits of the Metabaron without a name. In the first three volumes of The Metabarons: Second Cycle, No-Name has faced the terrifying Techno-Technos, the sinister Simak, and romanced the beautiful Orne-8. Now just when No-Name has renounced the caste of Metabaron, his Bastard son returns to kill and replace him!
The Metabaron Volume 4: The Bastard and the Proto-Guardianess has a lot to live up to considering all that has preceded this new tale. The Metabarons: First Cycle is some of the finest science fiction in all of comics, and lightyears beyond what we see in mainstream space operas. The first three volumes of The Metabarons: Second Cycle manage to add to the epic while also updating the story to contemporary tastes. The Metabaron Volume 4 feels like what could be the conclusion of a long journey.
Fortunately, Jerry Frissen and artist Pete Woods make the new addition of Adal, the bastard son of the Metabaron feel right at home. Adal is to No-Name as Jason Todd is to Batman. He’s the younger, sexier and cooler incarnation of a classic badass. Ultimately, this is his story and it’s easy to want to follow this next death machine on his kill quest across the stars.
I can’t say that the story will necessarily resonate with readers who haven’t followed these characters and world from the start. But for fans of The Metabarons: Second Cycle, Volume 4 offers a worthy addition and possible conclusion. The set-pieces and twists may not be as shocking as previous Metabarons volumes. However, Volume 4 gives its characters a full and inevitable arc. This added depth to No-Name’s character is what makes this series feel complete.
The Metabaron Volume 4: The Bastard and the Proto-Guardianess is now available from Humanoids.
