Profanely Sacred: ‘Sons Of El Topo Vol. 3’ Reviewed

Sons of El Topo is a graphic novel series that acts as a sequel to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cult film, El Topo. The third and final volume concludes the epic tale of two brothers rivaling for the affection of their holy and wrathful father.

The El Topo movie is notable for being the first midnight movie and is best described as a cowboy film on acid. Within the film an amoral gunslinger shoots his way through a series of antagonists that each represent a different philosophical idea. By the end of the film the gunslinger renounces his ways as a bandit, becomes a monk, then a martyr.

This character arc of a desperado evolving into a saint can be seen in several of Jodorowsky’s comics. The following volumes of the El Topo graphic novels focus on his sons Cain and Abel. Admittedly, I’m a bit fuzzy on Volumes 1 and 2 because I read them a while ago. I suspect that the series will make the most sense if all the volumes are read in order. I hope BOOM! Studios reprints Vol. 1, because I can’t find it anywhere.

As someone who loves the Acid Western as a concept, Sons of El Topo Vol 3 does not disappoint. José Ladrönn renders the world of El Topo with a lush amount of detail and a cinematic eye. The visual storytelling is so strong that the creators don’t rely on dialogue for emotionally impactful scenes. The plot is bizarre, unpredictable, and ultimately inevitable.

Longtime followers of Jodorowsky’s oeuvre will recognize the “cinema of cruelty” carved into each page. The violence and sexploitation take on a mythical quality that few other artists could pull off. Epic tales of the Old Testament are recontextualized within a surreal Western landscape. This is a radical deconstruction of religious imagery that leads to a bold reinvention of spiritual ideas.

Sons of El Topo is a cinematically rich work of sequential art that offers a thrilling conciliation to an avant garde film. So whether you are new to El Topo or are a longtime fan, you’ll have your mind blown!

Sons of El Topo Vol. 3 is now available from BOOM! Studios Archaia.