Quick Review: ‘Arkadi And The Lost Titan’
by Tito W. James
Summary
With gorgeous art, big ideas, but sometimes flat characterization, Arkadi And The Lost Titan is made for the lover of Heavy Metal-inspired Euro comics.
Overall
7/10It’s a rare privilege to read a story and know that it’s an artist’s life’s work. CAZA‘s Arkadi And The Lost Titan is a sci-fantasy epic weaving together elements from Greek mythology, Dante’s Inferno, alchemy, and the Kabbala. Long time readers of the Incal-universe and other Euro Comics will recognize Jungian archetypes and techno-versions of classical gods and monsters. Arkadi is an impressive tome that’s over 500 pages of psychedelic art.
The book is best enjoyed as an avant-garde reinterpretation of mythology. While the art is superb, I found the characters to be so archetypal as to be flat at times. The graphic novel’s mythological and metaphysical influences are the story’s biggest asset and its biggest drawback. It’s a narrative that’s more intellectually explorative than emotionally engaging. As a prestige book with a hefty $85 USD price tag — I can only recommend Arkadi And The Lost Titan to committed completionists of Heavy Metal-inspired Euro comics.
Every page proves that the comics medium has limitless potential. Centuries from now, humans will look at Arkadi And The Lost Titan and say that CAZA was the Ovid for our time.
