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The Incal: Is it worth it?

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NewGeekPhilosopher Wizard Basement from Sydney, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Wizard Basement
#1: Jul 3rd 2011 at 10:24:10 PM

I'm torn about whether to get The Incal, it sounds really interesting and has a cool visual style, but I'm not used to sci-fi indie comics because they're hard to find down under.

But I'm guessing that The Incal is kind of worth it because it's allegedly some kind of classic of the medium that's underrated compared to more now mainstream comics like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. I looked up some of the art and it looks like somebody crossed the detail of the backgrounds in the AKIRA manga with the colourfulness of retro sci-fi.

But is it worth $80 Australian for the hardcover graphic novel, perhaps more for the deluxe edition? Maybe, because from what I've seen it kicks arse.

Hell Hasn't Earned My Tears
blueharp Since: Dec, 1969
#2: Jul 4th 2011 at 10:12:13 PM

I dunno, I can't see putting big bucks into something you've never read. At least try to find a sample online.

NewGeekPhilosopher Wizard Basement from Sydney, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Wizard Basement
#3: Jul 4th 2011 at 10:36:49 PM

Bought the cheaper, not massively huge and expensive hardcover edition today.

Well well, seems like Chris Sims's webcomic making buddy's steered me to yet another comic that rules.

Because I've been looking all my life for weird ass sci-fi comics, and now I found one in an awesome, affordable hardcover with neat cover art on it.

Ye-ah.

EDIT:

Holy Shit. I think this is the first time this has happened to me firsthand, but I think this is one of those "Inception Has The Same Plot As An Obscure Ducktales Comic" levels of weird.

First of all, the art styles and graphic designs of The Incal and Apollo's Song look nothing alike, but there is some fucking eerie similarities between these works that are not only nations and oceans, but a decade apart from each other.

Apollo's Song is the story of a man who is cursed to be reborn and love the same woman for eternity. The Incal is about a dude who goes through the cycle of rebirth.

Apollo's Song contains a scene where the cycle of life between sperm and egg rushing to meet each other is shown. The Incal turns that same premise into Gladiatorial combat in an arena, only this time with several different races competing.

Apollo's Song has a section where the main character Shogo ends up in a dystopian future where he's forced to mate with a weirdly hot alienish chick to survive. In The Incal, the main character has to do it with a weirdly hot alienish chick to make the Incal artifact work or something.

Not only this, but weirdest of all, both main characters are kinda skeezy and are seen by society as an outcast/criminal on some level. Did Jodorowsky ever read Apollo's Song and take inspiration from it while writing The Incal, or did he just happen to do so many drugs during the production process of this comic that he somehow stumbled upon the same plane of inspiration Osamu Tezuka gets his ideas from?

edited 5th Jul '11 8:57:48 PM by NewGeekPhilosopher

Hell Hasn't Earned My Tears
Catel Since: Apr, 2010
#4: Jul 6th 2011 at 12:37:09 PM

Do you have the original coloring by Moebius himself, or the horrible/hideous/eye-bleeding Photoshop recoloring (censorship included) edited for the American market ? http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/176/incal05fo7.jpg/

(the Incal is considered an absolute classic... if you don't really consider the prequels/sequels... and yes Jodo was probably on drugs. Moebius too. He has a great interest in chamanism.)

NewGeekPhilosopher Wizard Basement from Sydney, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Wizard Basement
#5: Jul 6th 2011 at 11:32:30 PM

Original colouring, and it appears to be uncensored. I know it's uncensored because there's T&A galore.

I liked The Incal, but I guess I am a fan of weirder comics having not really tried Sci-Fi comics.

Hell Hasn't Earned My Tears
Martello Hammer of the Pervs from Black River, NY Since: Jan, 2001
Hammer of the Pervs
#6: Jan 31st 2012 at 7:20:44 PM

I happened upon this thread looking for the Incal works page, which I guess I'll have to launch. I'm reading the The Incal Classic Collection right now. It's very good, but kind of hard to read for some reason. It's one of those books that I'll read a bunch of chapters and then put it down for a couple weeks. Not like The Metabarons, where the insane action and fast-paced Generational Saga kept me from putting it down. If you liked The Incal, I highly recommend The Metabarons.

"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.
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