Metabarons Genesis: Castaka

It’s about what you would expect if you read Metabarons and Metabarons Second Cycle. It fits nicely as the prequel. It’s not as long, even though there’s a lot of action and story. It could even have developed some parts of the story more fully. It’s ambitious. The art is basically up to par for Metabarons but not quite at the same level as the other two books in my opinion. This is still a very enjoyable story that aims big. If you like the other Metabarons books then this is for you.

This was my introduction to the metabarons and I loved it.

Badass

Should I have read Metabarons first? Well I sure didn’t. Since this is the prequel I figured it would be okay to start here, I think it was. I sure enjoyed it at any rate. This story recounts the origin of the Metabarons, part of the universe by the wildly imaginative Jodorowsky which encompasses other stories of his that I love, namely the Incal trilogy. I had never heard of this artist, Das Pastoras, but wow, this is a sumptuous and gorgeously illustrated story. I suppose this would still be classified as a comic, but it’s really more of a fully realized series of painstakingly rendered paintings. Check out pages 24 & 25, a two page spread with no dialog or captions but still epic, beautiful and crazy violent. An amazing work of art and I’m sure, even cooler, if you’ve already read the grand Metabarons book which I am about to do.

Short and sweet. Good story but ultimately unneeded in the Metabaron universe.

Brutal and beautiful all in one, just like everything Jodorowsky does. If you're a fan of the original Metabarons then you'll love this addition to the cannon.

Excellent addition to the metabarons

Fabulous art and a great story that stands alone, but fills in the Metabaron story background and contributes to a richer understanding of the "Jodoverse" of the Incal/Technopriest/Metabaron/Megalex. If you're interested in Jodorowsky this is a must.

Jodorowsky and Das Pastoras have teamed up for a cracking spin-off from the much-acclaimed Metabarons series. This particular installment is an 'origins' story, focusing upon the initial boiling-pot of conflicts and events that transformed the Castaka tribe of the planet Marmola into an elite lineage of uber-powerful galactic warlords (ie, The Metabarons). The first part of the book reads almost like an Akira Kurosawa samourai epic, with warring clans fighting for supremacy and then transmutes back into space opera for the latter half, making for an epic experience. Jodo's writing is as stylised, scandalous and spicy as ever and is superbly supported by Pastoras' incredibly detailed and oddly unsettling artwork. For those that are unfamiliar with his art, refer to the cult graphic novel series 'Deicide' for a sense of his credentials. His attention to detail and design is often outstanding and there are literally endless examples of frames in Castaka that you could posterize (including an impressive two-page spread of a busy battle scene that you could spend hours picking apart). His texture-work is strangely muted, gritty and earthy (a wash-and-stipple mixture of watercolour, acrylics, pencils) and punctuated by delicate, fine lines of 'hairy' inking, which combine to create scenes that are both ultra-clear and yet utterly organic. This is a very 'hand-drawn', 'hand-painted' style and is ultimately more impressive because of it. Don't expect any futuristc CGI-work here. Fans of the Jodoverse will love this book, but be aware that this particular story is already covered to some degree in The Metabarons. Although Castaka elucidates much further, certain parts of the script and events are full reproductions of the original Metabaron scenes. This left me scratching my head a bit at first, but the new material soon makes up for it. If you are new to Jodorowsky's twisted universe, then Castaka may not be the best place to start reading. Some prior background knowledge may be advisable if you wish to get the most out of it. On a final note, though, it's yet another fantastic masterwork by Jodo and 'friends' and worth every penny. A heads-up: this particular oversized, limited edition print is from a run of 1500 copies. It looks incredible and will definitely increase in value down the line, so get in there...Enjoy.

i have the books in english from metabarons universe simply because is hardcover and normal french size...and i can see and feel the story like a movie (cinema in english have this power) ......shame about others humanoids and others publishers comics with smaller size....they ruin the bd....they have some problem about the size of .....papers.

I was disappointed by the lack of originality. The story seems to borrow heavily from Japanese Samurai culture and I found the characters uninteresting and the plot has nothing of the cleverness or pace of The Metabaron.