indie rawkus: Orchid #1

The lines between artistic expressions in hip-hop have always been fused by the elements of MCing, graffiti, DJing and BBoying with one not really happening without the other.  The same fusion of creative mediums across pop culture has been incubating for the past 5-6 years (at least that I know of) and lives across comics, music, videogames, film and TV.  If you don't know, now you know.  You need some more convincing- peep Neil Young's Greendale, Gerard Way's Umbrella Academy or just go have a convo with Grant Morrison.

OBEY the Shepard Fairey variant cover

Enter Orchid.  A creation via musical activist, Tom Morello (Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine) that drips of his unique journey and political battle against, you got it--the Man. 

Story opens with the downfall of our civilization thanks to the wretched Corporations and their (as in the 1%) greed that led to the destruction of our supposed vast resources and gave birth to monstrous, genetic impossibilities on a Jurassic level.

This change of the planet only further imbalances the social strata with those few survivors creating settlements amongst the most uninhabitable of environments called The Wild and the 1% living large in their palaces and fortresses. 

Slavery is back again and with that civil unrest amongst the poor or "Bridge People" who have since become religious zealots and believe in this mask that supposedly grants powers to the believers. 

Anzio, a young leader of some slaves attempts an uprise with the fabled mask and in less than 5 pages into book gets axed.  With that I felt like damn this isn't going to be one of those feel-good reads huh?!  Oh yes, the protagonist of this story Orchid-- is a slaved prostitute (oh Ms. Blog please DONT LET YOUR daughter read this book!!) Around 8 pages from the end of the ish we are finally introduced to Orchid-- who is emblazoned with some ink that you prolly won't be finding avail at your local tattoo parlor.

Scott Hepburn (Star Wars: Vector &Clone Wars) does it up on the pages with heavy linework and highly expressive facials that keeps you on edge within this savage, post-apocalyptic new world.  If you need more coercing into getting in the mood of this read-- Morello is releasing a musical track for every new issue (12 in all) intended as background sounds as you take in Orchid.

From the mind of musician Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman) with art by Scott Hepburn (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), Orchid is the tale of a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her.

When the seas rose, genetic codes were smashed. Human settlements are ringed by a dense wilderness from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful that overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortress-like cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves. Welcome to the world of Orchid.

* Featuring a variant cover by the best known and influential street artist Shepard Fairey!

I will definitely be picking up the GIANT Shepard incentive tomorrow and you should jump on board too for this monstrously entertaining yet very socially-conscious comic.  See you tomorrow at the shops!!  Out.



This post was written by:
big O