Orc Stain #1 - Better Late Than Never
Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 9:09PM 
I know this book has been out for a while, but I felt that I really did need to write something on it, given my love of the genre and its author. This book is of course Orc Stain written by James Stokoe, of Wonton Soup fame. Orc Stain is Stokoe’s first foray (to the best of my knowledge) into the world of a monthly series, Wonton Soup being released in larger format. The book deals with, well Orcs. They’ve become the major in the world that Stoke has created. They seem obsessed with “Gronches,” something one can only assume means orc genatiles. The centers around one orc particularly, a looter named One Eye. Seemingly taking a page out of King City, One Eye is a master of opening things, anything. Be it safe or stone, One Eye can crack it. And that’s all you really need to know in terms of plotting.
Right when you open the book, you’ll notice the gorgeous art. Stokoe’s hyper detailed, over the top style fleshes out this fantasy landscape beautifully. His orcs, while reminiscent of the classic orc, have Stokoe’s distinct flair to them. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Stokoe book without some sort of odd contraption, and his awesome “Gurpa Safe” is exquisitely detailed and awesome. And for the first time, COLOR! Yes, it is true, the entire book is colored. While his style looks amazing in black and white, it is perfectly suited for the multi-tonal world of color. The reds, the purples, the greens; the color palette in this book absolutely amazing. They make the world pop, giving it a feeling a permanent violence and uncertainty.
Some people have given me some shit for how I first the about book (@stormantic and @jamessime), which was well deserved. To be honest, when I first finished this sucker, I was a little disappointed. I walked into it with certain expectations. I expected the off the wall, high concept story that was Wonton Soup. That’s not what Orc Stain is. Sure, there are some bits in there that are distinctly Stokoe, I wanted more of those insanely absurd, “sex-bear” moments. And in that regard, the book didn’t deliver. However, upon further reflection, I don’t think I gave the book a fair read. I was looking at it as a successor to Wonton Soup, when in reality, it’s a whole different beast. Not only is the format completely different, which completely changes the pacing, but the entire STORY is different. Orc Stain has a much more defined direction than Wonton Soup does/did. Stokoe has a clear idea about where he wants this to go. As much as I enjoy Wonton Soup, it is a series of vignettes, linked together by an amazing overarching story. Orc Stain, so far, seems like a pretty linear story. Albeit, we’re only one issue in and it’s hard to tell what’s really going to happen.
I highly recommend this book. It’s what I look for in a comic: amazing art, fantastic story, crazy concepts and genuinely makes me laugh. The main thing that this book suffered from is how short it was. Perhaps suffered isn’t the write word, but rather I wasn’t used to Stokoe writing in the issue format. Once we’re a couple issues in, I can see this being one of my favorite series. I look forward to more orcy goodness!
Orc Stain is a comic book written, drawn and colored by James Stokoe and published by Image Comics. It retails for $2.99 (American) at your local comic book shop.
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