By d. emerson eddy — It's the 40th anniversary of Une Adventure de John Difool, more commonly known to us in English as The Incal, specifically as it was serialized in Métal Hurlant (the magazine that would be published in English as Heavy Metal) back in 1980 through 1988. It introduced us to the highly influential world of the “Jodoverse”—which would expand into The Metabarons, The Technopriests, and Megalex—inspiring and influencing works as wide ranging as The Fifth Element, The Authority, and The Expanse. It's space opera with hints of black humor, politics, and weird science that feels intrinsic to much of our current conceptions of how science fiction operates. The earliest works in the series, from Alejandro Jodorowsky, Moebius, and Yves Chaland, as translated by Justin Kelly, are collected in English in The Incal – Volume 1: The Black Incal.

The first volume introduces us to John Difool, a low level detective, as he finds himself stuck in the middle of a battle for the titular MacGuffin, The Incal, which starts out as a glowing blue stone and just gets weirder as the story progresses. Especially as it gives Difool's pet bird, Deppo, the ability to speak. Jodorowsky and Moebius start us out smack in the middle of things as Difool is being thrown down Suicide Alley to make him talk about his knowledge of the artifact. A long fall and a mini-nuke later, we're getting more information on how Difool got the stone, and are thrust into more action as it seems like everyone, including the clone body hopping President, is looking for the thing. The story doesn't really give Difool, or us, much time to breathe, constantly moving us from one precarious section to the next, even during sequences where we're getting flashback information. It keeps the reader on their toes and has the added benefit of delivering a lot of world-building and content.

The world of The Incal is incredibly rich, and a lot is thrown at us in quick succession, but it's the art from Moebius and Yves Chaland that allows us to take it in so well. Moebius' linework is incredible. He has a gorgeous fine line style that straddles realism and more exaggerated cartooning, full of detail and texture. Like the ideas that you see presented in the series, just one look at Moebius' designs and style, you'll see the work of so many contemporary artists who've been influenced by him staring back at you. Moebius is truly a phenomenal storyteller and all of his genius on action, transitions, and design are on display here. When coupled with the thematic washes, and simple pastel and earth tone color choices for characters, of Yves Chaland, this is a beautiful comic. Even as this world feels lived in, dirty, and full of strange people who will just as soon shoot you and drop you off a balcony as take you through the lurid pleasures of a homeo suite.

Overall, the story begun in The Incal – Volume 1: The Black Incal, by Jodorowsky, Moebius, and Chaland (as translated by Kelly) stands the test of time. Its ideas and presentation still feel contemporary, they still feel relevant, and you can see their influence across science fiction and beyond.

The Incal - Volume 1: The Black Incal

The Incal – Volume 1: The Black Incal
Writer: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Artist: Moebius
Colorist: Yves Chaland
Translator: Justin Kelly
Publisher: Humanoids
Release Date: January 28, 2015 (for this digital edition)
The Sci-Fi masterpiece by Moebius and Jodorowsky about the tribulations of the shabby detective John Difool as he searches for the precious and coveted Incal. John Difool, a low-class detective in a degenerate dystopian world, finds his life turned upside down when he discovers an ancient, mystical artifact called The Incal. Difool's adventures will bring him into conflict with the galaxy's greatest warrior, the Metabaron, and will pit him against the awesome powers of the Technopope. These encounters and many more make up a tale of comic and cosmic proportions that has Difool fighting for not only his very survival, but also the survival of the entire universe.
Price: $5.49 on Comixology | Collected in The Incal – Digital Omnibus ($24.99)

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.