The Metabarons: Second Cycle

Like most U.S. readers of this book I came to the Metabaron through the reprints of the mid-2000s. Those books told the story of the Metabaron clan leading up to the nameless final Metabaron who is constantly referred to but rarely seen. I loved the sweeping generational saga and the mad science fiction ideas that filled every page. Alejandro Jodorowsky and Juan Gimenez created a bizarre epic and left me wanting more. There was a pseudo sequel in 2011 but really nothing significant for over a decade.With this book Jodorowsky turns over the writing chores to Jerry Frissen with art by Valentin Sécher and Niko Henrichon. The Metabaron must face the collapse of interstellar civilization as supplies of a vital anti-gravity fluid are exhausted. He greets the calamity... by becoming a hedonist locked away in his bunker as the stars die. Eventually he does stir to action and faces plots by the Techno-Pope to control these last days and journeys to an alternate reality that is the source of the anti-gravity material.Honestly I had high hopes but found this book long, repetitive and not that interesting. The first volume worked because we only really saw the Metabaron through his robot servants and their stories. Each book covered a different generation of Metabarons so characters moved on before you could grow tired of them. But in this book the nameless Metabaron takes center stage but really isn't that interesting a character.The alien worlds and battles feel cliched and unoriginal next to the madness of the first cycle. When he enters another dimension the first thing he encounters is an amazon army equipped with bows and spears, he promptly wins the heart of the queen and takes her to bed. And while the art is gorgeous many parts felt like a series of cliches.Make no mistake this book is gorgeous. The art is spectacular as are the production values. But I just didn't feel the spark I felt in the first series, I doubt I'll revisit this.

Been a huge fan of Jodorowsky since around 2005.when I was young, heavily into psychedelics and got my hands on a bootleg DVD of El Topo. Over the years I began reading Jodorowskys comics and fell in love. Much like his films they're extremely imaginative and transport the reader into another dimension filled with trippy fantastical adventures.Upon my first reading of The Metabarons I liked it but after a recent second reading I fell in love with it. Picked up my copy of The Second Cycle recently and its fantastic as well. Yes its a bit different and has different artwork but its still page turning engaging sci fi insanity. If you enjoyed the first cycle this is a must read! Highly recommend.So glad Humanoids has been doing such a great job with Jodorowskys works for the English speaking market over the years. I appreciate them so much

The only problem is I can't tell if it's the second volume in the Metabarons or if Cycle 2 is a different Metabarons series because there's a different Cycle 1 than the first volume of Metabarans that I've got. and I haven't read Cycle 2 yet.

Gran continuación de La Casta de los Metabarones.

Not as good as the original but very close! If you're into the first book there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy this.