Orchid - It's All There

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.

It’s certainly no surprise that a post-apocalyptic world created by one of my favorite musicians had a very good chance of winning me over.  Even with those two factors coming into play though, the story of Orchid would need to bring the solid writing and eye-catching artwork to back it up.  Both of these important qualities were very much present and made for one of my favorite books which I’ve read in a while.

Morello does an excellent job of building up the world we are immersed in throughout the series.  The events which lead to the destruction of the planet aren’t precisely explained, but the frightening aftermath is spelled out clear for the reader.  Deep within this dangerous world we now struggle to live in, we get a fascinating heroes tale, albeit far from a typical one.  All of the characters who we are introduced to in this journey are given wonderful development and back stories to get to know them.

Along with the top notch writing, we are also treated to beautifully done artwork to support this not-so beautiful setting.  Start to finish the environment is portrayed to us in the dark and gruesome manner it deserves.  Character designs were all really interesting and suited well to the backdrop they live in.  The killer new creatures that threaten mankind are also given some amazing and terrifying appearances which I greatly appreciated.

Some of the aspects in the book may be hard for folks to swallow.  With this type of setting, you’re bound to run into things that stretch the imagination.  As a whole though, they shouldn’t really detract from the enjoyment of these books.

Without a doubt, this could easily be a favorite read for lovers of all things dystopian.  Even if you don’t find yourself a huge fan of that genre, the creative story and wonderful art are enough to keep you glued to it.  I would highly suggest to anyone that they pick up this series and make a day of reading it all straight through.

For more information on the Orchid comics or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received this series for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.