Orc Stain #3 – Review

By: James Stokoe (creator, writer, art & colors)

The Story: One-eye the orc tries to escape retribution for knocking the gronch off his old partner-in-crime.

What’s Good: If you aren’t familiar with Orc Stain, you should definitely try it out.  Track down the first few issues or get the trade when it comes out.  I read all the standard super-hero comics and the first thing you think when you open Orc Stain is, “Well…..this is different!”  The art is just tremendous.  It is weird and may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is one of those comics where you can just stare at a panel and look at some of the weird things that Stokoe has drawn in the background.  I love his sense of overall design as well: most of the tools/weapons/apparatus in this world are some sort of animal, so an orc’s armor is made of live animals that have all these whacky eyeballs jutting out everywhere.  Another example: To spy on One-Eye, the bad orcs send a bug into the room.  It looks like some wild crab with a huge eyeball on it.  It observes and trundles off to give its report by climbing into the mouth of an orc and commandeering his voice! Crazy stuff!

The story in this issue is fun too.  This is only the third issue, so we’re just getting to know the characters and the world.  We already know that One-Eye is a safe-cracker and can use his magic hammer to tap the perfect spot on safes to break them open.  In the last issue, we learned he could tap a fellow orc and make his gronche fall off (“gronche” is the orc word for a man’s….ahem…..”stuff”).  Here we learn that he can do just about anything with his little hammer.  Destroy a building?  Check.  Kill a room full of orcs?  Check.  It is becoming a very cool story and Stokoe has already violated enough taboos that you really don’t know what will happen next.

A final plus is there is a lot of bang for the buck here:  31 pages of great art for $2.99!

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

DS’ Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: X-Force #26 – this whole Second Coming arc is firing on all cylinders and I think Marvel’s got a classic on its hands if they can keep this level of control and discipline on the story.

Most Anticipated: Brightest Day #1 – What!? Like it could be anything else? Johns, Tomasi, and Reis are starting the new Green Lantern epic!

Other Top Picks: Batman and Robin #12, JSA All-Stars #6, Red Robin #12, Superman: War of the Supermen #1, Spider-Man: Fever #2, Uncanny X-Men #524.

Alex’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Scalped #37 -A really fantastic issue and a perfect conclusion to what could’ve been just another filler arc.  Brave, gritty stuff all around, Scalped continues to be one of the best books around.

Most Anticipated: iZombie #1 – A new Vertigo ongoing is always something to check out and with Mike Allred behind the art that becomes doubly so.  My curiosity is piqued and I hope that Vertigo continues it’s current hot streak.

Other Picks: Hellboy in Mexico (Or, a Drunken Blur), Sweet Tooth #9, Brightest Day #1, Batman & Robin #12, Secret Six #21

Joe’s Top Picks

Best of the Week: X-Force #26 – Kyle and Yost back to form on the title they made a great read and the death of a major  X-character all wrapped up in beautiful artwork by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback?  ‘Nuff said.

Most Anticipated: Brightest Day #1 – The zero issue was a pleasant surprise and, well, hello?!  White ring to finish my collection?  Yes please.

Other picks: Uncanny X-Men #523, X-Men – Second Coming Revelations – Hellbound #1, Red Robin #12, Secret Six #21, Demo 2 #4, Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1

Dean’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Incorruptible #5 – None of the “big” titles really blew my socks off last week and I smile because that allows Incorruptible #5 to steal the cheese.  This was the best issue yet of this series.  You should definitely be reading this and its sister title, Irredeemable.

Most Anticipated: Orc Stain #3 – The first two issues of this series from Image have been trippy, vulgar fun.  Can’t wait to see what happens in this issue!

Other Picks: I, Zombie #1, Uncanny X-Men #524, Amazing Spider-Man #630, Secret Six #21, Batman & Robin #12