Review: Orphan and the Five Beasts #2

 

Orphan and the Five Beasts #2: Virgin Art

In writer, artist, and letterer James Stokoe's new series Orphan and the Five Beasts #2, Orphan Mo combats a powerful adversary. We don't know his given name, only the name by which he is now known: Thunder Thighs. From the virgin art for issue #2, you can see why.

Before little Mo takes on this Goliath-like combatant, she remembers what her beloved Master told her about him.

Before he took in Orphan Mo, her Master once trained five apprentices to safeguard their land against the ravages of an invading warlord. Of the five, Thunder Thighs was the Master's most powerful. He trained harder and longer than any of his fellows.

 

 

Due to his inclination toward lower body strength, the Master gifted Thunder Thighs the supreme leg aspect. With this and his rigorous training, Thunder Thighs became the living embodiment of the "Two Trees Bearing Heaven" style.

Unfortunately, the warlord then ravaging the valley caused too much suffering. Like his apprentices, Thunder Thighs didn't have time to complete his training. He lacked the mental, emotional, and spiritual disciplines necessary to temper his insatiable physical drives. He and his fellow students were rushed into the battle.

 

 

After achieving victory against the warlord, he and his fellows assumed the danger was over, and they needed no more of their master's training.

Nonetheless, Thunder Thighs had a conscience. Unlike his fellows, who went their separate ways, and did not return to their master, Thunder Thighs worried about the defeated army. If he left them to their own devices, what would prevent the soldiers from becoming bandits, and causing even more suffering in their land?

So Thunder Thighs took on the responsibility of becoming their leader. He started off with the noble goal of mobilizing them as a Robin Hood-like figure. Instead, over time his unprincipled followers influenced him, and his overwhelming physical prowess eventually dominated him.

There's a lot to like in Orphan and the Five Beasts #2. In addition to learning Thunder Thighs' origins, you'll also enjoy Mo's incredible battle with him. James Stokoe's penciling and inking are beyond par, and his coloring style is refreshingly unique. 

 

 

I also like the little touches, such as the mazes behind Thunder Thighs (with icons of trees and a pillar) pointing to his upper legs, as well as the way he obscures the identities of the master's former apprentices. 

 

We don't learn anything of Orphan Mo's past in issue #2, but the fact that she's been a patient student becomes obvious. While Thunder Thighs relies on bluster and brute force from his legs, Mo fights a thoughtful, innovative battle. Even when the fight takes a wild and unexpected turn, she doesn't lose focus or hope. She adapts, and battles on.

 

 

As to lettering, I wish James Stokoe had made his narrative boxes a little bigger, and spaced out the lines a little more. Still, his dialogue balloons work well, and become especially fun when Thunder Thighs starts bullying poor Mo. And then, there are his expressive sound effects.

Orphan and the Five Beasts #2 serves as an cautionary tale of the danger inherent in rushing to achieve success before you're really ready for it. It features an intense and mind-blowing battle. It could easily serve as the basis for the most incredible martial arts fantasy movie you might ever see. 

Thankfully, we can look forward to two more issues in this short series. I wonder how  Orphan Mo can possibly vanquish the other beasts her master's former apprentices have become. Even more important, can she find a solution that doesn't create another future danger to her land?

 

The projected release date for Orphan and the Five Beasts #3 is June 2, 2021. This gives you plenty of time to hunt around your local comic shops, and pick up the previous issues, if you have not yet done so. 

I recommend asking your local comics shop to order your copy of Orphan and the Five Beasts #3 before this coming Monday, May 10th, which I believe is the FOC, or Final Order Cutoff. This is the final day your shop can order copies before Diamond ships them. That way, in case your retailer naturally scales down his orders for later issues in a series, you can make sure you'll get a copy.

 

Orphan and the Five Beasts Issues #1 & 2

 

After all, in addition to James Stokoe's story, you wouldn't want to miss out on what promises to be a beautiful four-part interlocking cover, would you?

Dragon Dave

P.S. Orphan and the Five Beasts #2 is in shops now, and available from Dark Horse Comics. The Previews World order code for Orphan and the Five Beasts #3 is MAR210286.