Orchid #4

Orchid is a story set in a dystopian future and is unlike anything I've ever had the pleasure of reading. This series has surprised me in so many ways. I hadn't anticipated I would be enjoying it as much as I am. I feel like it's an underrated series that's not getting the recognition it should. I'm loving what Tom Morello's doing and hope it lasts for a long time. 

In this issue, the ruler of Fortress Penuel is upset his men haven't retrieved the legendary mask of General China. This causes him to send a man with special talents by the name of Don Barrabas to retrieve the mask for him. Tom Morello fills in readers with a rich background story for this Don Barrabas character that fully keeps your attention. 

Once the story transitions to the main cast (Orchid, Simon, Yehzu) we find them continuing their joinery to save Anzio. As usual, it doesn't take long for Orchid to get upset at Simon. Their relationship has been a lot of fun to read. She's always yelling and screaming at Simon who somehow always manages to keep his composure and cavalier demeanor. They come across a bunch of decapitated bodies and figure out that someone is tracking them. One of the many fantastical creatures that inhabit this world begins chasing them and eventually manages to grab hold of Yehzu, pulling him in under the debris of the explosion that occurred. It seems Tom Morello has no problem putting these characters through tragedy after tragedy and I'm loving it. Orchid now lost both her mother and her brother in a short span of time. Things became emotional and tense when she vowed to take revenge. The final pages shows Anzio being held captive and tortured. It looks as if next issue Simon and Orchid will make their way to Anzio. I look forward to seeing how that plays out. 

Scott Hepburn has been doing an outstanding job on the interior artwork. His style and Dan Jackson's colors mesh to create an amazing visual depiction of this dystopian future. The artwork is stunning as they capture a lot of the different aspects of this incredible world. Massimo Carnevale delivers another knockout cover.

Orchid is definitely a series I recommend to all comic readers. This series deserves your support. If you like stories that take place in a dystopian future, you'll enjoy this fresh new take.