Captive of Oblivion: The Beginning of a Quest

Writer, filmmaker, and screenwriter Alejandro Jodorowsky, a legend in popular culture, renowned for creating The Incal, at 95, challenges his legacy with a socially engaged science-fiction story: the Cosmopirates.

From the very first pages of Cosmopirates, artist and colorist Pete Woods propels readers into a thrilling adventure. Xar-Cero, the galaxy's most skilled assassin, is abducted by the Magnobankers to punish a planet defaulting on its payments. Xar-Cero completes his mission with his fists and a devastating weapon provided by his employers. However, horrified by the scale of the massacre, he rebels against the system.

This act of defiance sets him on a transformative journey. Though once the mightiest warrior, Xar-Cero is defeated, and the Council of Seven erases his memory to quash any desire for revenge. Stripped of his status, he falls to the lowest depths before rising anew as a pirate, seeking to recover his lost memories—a transformation hinted at in the title and cover art.

Artist Pete Woods, no stranger to Jodorowsky's science-fiction worlds, previously worked on The Incal. Drawing inspiration from a childhood steeped in comics, Woods crafts a visually rich universe, exemplified by the intriguing cover art. Behind a swarm of giant spiders, Xar-Cero wields a futuristic costume and holds a turtle. Within the pages, Woods juxtaposes futuristic structures with 19th-century palaces, creating improbable yet captivating contrasts. His robots are intricately detailed, from parasitic robotic heads attached to elderly humans to tubes connecting to their brains. Whether illustrating romance or epic pirate battles, Woods excels across all aspects, including sprawling scenes of raids or decadent double-page orgies.

Cosmopirates: A Triumphant Return

This two-part series heralds the return of a star screenwriter. Alejandro Jodorowsky revisits his favorite themes, including secret, all-powerful weapons that alter destinies—a nod to Cold War nuclear weapons or, in a modern context, suicide attacks used to overthrow tyrants. The narrative explores mortality and immortality as burdens: Xar-Cero, for his bravery, is cursed with an extended life. The Magnobankers force him into a future role as a tyrant, raising questions about whether such a fate will corrupt his inherently good nature. This interplay between nature and nurture, reminiscent of The Metabarons, fuels much of the debate.

In true science-fiction fashion, Jodorowsky invents a lexicon to enrich the narrative. Terms like "paleogod" suggest the obsolescence of deities, though religious fanaticism remains a contemporary issue.

Far from being a retrospective on his career, Cosmopirates is a socially charged work. The opening scenes unfold on a space station ravaged by capitalism and violence. Humanity no longer has a singular leader; instead, seven Magnobankers control the aquadollar economy, ruthlessly preserving their privileges. Xar-Cero's mission to punish a defaulting planet mirrors the oppressive tactics of the IMF or World Bank, which have impoverished nations. The series also questions the role of artificial intelligence and robotics. From mechanimals to humanoid robots like Robochef, the narrative explores the boundaries between man and machine. The Magnobankers themselves are cyborgs—fusions of human and mechanical forms. This expansive universe raises the question of whether two volumes can fully explore its richness, including the enigmatic secret planet, Fourmos.

Published by Les Humanoïdes Associés, the first volume of Cosmopirates plunges readers into an exhilarating adventure where one individual's crisis shakes global capitalism. The final page promises even bloodier vengeance. Cosmopirates will conclude in two volumes, with the second set for release in April 2025.