Avant l'Incal: l'Intégrale

The Incal Saga #0

by Alejandro Jodorowsky, Zoran Janjetov

Antes de que John Difool se convirtiera en detective privado clase R, antes de que el último metabarón adoptara a Soluna, antes de que Tanatah se convirtiera en reina de Amok . Todo eso ocurrió antes… Antes del Incal.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Comic Book

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Also credited as Alexandro Jodorowsky

Better known for his surreal films El Topo and The Holy Mountain filmed in the early 1970s, Alejandro Jodorowsky is also an accomplished writer of graphic novels and a psychotherapist. He developed Psychomagic, a combination of psychotherapy and shamanic magic. His fans have included John Lennon and Marilyn Manson.

Reviews

[Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most intricate world building I’ve ever seen, in a satirical futurism fantasy of humans, mutants, monsters and robots, steeped in violent social conflict, eternal scheming, sex, drugs, and a hint of romance. Hilarious, bizarre, and with highly detailed artwork and coloring. Life changing and highly recommended.

Edit: Read twice now, still amazing!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestingly, these prequel comics for the Incal are rather more exploratory for character development, starting with John's childhood and showing another side to him that is rather more proactive and interesting than the buffoon he later becomes... and it also shows us the reason for the change.

I'm actually rather impressed that it bothered to take its time... unlike the main Incal cycle that rushes through huge events like we're watching a reader's digest of a galactic war between good and evil. :) This one has a little of everything... a romance of nonsense, a love of love, and a very cool pair of robots, mystery, and massive corruption to combat.

What? John Difool the hero?

Well, it happened! ... until he got lobotomized. Oops!

Quite fun. I don't know if I'd recommend this before the original comics, however. It is slow and methodical and it gives away some surprises early while deepening the core story. I honestly don't know. It might give the wrong impression and it might make the MC more sympathetic. *shrug* Still happy I read it. :)

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite entertaining and enjoyable. It's Jodorowsky, so of course it's full of religious and cultural allusions, mythologic symbols and parodies of most "sacred" things. Which is fun to uncover, if not too easy. Going to read the classic Incal as well very soon.
I want a concrete seagull as a pet now. And a robot mentor. Sniff, sniff. :'(

[Marcos GM · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ESP/ENG]

Precuela de la archiconocida obra El Incal: Integral en el que se nos va a contar cómo llegó a ser John Difool la persona que es en la obra original.

Esta precuela tiene un ligero problema de integración en la continuidad, aunque no afecta realmente a la lectura. La historia es bastante interesante, dándonos más visión del mundo que la obra original, y sobre todo hace un gran trabajo creando al propio John Difool que conoceremos después. Uno de mis principales problemas con la obra original era precisamente lo poco atrayente que era John, y aqui se arregla eso haciendo desde el principio que sea un personaje con unos valores morales y un carácter fuerte, al que durante la obra se "lobotomiza" para convertirlo en el memo y desgraciado que conocemos, y que impacta más

A diferencia de El incal, allí me gustaba algo menos la historia y más el dibujo, aquí me pasa al contrario, y la historia me funciona muy bien pero el dibujo sufre sin Moebius.


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Prequel to the well-known El Incal: Integral in which we are going to be told how John Difool came to be the person he is in the original work.

This prequel has a slight continuity integration problem, although it doesn't really affect reading. The story is quite interesting, giving us more vision of the world than the original work, and above all it does a great job creating the John Difool that we will meet later. One of my main problems with the original play was precisely how unattractive John was, and here it is fixed: making him from the beginning a character with moral values and a strong character, who during the play is " lobotomized" to turn him into the stupid and unfortunate that we know, and that impacts the most

Unlike The Incal, there I liked the story a little less and the drawing more, here the opposite happens to me, and the story works very well for me but the drawing suffers without Moebius.

[Nik Astashinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this prequel a bit more than the original Incal book. The writing style is the same but the story is not as epic as the original - it's more "down to earth". I liked the relationships of all the characters (especially Deepo & John) and I was genuinely surprised how well the story moved from one chapter to the next. Everything blends together very nicely. Near the end, the book is retconning to the original so it feels a bit forced but doesn't hinder the story. Overall, still an extremely fun ride.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a weird, weird book. An odyssey, really, a science fiction dystopian odyssey but a distinctly European flavored one. Incal was dreamt up by Alejandro Jodorowsky, a controversial cult-classic sort of avant-garde figure, who despite being originally from Latin America, is mostly and very distinctly Gallic in his sensibilities. Born is 1929, he’s also a man of a different era, several different eras, really. So all of that must go a long way to inform his sexual politics, because it’s impossible to talk about Incal without mentioning them.
I mean, sure, we can discuss at length the wildly imagined world of Incal, with its precise and striking social strata and its futuristic wildness – it’s sort of like cyberpunk, crazy-advanced tech and low-quality lives. We can discuss the social injustices that set off the young detective John Difool on his missions, but,,,but…in the end of the day, what really stands out here is the sex. It’s like that joke “You f*ck one goat…”
Because these comics are laden, rife with sex in a variety of grotesque scenarios. Some are romantic - Difool and his beloved on and off aristo Luz get all loved up romantically - but the rest…yikes. Incal really goes there and I mean really goes there, everywhere. Well, everywhere within author’s own imaginations’ limitations, presumably. For, it’s all pretty much straight, for one thing, however perverted. For another…there’s all that rape. And how much rape, you might inquire? Well, there’s a rape scene of a dead fourteen-year-old girl, so that should answer that question.
And (here’s a weird sentence) Jodorowsky isn’t even a stranger to rape controversy. In fact, this might be one of the milder instances for him. He did some bizarro western in the 70s El Topo and…well, you can look that up. Suffice it to say, the man proudly claimed the authenticity of the rape scene in that movie for ages until modern day and age has finally forced him to say he hyped it up for publicity, which…well, you can decide just how believable that sounds.
And sure, the ethics and gender politics have changed a lot since and they’ve been very different to begin with when comparing the generally puritanical US to the do as you please Western Europe, but still…it stands to be mention that some readers might be quite…um…disturbed by the sexuality of the Incal comics.
Aside from that…this is a difficult book to love as such, but it has a certain magnetism, certain energy. And there are lovable things about it, like Difool’s companions, both fowl and robotic. There’s a very peculiar strangeness to the Incal world that can draw you in. It’s certainly different enough to be interesting.
Now when it gets into the actual Incal as a mystical object, the mysticism aspect of it…that reads straight out of the 70s, someone did too much acid, sort of thing. Didn’t care for that at all. But the actual Difool’s adventures otherwise can be compelling, especially since he is such non-traditional/non-heroic/reluctant protagonist. And the world building here is top rate. You can see why this comic is so highly regarded by the people who know these things.
Fun fact, Jodorowsky was once tapped for the original cinematic adaptation of Dune. See if you can tell why.
Another fun fact, according to the internet, the awesomely talented Taika Waititi is set to direct the cinematic adaptation of the Incal. At long last. Who knows how a thing like this can be even brought to life…it’s so otherworldly in so many ways. But if anyone can do it, Waititi can. That ought to be a spectacle of first order.
As for the book, it’s difficult to recommend for many reasons. But for people looking for something completely different and not overtly prudish/easy to disturb, it might be worth a read.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so the final book of the Incal (that I know) is finished and I must admit that a lot of the story now makes a lot more sense.

True the universe (and trust me this story is on the grandest of scales - I know there are far more educated people than me would will be able to do more justice) is an amazingly rich place and it seems with every page there are new characters and situations and even worlds but now after reading my through the 3 books it all starts to make a lot more sense.

Now the real challenge here is that I do not give spoilers - however this book really is nothing but one huge spoilers since it explains the origins and reasons for the events in the other two books (Incal and Final Incal) - so really to dive in to this book will reveal what is going on.

Strangely I tried to read these books in the order of their publication and for me at least I think this order works best - the artwork is truely amazing and it is fascinating to see small ideas and images which have found their way in to other books, comics and movies. I can see now why so many people directly (and many more indirectly) credit this story, the artwork and even the vision is their own creations.

[O'Rety · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less crazy than "The Incal", less abstract and hippy-trippy new-age, and a lot more naturalistic, turpistic even.

Jodorowsky tries very hard to come up with ideas as eccentric and shockingly disgusting as they are absurd upon closer look. Some very convenient plot turns, especially at the end when he wakes up to the fact he's writing a prequel and there's a need of tying it all somehow to the original plot-line. However, all in all, it more-or-less works somehow and you eventually come to terms with the fact that it's just his style.

One of the stuff that stands out is his scathingly mean portrayal of mass-media and proles who mindlessly consume it. It hits painfully close to home - especially, the more we tumble down along the path blazed by the dystopias of yore. And, his elitist contempt for proles is so honest it's palpable.

I liked the Janjetov's art. It embodies the Moebius' spirit while still managing to be its own thing. And it's less cartoonish, which counts as a plus in my book.

[Hugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other works in the series it's beautiful, funky, interesting, inovative & cliche at the same time. Though no "pre-story" is needed for "The Incal", "Before The Incal" lays out a good foundation for "The Incal". "The Incal" stands on it's own...but it's so absorbing and interesting that most people will naturally want to spend more time in this futre/past/present universe...and "Before The Incal" delivers.

[Jigar Brahmbhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with cruel, crass, cheesy, mystical, arcane space opera stuff - everything Jodorowsky wanted to do with his film project "Dune" but couldn't. In fact, the narrative coherence here is far better than in his surreal films. As far as graphic storytelling goes, this is a grand and fully realized project. Not a dull moment, and so much to care about. I am already gearing up for other books in the series.

[Baal Of · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not quite as good as The Incal, in pretty much every way - the story line, the level of weirdness, the artwork, the sheer breadth of imagination, however it is still great and I loved reading it. It does require a substantial amount of suspension of disbelief, and an allowance for the fact that Jodorowsky's writing is bombastic and often oddly stilted. I enjoyed reveling in the strange, and occasionally uncomfortable situations. I'm looking forward to the Final Incal.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the prequel series to "The Incal", the series Jodorowsky did back in the 1980's about a private detective named John DiFool in a surrealistic far future who gets caught up in the quest for a holy relic with 2 matching halves (a white and a black one) that everyone in the universe wants from rivalling galactic empires over religious sects to revolutionary political movements.

At any rate the prequel charts the beginning of John DiFool's career as a private detective in the planetville where he lives. So there is less focus on the space opera and religious mysticism, more on exploring the society of the Pit City as it's called as he gets caught up in all types of intrigue between different squabbling upper class families and ideological factions within its corrupt and dysfunctional surveillance state. His key to this being a rebellious young heiress named Louz de Garra, whose loyalties are never quite clear, but she ends up as something different than a classic femme fatale, and becomes one of the most interesting characters Jodorowsky has written in his comics in a long while to the point she is an integral part of why I enjoyed reading "Before the Incal" so much.

As you can guess, this feels more like a futuristic take on old fashioned detective novels than either the original "Incal" or the concluding sequel series "The Final Incal". (where Louz de Garra, now a space pirate, returns as an important character) Zoran Janjetov's art style fits that as well, since it's less psychedelic than Moebius' and less in line with modern science-fiction trends than that of José Ladrönn who illustrated "The Final Incal", instead feeling like an updated take on "neon noir" crime thriller films of the 1980's.

That said, there are still mystical elements here that can be expected from Jodorowsky. For example, after JDF loses his parents he ends up raised by a secretive new religious movement that preaches to the downtrodden of society while being persecuted by the authorities, and Jodorowsky goes into great detail about its beliefs and observances - a clear callback to his 1989 film "Santa Sangre". (and those observances revolve in large part around a specific rare hallucinogenic plant) JDF also goes through several mentor figures that he has to break with at some point, and each of them requires him to adapt to a completely different worldview and lifestyle - shades of the Masters in "El Topo" but also the different Sephiroth in the Kabbalah. More notably, his nonfiction book "The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky" goes into detail about how his own life story involved learning from several mentor figures whose life philosophies were radically different from one another.

The final echo of "El Topo" is how "Before the Incal" ends: JDF's crusade together with Louz de Garra to expose a terrible secret incriminating the entire aristocracy of the Pit City and its power structure turns out to be all for naught, just like both of El Topo's quests he undergoes. Yet, as El Topo's son goes on with his life as a monk, so does JDF go onwards to his career as a detective into his next assignment which we see being set up here. Which turns out to have much bigger stakes for the entire universe, not just the Pit City. I think there is an important point in all this, as well as the fact of Louz de Garra returning in "The Final Incal" to play a central role in its final cosmic drama with infinitely more important implications than she did here.

[Raúl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contando los antecedentes de lo que ocurría en el mítico El Incal, Antes del Incal se resiente de toda la fuerza de su original, y se queda en una precuela. Un cómic irónico, lleno de acción y suspense, pero que carece de todo el elemento de sorpresa y tremenda originalidad de El Incal, siendo sus últimas páginas el prólogo demasiado evidente de la historia original.

[Robbie Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the original Incal because it lacks the visual brilliance of Moebius's drawings, but still a very fast, salacious, fun read.

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the surface, the Incal graphic novels look like sort of silly science fiction. Before the Incal, however, is a bit more salient in its treatment of drugs and prostitution - certainly a prod at French society where Jodorowsky lived for a long time - which also serves as an origin story for the Incal protagonist, DiFool. It is not really heavy on plot, but does feature some decent art. I preferred the mainline Incal story to this sidelined derivative.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just your average story about a detective in an anti-gravity future where society is ruled by cybernetic android policeborgs, genetically mutated hunchbacked henchmen under the command of a body-swapping transgender president, plus a legion of technopriests, all of whom answer to a disembodied electronic brain. That's the basic premise. Oh, and there's a concrete seagull that kind of looks like a pterodactyl. And nudity!

In a word: visionary.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the Incal takes a much bawdier and earthly tone than The Incal, but the action is just as fast-paced and enjoyable. Despite the lack of mystical symbolism that permeated the first volume of the Jodoverse, the origin story of John Difool is just as satisfying.

[jadov · Rating 2 out of 5]

hodorovski da se drži podalje od pisaće mašine i ženske populacije

[David Raz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acquiring Jodorowsky's "The Incal" and its subsequent volumes has been on my wish list for an extended period. Finally, for my 53rd birthday, I decided to indulge in the entire series. As I wrote in my review of "The Incal", my only regret is not doing so sooner. "Before the Incal" by Jodorowsky and Janjetov was the second book in that journey. While different, it is just as good as the first, if not better.

One thing this book lacks is the sheer surprise of encountering something so different, both textually and graphically. This is because, in many ways, "Before the Incal" is more of the same, but in a good way. The world-building continues to be exceptional. While "The Incal" was wacky and entertaining, it rushed through the story. "Before the Incal" focuses on John Difool's life and how he became the "hero" he is. The writing style remains consistent, but the narrower focus allows for deeper exploration.

The art is as complex and complementary to the story as in the first book. Janjetov writes that he tried to imitate Mœbius's style, and in my opinion, he did so with great success. I truly cannot say I have a favorite between the two styles.

The challenges in text presentation and translation quality that marred my experience with "The Incal" are present to a much lesser extent in this volume. I am tempted to say I enjoyed this volume more than the first, but in the end, the first volume will always have the benefit of novelty. I rate this one four stars out of five, just like the first.

[Óscar López · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Before the Incal" is the prequel of "The Incal". It's way more approachable and straightforward than its predecessor, and this time Jodorowsky manages to write a story that actually makes sense!

Janjetov's artwork is fantastic, almost a perfect copy of Mœbius's style (but somehow not as memorable). The characters are rich, diverse and well fleshed out, and we get to experience John Difool's past, gaining an understanding of his motivations and the reasons behind his personality.

At its core this is a noir detective story with a heavy dose of quirkiness (you should know what to expect from Jodorowsky!). Difool's life is sad, tragic and full of losses; it's easy to understand why he's such a broken person. The events in "The Incal" show him as a coward and a loser, but after this book we can't help but feel compassion for him.

The book ends with the events that lead to "The Incal", tying everything neatly. I liked "Before the Incal" more than "The Incal". I have to acknowledge that the original graphic novel is more intellectually interesting, but the narrative is messy and at times incoherent. "Before the Incal" takes everything that was good from the first novel, removes all the unnecessary pretentiousness and pseudo-spirituality and the end result is a fun, well-written and above all coherent story that stands on its own. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this great saga!

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I don't think Zoran Janjetov is quite the visionary as Moebius, he is still a visionary and a good compliment to Jodorowsky's work. Jodorowsky's dialogue is still laughable, and his symbolism ranges from obvious to so idiosyncratic to be incomprehensible, this does actually develop some character consistency in the Incal storyline. This makes this my favorite of Jodorowsky's Incal trilogy despite the fact that "The Incal" was obviously more original. Furthermore, it clear Jodorowsky felt the same way as this became more important to the Jodoverse and the continued storyline of the Incal than the original comic. Janjetov’s style is definitely in the vein of Moebius, and his figure drawings are sometimes a little clearer than Moebius's in the original. There is, however, less manic diversity in Janjetov’s work. Janjetov also seems more willing to go to the gruesome and sexually explicit elements of Jodorowsky's work than Moebius did in "The Incal." This may be incidental to the artist due the plot of the book, but it does seem significant. Jodorowsky's manic genius is definitely still here, but one does get glimpses of a character beyond a fairly obvious Tarot archetype.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok. You know what you are getting into with Jodorowsky: the writing is pretty lame and deux ex machina are lurking in every corner. But I still buy them because the Jodoverse is pretty awesome in the ideas presented, the imagined worlds, and he usually pairs with great illustrators. They are a guilty pleasure.

That being said, I had my doubts about Janjetov (the illustrator). His style is simply not my style. I love the streamlined feel of Gimenez or Moëbius, but Janjetov is what I would call "vulgar" and "raunchy". However, I found his illustrations to be a perfect fit to this story. I thoroughly enjoyed them, more than what I am ready to admit.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un cómic muy divertido que nos cuenta la infancia y juventud de John Difool y las aventuras que le llevan a ser un personaje sobre el cual gira el destino del universo.
La imaginación de Alejandro Jodorowsky y el dibujo de Zoran Janjetov, que me ha parecido muy detallado, hacen de este cómic una aventúra lisergica y desenfrenada. La mordaz crítica a los altos estamentos de la sociedad y los medios de televisión a través de situaciones descacharrantes y una ciencia ficción original hacen de esta serie de cómics algo obligatorio para todo aficionado al noveno arte.

[Marcelo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um jodorowsky um pouco mais contido se é que isto seja possível. O Antes do Incal é na essência mais uma história tradicional de amor e de “coming of age” com algumas pitadas lisérgicas. Dentro deste moldes mais lineares acaba perdendo um pouco do encanto que torna o Incal original tão único.

Talvez também seja a perda do impacto inicial de ser vomitado para dentro do Jodoverso que torna esse livro um pouco menos deslumbrante.

[Oleg Tipa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Images are marvelous, but plot generally is naive.

[Dávid Novotný · Rating 5 out of 5]

So things have come full circle. Last, or first, depending on how you approach series, is most civil of all the three. What starts as mysterious detective story, serves as great prequel at the end. Less mysticism, more reality. All three books are now connected, and world is even richer, many things are explained. You can keep it reading over and over again, discovering new lines and connections you missed previously, all within vivid world described with colorfull language.

[Petr Čapek · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.schefikuvblog.eu/a-jodorow...

[Paula Silvonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tykkäsin tästä esiosasta enemmän kuin ykkösestä. Sama mielikuvituksellinen maailma, mutta tässä juoni pysyi paremmin kasassa ja hahmotkin tuntuivat moniulotteisemmilta.

[Martti · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I understand mr Jodorowsky felt the world needs more of this nonsense and in 1988 published the prequel to Incal. The art is not drawn by mr Moebius any more, rather than Zoran Janjetov. It continues the same style that I don't care much for. Also the text continues along the lines of disgusting mutants, nice boobies, blood and storylines all over the place.

Incals were part of the latest Humble Bundle - Humanioids Megabundle - among them the graphic novels by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius.

[Bones Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing futuristic adventure opening for the following events in the Jodoverse.