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The ongoing sequel to cult film, El Topo, from cult-favorite filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky.
“Oh, father, I cannot kill you, but I can kill your son . . .”
El Topo was a bandit without limits, a man with no moral compass, but when his journey through the arid west brought him face to face with a series of rogue outcasts, he found enlightenment in the unlikeliest place and was forever transformed, becoming a holy vessel imbued with the power to perform miracles. This was a journey that took him far from his first born son, Cain, and brought about the birth of Abel.
Fueled by resentment, and unable to kill his saintly father, Cain begins the slow pursuit of his half brother in a tale of magic and mayhem worthy of legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and virtuosic illustrator José Ladrönn. Together, they deliver an allegorical and surrealist western where the genre is at the service of deeper philosophical and spiritual considerations.
“Oh, father, I cannot kill you, but I can kill your son . . .”
El Topo was a bandit without limits, a man with no moral compass, but when his journey through the arid west brought him face to face with a series of rogue outcasts, he found enlightenment in the unlikeliest place and was forever transformed, becoming a holy vessel imbued with the power to perform miracles. This was a journey that took him far from his first born son, Cain, and brought about the birth of Abel.
Fueled by resentment, and unable to kill his saintly father, Cain begins the slow pursuit of his half brother in a tale of magic and mayhem worthy of legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and virtuosic illustrator José Ladrönn. Together, they deliver an allegorical and surrealist western where the genre is at the service of deeper philosophical and spiritual considerations.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published June 19, 2019
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72 people want to read
About the author
Alejandro Jodorowsky
696 books1,947 followersAlso 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 8, 2024
It's crazy to think that Jodorowsky wrote this story for a movie that he never got support to make.
This story could have never seen the light of day if it wasn't for his insistence of making it happen and finding the right artist to work with him on it.
This would have made a great movie but I'm not surprised Hollywood turned it down. It's simply too politically incorrect for today's mainstream.
We still got this fantastic 3 volume series and I can't wait to get to the last one.
Maybe one day someone will make a movie out of it.
Great series. But if you hate violence, blood and erotic scenes, this is not for you.
This story could have never seen the light of day if it wasn't for his insistence of making it happen and finding the right artist to work with him on it.
This would have made a great movie but I'm not surprised Hollywood turned it down. It's simply too politically incorrect for today's mainstream.
We still got this fantastic 3 volume series and I can't wait to get to the last one.
Maybe one day someone will make a movie out of it.
Great series. But if you hate violence, blood and erotic scenes, this is not for you.
August 25, 2020
What a loss the film never became a reality.
June 3, 2022
Keeps the level and even exceeds the first part. Unique fantasy with twisted worldbuilding. Totally offensive, one could even say artistic.
January 27, 2024
Lido pela primeira vez em Outubro de 2021. Relido em Fevereiro de 2023.
Esta coleção de 3 álbuns é a continuação de um filme (El Topo) de 1970 da autoria de Jodorowsky, a qual ele nunca conseguiu filmar. Assim sendo, lançou na forma de BD o argumento que criou.
Este volume lê-se rapidamente, pois as vinhetas são bem grandes e não têm propriamente muito texto. Os desenhos, da autoria de José Ladrönn,estão bem conseguidos. A história tem elementos de sobrenaturalidade, a qual poderá não ser bem entendida para quem desconheça o estilo habitual de Jodorowsky... No geral, gostei menos deste volume do que do primeiro. São acrescentadas linhas narrativas que tornam, eventualmente tudo mais confuso. Bem sei que ler esta colecção implica não nos apegarmos demasiado à "lógica da realidade"... Temos de nos abstrair um pouco e apreciar a história sem pré-concepções "realistas".
Esta coleção de 3 álbuns é a continuação de um filme (El Topo) de 1970 da autoria de Jodorowsky, a qual ele nunca conseguiu filmar. Assim sendo, lançou na forma de BD o argumento que criou.
Este volume lê-se rapidamente, pois as vinhetas são bem grandes e não têm propriamente muito texto. Os desenhos, da autoria de José Ladrönn,estão bem conseguidos. A história tem elementos de sobrenaturalidade, a qual poderá não ser bem entendida para quem desconheça o estilo habitual de Jodorowsky... No geral, gostei menos deste volume do que do primeiro. São acrescentadas linhas narrativas que tornam, eventualmente tudo mais confuso. Bem sei que ler esta colecção implica não nos apegarmos demasiado à "lógica da realidade"... Temos de nos abstrair um pouco e apreciar a história sem pré-concepções "realistas".
December 17, 2019
another brilliant poetic riddle from Jodorowsky.
the mythic power
the mythic power
May 10, 2020
I enjoyed this more than Vol 1 on the level that it isn't quite so sanctimonious and a lot more nuanced in its mythology, it is probably the most violently and horribly misogynistic thing Jodorowsky has ever done in a career of work problematic in this way.
April 14, 2020
حمدًا لله أن هذا المشروع لم يبقى حبيس اﻷدراج في انتظار تحويله لفيلم سينمائي، وأنه وجد طريقه إلى الكوميكس، عمل لايقل جنونًا ولا جموحًا ولا متعة عن الفيلم الذي أخرجه خودروفسكي منذ عقود.
October 28, 2024
I will say, I can understand why Hollywood did not want to adapt these comics, based on Jodorowsky's script, into a film or at least produce it.
But it hits hard. It is easier to compare and contrast the sons of El Topo with their father. Their father also had the equivalent to a Lilith, but the difference is that he started out from strength. Whereas El Topo conquered a corrupt officer and took his archetypal whore or anima as a prize, while constantly having her need him to prove himself to her, Cain begins from being cursed by that same father to never be perceived by anyone. He attempts to win her over, win what he thinks is his anima, through earthly and material magic: gems and fruit. In the end, he ends up realizing his anima is the one has been spurning, that actually does see and cares to see him.
Abel, in contrast, wants to be a saint but he hasn't shed blood yet. He is an innocent, but we find out he isn't really. He just wasn't tempted by earthly desire until he meets the girl that has followed Cain. Then, he finds his own anima, who he didn't realize he needed, to help him not so much be a killer as a champion. Whether or not that happens, or he returns his saintly mother to his father's graveside has yet to be seen however.
The story begins in a way that is almost in conflict with its previous volume. Cain goes from wanting to kill Abel out of spite to the father that abandoned and marked him, to not wanting to harm his little brother. It makes sense in a way as in the first volume and the end of El Topo itself he actually protects Abel and his mother. But then he also doesn't want to kill his brother out of spite, just to prove his father's prophecy wrong: even though he did threaten him. It's almost like a weird jump-cut into a contradictory scene, but it makes sense for a messy and mythological world like the one Jodorowsky made in El Topo, and other places.
Like I said, I can see why this wasn't produced by Hollywood and it gets graphic and as transgressive as the filmmaker's other works, but I really do want to see how this story will finally end.
But it hits hard. It is easier to compare and contrast the sons of El Topo with their father. Their father also had the equivalent to a Lilith, but the difference is that he started out from strength. Whereas El Topo conquered a corrupt officer and took his archetypal whore or anima as a prize, while constantly having her need him to prove himself to her, Cain begins from being cursed by that same father to never be perceived by anyone. He attempts to win her over, win what he thinks is his anima, through earthly and material magic: gems and fruit. In the end, he ends up realizing his anima is the one has been spurning, that actually does see and cares to see him.
Abel, in contrast, wants to be a saint but he hasn't shed blood yet. He is an innocent, but we find out he isn't really. He just wasn't tempted by earthly desire until he meets the girl that has followed Cain. Then, he finds his own anima, who he didn't realize he needed, to help him not so much be a killer as a champion. Whether or not that happens, or he returns his saintly mother to his father's graveside has yet to be seen however.
The story begins in a way that is almost in conflict with its previous volume. Cain goes from wanting to kill Abel out of spite to the father that abandoned and marked him, to not wanting to harm his little brother. It makes sense in a way as in the first volume and the end of El Topo itself he actually protects Abel and his mother. But then he also doesn't want to kill his brother out of spite, just to prove his father's prophecy wrong: even though he did threaten him. It's almost like a weird jump-cut into a contradictory scene, but it makes sense for a messy and mythological world like the one Jodorowsky made in El Topo, and other places.
Like I said, I can see why this wasn't produced by Hollywood and it gets graphic and as transgressive as the filmmaker's other works, but I really do want to see how this story will finally end.
August 25, 2024
Picking off from where the previous volume left off, Abel follows the story of the younger son of El Topo. The elder, Cain, grew to adulthood prior to El Topo's death, but was cursed to never be acknowledged by people due to his destined fate to be evil. The first volume demonstrates the self-fulfilling prophecy aspect well, with Cain vowing to kill Abel as revenge against his father. Abel is much younger, having been born close to the very end of El Topo's life, so some passage of time was needed over the duration of the first volume's events to ensure Abel could be a relevant character. Compared to his more violent older brother, Abel is shown to be more sensitive and eager to connect with nature instead of engaging with the more violent trivialities of life in the desert. The brothers are united in this volume however, working together for a common goal that allows the two characters to gain some understanding of their differences.
As with the previous volume, there's plenty of gratuitous scenes involving some troubling subject matter. It's a bit more dialed up here, which I'm sure will bother some readers. It's not a shock to those who loved the original film since there's plenty of that there too, and I don't really feel it comes off as disturbing in comic form as it does in film. Nonetheless, it can definitely be said that a lot of this isn't necessary for the story, and also really detracts from the fact that there isn't actually a lot of story to be told here. Really you just have to enjoy this for the vibes brought by José Ladrönn's amazing artwork.
As with the previous volume, there's plenty of gratuitous scenes involving some troubling subject matter. It's a bit more dialed up here, which I'm sure will bother some readers. It's not a shock to those who loved the original film since there's plenty of that there too, and I don't really feel it comes off as disturbing in comic form as it does in film. Nonetheless, it can definitely be said that a lot of this isn't necessary for the story, and also really detracts from the fact that there isn't actually a lot of story to be told here. Really you just have to enjoy this for the vibes brought by José Ladrönn's amazing artwork.
March 9, 2022
(PT) Acudido pela chamada do seu meio-irmão Abel, Caim descobre que a sua madrasta está morta... mas não se decompõe, exalando ainda por cima um cheiro perfumado, como se fosse uma santa na terra de pecadores. Para piorar as coisas, pelo caminho, descobre uma adolescente que a segue por estar perdidamente apaixonada por ele. Ele a tentar livrar, mas... debalde. E pelo meio, descobrem um senhor da guerra que tinha enlouquecido e pensa que é um cão. Logo, tem de os ajudar, porque o resto foi feito refém, e a missão está acima de todos os escrúpulos e moralismos que possa ter.
Como disse no primeiro livro, "Os Filhos de El Topo" é a sequela que Alejandro Jodrowsky queria fazer, mas nunca lhe deram a chance. Com José Ladronn como desenhador, decidiu então passar para banda desenhada a sua ideia, resultando em três álbuns - este é o segundo - onde o western e o misticismo são as mãos e fazem uma dança maravilhosa e maldita. Sem freios e sem medos, na paisagem mexicana, a leitura destes álbuns é simplesmente fantástica, com as referências à Bíblia bem explicitas, e a violência e o misticismo católico está mais do que presente. Fazendo toda esta mistura, o resultado é que estás a sentir tudo isto como se estivesses "mesmo lá", a mais de 40 graus sob o sol escaldante de Sonora. Ou então, que estás no escuro da sala de cinema, à meia-noite, agarrado ao balde de pipocas, querendo saber como acaba a segunda parte.
Como disse do primeiro álbum, a cinematografia está mais que presente. Mas se calhar, essa deve ter sido a ideia mesmo antes de desenhar a primeira folha.
Como disse no primeiro livro, "Os Filhos de El Topo" é a sequela que Alejandro Jodrowsky queria fazer, mas nunca lhe deram a chance. Com José Ladronn como desenhador, decidiu então passar para banda desenhada a sua ideia, resultando em três álbuns - este é o segundo - onde o western e o misticismo são as mãos e fazem uma dança maravilhosa e maldita. Sem freios e sem medos, na paisagem mexicana, a leitura destes álbuns é simplesmente fantástica, com as referências à Bíblia bem explicitas, e a violência e o misticismo católico está mais do que presente. Fazendo toda esta mistura, o resultado é que estás a sentir tudo isto como se estivesses "mesmo lá", a mais de 40 graus sob o sol escaldante de Sonora. Ou então, que estás no escuro da sala de cinema, à meia-noite, agarrado ao balde de pipocas, querendo saber como acaba a segunda parte.
Como disse do primeiro álbum, a cinematografia está mais que presente. Mas se calhar, essa deve ter sido a ideia mesmo antes de desenhar a primeira folha.
August 30, 2024
This is the mid part. I can kind of see why this was turned down as a movie. It would be pretty dicey the way it is drawn. Might also get some religious folks in a tizzy. Virgin whore complex comes into play. Some stuff about mental health and more religious stuff especially around fighting.
It does seem a little unfocused unless you think that the main point is still a remix of good and evil done western style. Has a bit of Preacher feel. Not as supernatural or pointed or rooted in reality. I'm looking forward to the resolution. I have some ideas especially since the black and white posturing has devolved a bit into basically the equivalent that no one is getting out of life alive.
It does seem a little unfocused unless you think that the main point is still a remix of good and evil done western style. Has a bit of Preacher feel. Not as supernatural or pointed or rooted in reality. I'm looking forward to the resolution. I have some ideas especially since the black and white posturing has devolved a bit into basically the equivalent that no one is getting out of life alive.
August 31, 2025
In this volume Cain follows the eagle to find his brother Abel, where he agrees to escort Abel, and his mother's saintly corpse, to the isle of saints to be buried with their father. Cain will do this in exchange for the pillars of gold from El Topo's burial site.
This volume is as crazy as the first one, with lots of action happening quite suddenly and things changing abruptly. There is also a lot of female nudity, and violence against women, which makes for quite uncomfortable reading at times. Once again the artwork is clear, evocative, and easy to follow.
This volume is as crazy as the first one, with lots of action happening quite suddenly and things changing abruptly. There is also a lot of female nudity, and violence against women, which makes for quite uncomfortable reading at times. Once again the artwork is clear, evocative, and easy to follow.
March 25, 2022
The continuation of the mythical journey started in the first volumen of The Sons of El Topo, this time we get to know Abel, Cain's half-brother and the enigmatic yet full of lust Lilith. Again, as with the first volume, Jorodowsky gives us a plenty of mystic and occult symbolism in this sequel to the cult movie
August 10, 2021
Ladronn is absolutely killing it in this series, and Jodorowsky comes strapped with some characteristically batshit situations. I enjoyed reading some psycho-social religious commentary into the dynamic between Abel and Cain, because Alejandro can't help himself; that's just what he does.
August 10, 2021
Gorgeous art that elevates Jodo's usual psychomagic laced poetic storytelling. You'll dig this work if you're familiar with the artist. The second volume is more beautiful than the first. Eagerly anticipating what comes next. (vol 2 : 4/5)
December 26, 2025
I knew this was book two and sometimes I feel compelled to go back to book one, but I really didn't on this one. Maybe eventually I will because it is on Hoopla. However, I also didn't like that this ended on a cliffhanger and there didn't seem to be any resolution.
February 2, 2020
Vol. 1 was perfect. And this second part is at least as brilliant as the part one. Cant wait for the last volume finding out how this story continues and ends. Wow <3
October 23, 2020
This is fantastic.
Read
December 20, 2020Retains the ugliness of the violence of the film, but somehow it all seems more severe
September 7, 2021
The saga continue!!
I didn't expect this to happen... so happy!!
I didn't expect this to happen... so happy!!
December 17, 2023
1 volume é melhor que o 2
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews