Home / Orphan & Five Beasts #1
If you've followed his career, you know that James Stokoe has a style between the classical black and white ink work of Gary Gianni and the unpublished title "What If...Art Adams Drew The Violentist Thing Ever?". That style is put to its best effect yet in Orphan And The Five Beasts.
You'll feel like you're watching this book rather than reading it. It flows with the energy of a manga.The story follows a traditional 'Our temple/style/kung fu has been betrayed and you will avenge us' format. This roots the book as a classic 70's style Kung-Fu epic with a modern flair for violence. There is motion in every panel, and a geography to the motion that will orient you as necessary.
The only issue he has, has always had, and always will have, is that he colors his own work. There are bleeds of color to locations that would be better locked off, in a world where contours mean something. Its not bad, mind you, just below the level of the rest of what he does.
