Alejandro Jodorowsky & José Ladrönn's Bizarre, Bewildering The Sons of El Topo Vol. 1: Cain is a Visual Masterpiece

Legendary (and legendarily divisive) filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky is known in the comic world for his string of collaborations with god-tier French artist Moebius, but his cinematic legacy is perhaps best represented by El Topo, a 1970 Mexican “Acid Western” film written, scored, directed by and starring Jodorowsky himself. A staple of midnight showings around the world, El Topo follows the titular black-clad gunslinger and his naked son as they ride across the desert and encounter a disorienting blend of Christian symbolism and Eastern philosophy—not to mention gallons of bright, red blood.

The Sons of El Topo Vol. 1: Cain, written by Jodorowsky and illustrated by José Ladrönn, picks up years later, as the merciless El Topo has found enlightenment as a sort of holy vessel capable of bestowing great miracles (and punishing those unworthy of said blessings). This new era for El Topo is threatened when his son, now fully clothed and named Cain, returns to kill the father who abandoned him years before. Cain finds himself unable to strike down his saintly father, and instead sets out on an epic quest to hunt down his half-brother Abel instead.

“The son becomes the father in this new chapter of El Topo’s saga as we follow Cain’s journey through the same desert wastelands and twisted mental landscapes that Jodorowsky built for us in the original film,” BOOM! Studios Executive Editor Sierra Hahn said in a statement. “Longtime devotees and new fans alike will love to explore this world with Jodorowsky and Ladrönn at the helm.”

While The Sons of El Topo Vol. 1: Cain will best be understood by readers who’ve seen El Topo—or at least have some familiarity with Jodorowsky’s singular creative vision—the graphic novel is a visual feast from cover to cover, thanks to Ladrönn’s immaculate artwork. Unsettling church rites, graphic violence, desert caravans and scenes that push the boundaries of good taste are all executed with a master’s pen, and fans of surrealist narratives and strange Westerns owe it to themselves to pick this one up during the holiday season.

The Sons of El Topo Vol. 1: Cain, published under BOOM! Studios’ Archaia imprint, hits comic-store shelves on December 19th, and traditional stores and digital retailers on Christmas. Check out an exclusive first look at Ladrönn’s interior artwork below.