Oni Press’ Motro miniseries has quickly become one of the most intriguing fantasy comics on stands, telling a powerful, striking story about the evolution of a traumatized young boy into a valiant king. Written by Ulises Fariñas and Erick Freitas with art by Fariñas and colors by Ryan Hill, Motro is a wonderfully immersive read, and a major part of the book’s appeal is the richness of this world and the detail the creative team puts into the environments, characters, and props. The first three issues detailed Motro’s rise to kingship (check out this Comics Panel review for more on those chapters), and now that he’s firmly situated as ruler, he has the added responsibility of protecting his people.
In next week’s Motro #4, that means rescuing the babies that have pulled from their cribs by the vengeful Reptoids, whose lands were taken by Motro years ago. These exclusive preview pages highlight the meticulous care that this team puts into the setting as the Reptoids make their way through Motro’s Northern Kingdom with their living loot in tow, and the detail is astonishing from the very first shot of the city. The second page takes the reader deeper and deeper into the environment as the Reptoids descend into the sewer system, and the combination of Fariñas intricate linework and Hill’s textured linework brings this location to vivid life. The preview ends with more metatextual teases of Motro being aware that his life is part of a comic book, and this heightened awareness adds an intriguing layer to the main character. Readers can learn more about Motro’s fight against the Reptoids when Motro #4 goes on sale on February 22, but in the meanwhile, they can savor the beauty of these preview pages.