By Dustin Cabeal
Being a fan of Gamma, I was instantly interested in Motro from Ulises Fariñas. It has that distinct style that made Gamma funny and amazing. Motro differs in that its a dark comedy in a somber and dystopian world.
The story follows Motro who is raising a little motorcycle that talks in emojis. That’s right, all the vehicles in the world are raised by people, and they’re even feed like livestock. It’s such a minor thing, but so clever and something that Fariñas would do. Motro is living along in the woods and is plagued by the same nightmare each night. It’s what motivated him to stop some bandits from attacking the nearby town if he can stop crying that is.
Motro is a different character for sure. He’s part reluctant hero but then part emotional wreck. Usually the story wouldn’t follow him or pair him with a companion that would do most of the talking while Motro was pushed into the “muscle” position, but instead, we get overly sensitive Motro as our lead. And it works. I think back to my recent review of Platinum End and the main character in that shares some similarities with Motro, but where Fariñas succeeds is that he puts Motro into action. Motro attempts to move the story forward, and that’s why even though he’s weak emotionally, he’s not a burden to follow, unlike Platinum End’s main character.
Fariñas’ style is unique, and I feel that he’s one of those creators that most people will instantly decide if they love or hate his style. Personally, I’m on the side of love (both on the subject of Fariñas’ art and in life, in general, *blows kiss*), as I was introduced to Fariñas’ a while back and have only see handfuls of it since. He draws what I call, ugly people. They’re not overly beautiful, but instead, have a sense of realism to them. They’re not actually ugly, but they’re normal. They have man boobs and distinguished noses; they have features that range from beautiful to ugly, and that’s not the norm in comics. In any other comic, they’d be “ugly,” but in Fariñas’ comic, they’re just people. I dig the level of detail he puts into the work. The backgrounds are full and lively. The action is dynamic and hilarious. Fariñas brings the world to life.
Motro is by far one of Oni Press’ best titles being released, and I’m excited to read more. In fact, I’m just happy there is more because with as busy as Fariñas is, I feared this might just be another one-shot. Thankfully, there’s more to the story of Motro, a lonely boy with the strength of ten men.
Score: 5/5
Motro #1
Writer/Artist: Ulises Fariñas
Co-Writer: Erick Freitas
Colorist: Ryan Hill
Publisher: Oni Press