Elephantmen 2260, Book One: Memories of the Future

Freed from slavery to the MAPPO Corp., human-animal hybrids intended to serve as brainwashed soldiers struggle to find roles for themselves in a world that distrusts and despises them. Hippolike Hieronymus “Hip” Flask found his role working as an investigator next to troubled detective Jack Farrell, who is still haunted by the memories of his dead lover, Scarlet. A seemingly straightforward case—either a double homicide or murder-suicide—proves their undoing: the dead couple turn out to have stolen a terrible treasure, one intimately connected to Scarlet and to MAPPO itself. As the investigators work to piece together the puzzle, their unseen opponents work to make sure neither of them will ever manage to reveal what they learn. The theme of brutal exploitation runs through the work, from the hybrids and the women who are killed birthing the hybrids to the men and women who sacrifice themselves to serve MAPPO’s ends, knowingly or otherwise. It is unfortunate that Medellin’s art seems as exploitative of women as the world he depicts. Writer Starkings draws heavily on noir tropes in this tale of artificial slaves and corporate shenanigans; Medellin’s slick art draws from a similar well. The result is highly reminiscent of Blade Runner. (May)