Metabarons: The Sci-Fi Graphic Novel That Out-Madnesses Dune

Inside the Wild World of Metabarons — The Most Insane Sci-Fi Comic Ever Made

Let’s just say this upfront: Metabarons isn’t a comic. It’s a fever dream in space, an operatic explosion of flesh, fire, and philosophical madness. If you thought sci-fi had limits, Metabarons incinerates them, laughs maniacally, and floats off in a spaceship shaped like… well, we’ll get to that.

Created by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Juan Giménez, Metabarons is what happens when a failed Dune adaptation spawns a mythos so intense, so violently poetic, that it becomes its own genre. Space baroque? Gothic cyberpunk? Call it what you want. Just don’t call it boring.

Because Metabarons is nuts—in the best, most jaw-dropping way.

The Saga Begins: Trauma, Glory, and Robotic Storytellers

Every great myth needs a narrator. Metabarons gives you two: Tonto and Lothar, a pair of tiny bickering robots recounting the galaxy’s most brutal lineage—the bloodline of the Metabarons, intergalactic warriors of absolute power and zero chill.

Their saga starts with Othon von Salza, the first Metabaron, and each generation becomes more tragic, more violent, and somehow more majestic than the last. These aren’t your garden-variety heroes. They’re programmed by pain. Literally. To become a Metabaron, you must sacrifice a body part and destroy your own father in ritual combat. Family dinners must be a real vibe.

Meet Aghnar von Salza: The Castrated Killing Machine

Volume Two, Honorata, focuses on Othon’s son, Aghnar, who might just be the most terrifying sad boy in space. Castrated in battle (yup, gone), Aghnar is introduced ruling a fortress, training, meditating, and lounging with two devoted concubines who worship him like a demi-god.

He’s cold. Ruthless. Honorable in a way that only Jodorowsky characters can be—one foot in Zen, the other on your throat.

And then the Empress announces the birth of a miracle child, and Aghnar gets involved in what can only be described as the most metal rescue mission of all time. Think asteroid warfare, a pirate planet disguised as a moon, and space combat Reproduction, the Metabaron Way

Okay. Now it gets weird(er).

Aghnar saves the unborn child and is rewarded by the Empress with any gift he desires. But there’s one problem: he has no genitals. (Yes, it’s a plot point. A major one.) So he can’t father an heir, which is a huge deal for the lineage-obsessed Metabarons.

Enter Honorata, a mystical priestess who shows up and says, “Don’t worry, I got this.”

She takes a drop of Aghnar’s blood (you read that right) and magically inseminates herself with it. The love scene? Equal parts beautiful, baffling, and deeply symbolic. Also, spaceships look... suggestive. This is Jodorowsky, after all.

Betrayal, Float Babies, and the Tower Scene

Honorata becomes pregnant, but Aghnar’s jealous concubines try to kill her by throwing her off a tower. He rushes to save her—and does so by shooting her mid-fall with a gravity gun dart that makes her float gently to safety. (Your rom-com could never.)

Their child, the future Metabaron, is born midair. Literally. Floating. Naked. Glowing.

But of course, there’s a catch: the baby can’t stay on the ground due to a rare condition. So what does Aghnar do?

He tries to kill the baby. Because a true Metabaron must stand and fight. Honorata barely saves their son and convinces Aghnar to let her raise the child in secret, in the icy wilderness with psychic toads and killer rituals. You know, classic parenting.

The Final Test: Worthy of the Name

Years later, the boy returns—scarred, hardened, and ready to prove himself. Aghnar doesn’t throw a parade. He sends him to battle a killer robot that grows a new arm every hour. (It ends up with eight arms, by the way.)

Using his floating ability (finally useful!), the boy defeats the robot. But that’s not enough. Now comes the pain test—a machine that crushes his feet to pulp as he refuses to cry out. When it’s over, his father finally embraces him, replaces his feet with metal, and names him his successor.

And that’s just one volume.

Why You Need to Read Metabarons

Metabarons is an unapologetic opera of madness. It’s Dune meets Conan meets 2001: A Space Odyssey—on psychedelics. The art by Juan Giménez is nothing short of breathtaking. Every panel feels monumental, like a fresco in the Vatican… if the Vatican had lasers and floating babies.

It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s violent, erotic, philosophical, grotesque, and often uncomfortable. But it's also brilliant, pushing the limits of what comics—and sci-fi—can do.

If you think you’ve seen it all in graphic novels, Metabarons is your wake-up call.

Reading Metabarons is like watching the universe explode in slow motion. It's not just a comic—it’s a cosmic epic soaked in blood, love, metal, and philosophy. Jodorowsky and Giménez don’t just tell stories—they rip them out of time, sculpt them in chrome, and send them screaming into the void.

This isn't Marvel. This isn't DC. This is the kind of storytelling that lives on the edge of madness—and knows it. From its impossible world-building to its relentless test of pain and legacy, Metabarons dares you to look away… and then pulls you deeper.

It’s dense. It’s extreme. And it’s unforgettable.

Land of Geek Rating: 9.5/10

We don’t hand out near-perfect scores lightly, but Metabarons earns every decimal of its intergalactic madness. It's not just a comic—it's a deep-space spiritual experience with lasers, lineage, and lingering existential dread.

If you’re ready for a sci-fi epic that punches through genre walls with cybernetic fists, this one’s got your name carved in steel.

✅ Pros:

• Stunning Art: Juan Giménez’s panels are cinematic, baroque, and visually overwhelming in the best way. Every page is a work of art.
• Unmatched Worldbuilding: A multi-generational saga that spans galaxies, empires, and philosophical paradoxes.
• Emotional Brutality: These aren’t just space battles. They’re rituals of pain, love, loss, and legacy.
• Totally Unpredictable: You literally won’t know what’s coming next—and that’s half the thrill.
• Jodorowsky’s Vision: Absurd, transcendent, and utterly fearless in its storytelling.

❌ Cons:

• Not for Everyone: This comic gets graphic—sex, violence, and body horror abound.
• Dense Philosophy: The metaphysical elements may feel overwhelming without background in Jodorowsky’s other works.
• Emotional Detachment: Some characters feel more like archetypes than people, which can blunt emotional impact.
• Pacing Jumps: The narrative sometimes leaps forward years in a single panel, which may disorient casual readers.

Pick it up. Strap in. Lose your mind.

And stay warped with more visionary graphic novels at Land of Geek Magazine!

‍#Metabarons #Jodorowsky #SciFiComics #SpaceOpera #LandOfGeek