‘Ofiusa’ #1 proves March is a master at sensual comics

Erotic <a href="https://comicvibe.com/today-is-the-day-that-marvel-comics-changes-forever/” title=”Today is the day that Marvel Comics changes forever”>comics are quite rare in the American comics landscape, making the new six-issue series Ofiusa a bit of a diamond in the rough. While being pegged as a romance, the book features nudity and adult themes, all rendered in Guillem March’s incredibly detailed art style.

March does it all on this title, writing, drawing, and even lettering the comic. He may have drawn the likes of Batman, The Joker, and Catwoman, but he hasn’t skipped a beat from his excellent series Karmen.

Ofiusa is a mysterious comic, opening on Isla, who is looking directly at us as she speaks to a man named Joan. We’re likely meant to be as entranced by her as Joan, who stands before her ogling a painting on a wooden plank Isla is selling on the island of Ofiusa. Their back-and-forth makes it clear Joan is attracted to Isla, as he flirts about paying her far more than she’s asking. This eventually leads to him ogling her as she bends down and making a date to see more art at her place. It’s unclear whether Isla is attracted to Joan, which makes their interaction a little tricky to pin down.

The story then cuts to Madrid, where Joan, a young entrepreneur, is immediately captivated by new employee Mar. He’s a little heavy-set, but he definitely passes as the same man from the first story. It’s an odd choice, and without the solicitation, I might not have guessed there was a connection between these stories.

The eyes are the window to the soul.
Credit: Image

Regardless, Mar and Joan’s interactions in Madrid take up much of the rest of the issue. Joan is caught ogling Mar’s butt, then later asks her out to dinner. It all escalates in a scene where Mar undresses at an intersection, with cars piling up around her and Joan. It’s a shocker of a scene, conveying a sense of carnal pleasure from both Mar and Joan that will surely lead to sex.

With all that heat in the second story, Joan and Isla’s relationship only seems to be getting off on the wrong foot. The two aren’t outright hating each other, but March has put them in a situation that can only get more interesting.

March’s art is gorgeous, with incredible detail in the backgrounds and lifelike renderings of characters. Nudity never feels overtly for the male gaze, but more sensual, like something you’d see in a painting. March takes his time with Mar pulling her pants down, as if it’s a study in the motion, not necessarily to simply get a look at her butt from that angle. There’s also something powerful about Mar as she stands on Joan’s hood, albeit with see-through panties dead center on the page.

And now for one of my biggest gripes: the lettering. The handwritten style is perfectly fine, and in fact it’s quite exciting to see a different font or style being used. My problem, though, is how March writes the letter “N.” The first stroke is lower than the second, and when next to other letters, it can be tricky to read, or sometimes it can even look like a “U.” Most of the other letters are perfectly easy to read, though the font does have a bolder quality that can make letters bleed into each other a bit too much. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it stopped me more than once when I tried to make out the words in the word balloons.

Ofiusa #1 is an unusual, sensual debut that immediately stands apart from most American comics. Guillem March approaches its sexuality with an artist’s eye, lingering on bodies and movement while surrounding his characters with beautifully realized environments. The relationship between Joan, Isla, and Mar remains deliberately difficult to decipher, giving the series plenty of mystery to explore. Occasional difficult lettering interrupts the experience, but March’s artwork and willingness to embrace erotic storytelling make this a fascinating start. There really isn’t anything else quite like Ofiusa on shelves right now, and March’s sensual approach gives the book an undeniable heat that gets the blood pumping.

‘Ofiusa’ #1 proves March is a master at sensual comics
Ofiusa #1
Ofiusa #1 is an unusual, sensual debut that immediately stands apart from most American comics. Guillem March approaches its sexuality with an artist’s eye, lingering on bodies and movement while surrounding his characters with beautifully realized environments. The relationship between Joan, Isla, and Mar remains deliberately difficult to decipher, giving the series plenty of mystery to explore. Occasional difficult lettering interrupts the experience, but March’s artwork and willingness to embrace erotic storytelling make this a fascinating start. There really isn’t anything else quite like Ofiusa on shelves right now, and March’s sensual approach gives the book an undeniable heat that gets the blood pumping.
Reader Rating1 Vote
8.7
Guillem March’s artwork is gorgeous and incredibly detailed
The erotic imagery often has the quality of a figure study or painting
Mar’s intersection sequence is strange, provocative, and memorable
March establishes a distinctive tone from the opening pages
The connection between the two portions of the story could be clearer
March’s lettering can occasionally be distracting and hard to decipher
9
Great
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