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Morgan’s Organs #1 Takes Gruesome Humour to Fantastic Heights

Hello friends and welcome to another patented comic book review. Today we will be taking a look at issue one of Daniel Brodie‘s Morgan’s Organs, a book that finally explains how the inside of our bodies work! The second issue of Morgan’s Organs is currently campaigning on the good ol’ Kickstarter machine so be sure to check it out, and in case you missed it here is a convenient “clickable internet website link” to our previous interview with Brodie. Morgan’s Organs is most certainly not for children so if you are a child please exit your browser at this time. Spoilers ahead!

Meet Morgan, a hard partying college student who has been experiencing a dry spell in the romance department as of late. You see, Morgan’s brain (cleverly named Bran) has decided to forcefully teach Morgan that there is more to life than lying down with ladies and so he places a firewall between “Pepe” (care to guess which organ Pepe is?) and Morgan, effectively shutting Morgan down for business for -gasp- sixty days!

Pepe, not wanting to take things lying down (see what I did there?), stands up (see that?) for his right as just one of many of the organs that reside within Morgan’s body and attempts a coup against Bran. With tension building amongst the organs, Morgan’s friends are also relentlessly egging him on for a night on the town that involves alcohol consumption, mingling with some ladies, and if all goes well, subsequent regret coupled with a nasty hangover.

Mercifully, Pepe is clothed.

Mercifully, Pepe is clothed.

In this first issue we are introduced to Morgan’s organs, who are really the stars of the show. There’s the aforementioned Bran and Pepe, a liver that seems to be working over time (blasted college students), a boorish and inarticulate stomach, a heart who is a hopeless romantic, “Angus,” who is…well, you know, and finally, “Andy” the appendix. Andy delivers some of my favorite scenes in this issue as the constantly ignored voice of reason who none of the other organs seem to have any use for, just like a real appendix!

The main focus here is the power struggle between Bran and Pepe, and so issue one is appropriately titled “Head to Head” which is a double entendre that I’ll refrain from expounding upon as I’m sure its subtlety isn’t lost on many of our readers. Anyhoo, when Morgan’s friend Lenny pressures him into chatting up Sydney, an attractive co-ed, hilarity ensues as Morgan makes a complete fool of himself in front of his entire class.

After the classroom fiasco, the organs finally agree that perhaps it’s time for Morgan to get out of his slump, get outside and meet some women, and…ehem…yeah. Of course this leads to more embarrassment when despite his liquid courage, Morgan is once again unable to approach Sydney while out at a club with his friends. Instead, Morgan winds up going home with a much older (READ: questionably elderly) woman who also lives in his building.

Suffering from acute alcohol intoxication, Morgan is unable to…perform, which serves to further continue his streak of recent failures. The next day Morgan is bound and determined to speak to Sydney, but she swiftly shuts him down leaving him even more defeated! Gee guys, Morgan just doesn’t have any luck; but wait! Sydney’s organs seem to have their own ideas, which hints at a potential love connection for future issues.

Sydney's organs!

Sydney’s organs!

One of the high points of Morgan’s Organs is its sense of humor. Brodie shows us that there is no shortage of body-related puns, innuendos and jokes to be told, and the fun never wears out its welcome. The script is clever and entertaining and as an aside, a lot of confusion about my own body has been cleared up after just several readings, so that’s a plus for yours truly.

The artwork in Morgan’s Organs is absolutely fantastic, and is handled entirely by Robert Jennex. The personalities of the organs are perfectly complimented by their respective appearances, and I especially enjoy the “strong” heart and booze-addled liver. Everything from the human characters and organs to the backgrounds and colors are extremely well done, and it’s an impressive feat considering Jennex does it all himself. Oh, and Jennex does the lettering too.

Morgan’s Organs certainly seems like a book that would have a creative team consisting of more than two individuals behind it, and I think one of its greatest strengths is the fact that Brodie and Jennex seem to run a tight ship in their collaboration. I can easily recommend this book to adult readers who like a good laugh with their comics, but keep in mind the content is way too risque for younger comic book fans. That said, the book manages to be more or less inoffensive and remains charming despite some of its adult themes and situations. The bottom line is Morgan’s Organs is a lot of fun!

To support the upcoming second issue of Morgan’s Organs visit the official Kickstarter campaign, then use that amazing body of yours (no seriously, you look good) to operate your home computer and follow Morgan’s Organs on Facebook and Twitter for updates!

What do you think of Morgan’s Organs? Will you be supporting the Kickstarter? Let us know in the comments section and on our Twitter page!

About the author

Robert Porter