Altipano: Discover An Amazing Peruvian Cyberpunk Saga
Altipano isn't just yet another indie comics request, it's a milestone. This series has Peruvian origins, a country that doesn't really have a history of comics; or at least, one I don't have information on. So after the creator Gustaffo Vargas hones his talents in the UK, he self-publishes this series via Kickstarter. This three part graphic novella series so far has the MANU and PUNO chapters up for grabs. This cyberpunk series distinguishes itself from the likes of... Cyberpunk 2077 by focusing on the Peruvian setting.
Altipano: Peruvian Connection
Altipano has some of the usual cyberpunk tropes, a loner with a gang connection, corrupt politicians and conglomerates, and cyborgs are everywhere. Oh but there are cyborg animals too; monkeys, birds, and jaguars.
But aside from the high-tech aesthetics what makes this series stand out is a sense of disconnection. It's something the reader notices in a lot of the characters. The protagonist Lila for example keeps everyone in her life at a distance after a stock trauma. In her gang days, her best friend got involved in a conglomerate-based conspiracy. With this friend in hiding, Lila tries not to get anymore innocents at risk. So she hides out in the Amazon Rain Forest with security cyborg animals.
Unfortunately, this inability to open up puts Lila at odds with her girlfriend Sonia. Sonia wants their relationship to be more than just friends with benefits; but how does someone who cuts herself off from professional help commit to a serious relationship? Look at PUNO and you'll see her social skills aren't great either.
Then there's how the Peruvian government treats its people especially the indigenous populations. With a Japanese conglomerate (PAWA) making a deal with the government to recover their asset, they have the power to get away with slaughter. While their political contact doesn't enjoy PAWA's "any means necessary" tactics, she's more concerned about her approval. Allowing soldiers to threaten and kill people is not going to look good if the press finds out. Of course, PAWA's bribes to Congress more than makes up for it. As long as there is money to be made there's really little difference between governments, conglomerates, and organized crime.
The Personal Touch
And now it's time for a Gutternaut-style overestimation from the creator's own form of disconnect. Take for example when Lila speaks the English slang "arse" instead of "ass" like everyone else. Is this a typo or an artistic license to further Lila's disconnect with the rest of the world? Did she spend time in England like Vargas did?
As far as I can tell, Vargas is more of a world builder than a character builder. For artists, designs speak louder than anything else. That's what I got from Lila's outfits than exposition. Even then, Vargas puts more into the bestiary of cyborg animals than the characters.
Altipano: The Raw Emotion
For all of the time the reader gets with the characters, the emotions Vargas expresses is apparent. The way their faces shift gives the reader an impression of people on their interactions. Like whenever Lila hides her face avoiding Sonia, Sonia's face lights up with detail and anger. Often the color red appears covering Sonia's entire head. For all the time the reader didn't see the relationship that brought them together in the first place, it still feels important.
Part Of A Whole
From reading MANU and PUNO, Altipano feels incomplete. I feel like there can be a good story, especially with how well the art presents events. The inks colors and actions are phenomenal. But without the final third chapter, the story has holes to fill. It might be better to read the other Peruvian Cyberpunk comics before this series; they're all available on the same website. Otherwise it's a bunch of cyberpunk cliches mixed with exaggerated Peruvian events. With only two chapters, this series gets 7.8/10.