MetaBarons Tarot

I haven't seen the MetaBarons Tarot discussed at all, so I thought it was time to make a thread about it. According to the Lo Scarabeo 2015 catalog this deck was supposed to be released in April but according to Amazon the deck won't be released until May 31st

This deck has got a sci-fi graphic novel theme that probably won't appeal to a ton of people, but I'm LOVING the images I've seen so far. Here's a website I've found that has got about a dozen card images: http://osiem.com.pl/metabarons-tarot-instrpl-p-5870.html I'm digging that Buzz-Lightyear-meets-80s-cover-art Chariot! I totally understand why it might not be someone's cup of tea, but I'm really liking the art of this deck. And, hey, I think everyone can agree that there is a lack of decks with overt masculine energies in them.

What do you think, is this something you'd read with? Or is it not for you?

I pre-ordered it from Amazon last night. Strangely enough there was both a difference in price and in estimated ship date between the LoS and Llewellyn editions. The LoS was cheaper and is supposed to ship a few days earlier, so of course I bought that one.

That's interesting, I hadn't noticed that. What day is the LoS edition supposed to ship? I'm not exactly clear which one pre-ordered, lol. Also I forgot to mention that MetaBarons was originally a graphic novel (which I believe is still being produced). Lo Scarabeo's website isn't clear whether the artwork is original artwork from the artist for this deck or is existing artwork taken from the novels (I'm guessing the latter).

I got the $19.32 deck listed as being by Jodo and Juan Gimenez with expected availability of 5/31/15. The deck listed as being by LoS is $22.95 and has expected availability of 6/8/15. Interestingly enough the Jodo deck shows LoS as publisher in the details and the LoS deck shows Llewellyn as publisher in the details! It makes sense that the Llewellyn deck would be out later as it needs to be shipped from Italy.

Rodney

My local shop has it.

I saw it for sale on Saturday. Love the look of it from the box but I draw a limit on decks which refer to a series I know nothing about! I'm sure it's curious and interesting and the artwork looks good but I have zero knowledge of what on earth is being referred to.

I know people will say "oh I can read with anything" but I do wonder about the place of decks like Corto Maltese and this (and what was that other one Magus?Mago? Something else comic-strip-like. ETA; Mage the Ascension, that's it!)). How is the general population going to react to a deck like this or does the MetaBarons series have such a massive fan base that they don't need ignorant outsiders like me?

IfI laid this out on the reading table I'd be wildly guessing stuff.

As a comic fan I say the art is great. As tarot devotee.... I don't know of this would work for me. I simply can't imagine these cards as part of a spread. And seriously, I really wish there would be less comic-bookish looking decks from Loscab. Nearly every deck from them looks as if I could buy it in my local comic store as well. On the other hand this one is really comic themed - finally [emoji28] (and no, I have no idea what MetaBaron is about. Never heard of it).

I also know nothing about the Meta-Barons, but the deck looks readable to me without knowing the background, which is why I pre-ordered it. I also know nothing about the Corto Maltese, and it doesn't speak to me by its imagery alone. So I've never tried to read with that deck.

Just going off the card images I've seen online, it doesn't look like you have to know about the MetaBarons source material to understand the deck. Of course, I could be wildly mistaken. I'm hoping just a general knowledge of sci-fi tropes will be enough. If someone doesn't before I do, I'll post here letting you guys know how reliant it is on source material once it's arrived.

Your definitely right Farzon, Lo Scarabeo makes a LOT of decks with a comic book style art feel. I wonder if they have a couple of in-house artists that work specifically with that style. In this case it doesn't bother me because the theme of the deck is sci-fi/graphic novel, so it fits. It definitely stands out as repetitive in other decks, though. That could be a topic for a new thread.

Le Fanu said:

I do wonder about the place of decks like Corto Maltese and this (and what was that other one Magus?Mago? Something else comic-strip-like. ETA; Mage the Ascension, that's it!)).

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Totally fair but I love these decks; the Corto Maltese made me very interested in the comic series and animted videos; and who wouldn't love his card-reading friend Gold Mouth (sometimes translated as Gold Lips) as she gazes into his future with a Marseilles deck in this opening: http://bit.ly/1F0ADPI. I played Mage when I was a young goth so the Ascension deck worked for me and the second (based on a later version of teh game did not).

I was on the fence about the MetaBarons but seeing the images I am 100% in. This is what I wished the Nathan Never deck had been. I've wanted a Sci-Fi deck for some time and the UFO Tarot just never did it for me. This deck looks like a fabulous 1980s Space Opera a la Krull, The Last Starfighter, or even Flash Gordon.

Looks great and quite possibly will read better for not having any idea who the people are.

So it is Ok, to be totally ignorant and just make it all up? That sort of puts my mind at ease.

GlitterNova said:

I'm hoping just a general knowledge of sci-fi tropes will be enough.

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Because I don't think I even have that. I do like some of the cards though. This thread is making me want to pop back into my local shop and pick it up...

In a nutshell (i.e, not less than 100 words) what on earth are the MetaBarons? I mean what's the pretext/context for the deck? just as a starting point...