Zagor LU #81: Omča

Omča presents an action adventure in which the trappers’ freedom is threatened by a man determined to control Darkwood’s fur trade. Wealthy merchant Josef Polanski will stop at nothing to establish his monopoly. Zagor intervenes when his friends are endangered, with Rochas among those at risk.

Moreno Burattini develops a Western about greed, intimidation and resistance to economic domination. The trade sustaining life in the wilderness becomes a means of enforcing submission. Polanski’s ambitions therefore extend beyond ordinary commercial rivalry: they threaten the independence of a community built on individual labour and mutual assistance.

Zagor responds through direct action, entering his opponent’s stronghold and taking the confrontation to those responsible for the violence. Gallieno Ferri’s artwork brings together forest settings, tense encounters and combat, giving the adventure the familiar energy of the classic series.

The title, meaning “Noose”, can also suggest the pressure tightening around the trappers as a powerful merchant restricts their freedom. The story begins in this issue and concludes in the opening section of Tragedija u Silver Townu. Readers need regular Ludens issues 81 and 82 for the complete adventure.