What do you think?
Rate this book
DUSU : Path of the Ancient #01
DUSU: Path of the Ancient #1
“Within every heart sleeps the animal.The One awakened will be lord of all.” - Galemren ProverbHidden from his kin and sheltered from his future, Dusu is raised among the Galemren (Wild Elves) in the secret heart of the Ugoma Jungle, a world in which he does not belong. But Dusu is not entirely human either. He is on the Path to something more… Dusu must focus his rage and become the savior of Ugoma before all he loves is destroyed.
42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2013
2 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 15, 2019
Dang it! Dusu: Path of the Ancient had the potential to be something great. Deeply enriched lore, eye-catching artwork, but for some frustrating reason, the authors decided to set the pace of the story to 100.
I felt like I was running a marathon trying to keep up with the events unfolding in Dusu.
WARNING This review contains spoilers.
I couldn’t enjoy this story because half of the time I didn’t know what was happening. We’re blasted through hunt scenes to ceremonial storytelling circles to stranger encounters to unknown cities and to love scenes to everyone’s dead, and it all happens faster than you can blink.
I made excuses for the first issue and chalked my lost-ness up to massive world-building and backstory that would make sense the more I read. But it became clear in the second and thereafter issues that this was just the way Dusu was gonna unravel. One second we see Dusu encounter a woman, Idanya, and her injured brother, the next they’re tumbling in the sheets!
We aren’t given enough time to get to know Idanya or even Dusu, or to see their relationship develop. There’s not enough dialogue to help the story unfold, and the panels don’t give the reader a sense of any amount of time that’s passed.
Oh yeah, and then Dusu is suddenly part cougar. Let me clarify. There are lots of stories where the MC discovers they have powers or can shapeshifter, and the reader discovers it with them. And then there are other stories that begin with the MC already being magical or is already a shapeshifter and the reader knows its. Both of those work, both of those are compelling and exciting.
This wasn’t either.
We were led to believe that Dusu is just a normal human, although we know his father/adoptive father believes him to be something more. So we’re anticipating that moment where he discovers his power for the first time. Nope. We don’t get that. Halfway through vol 1, we just get slapped in the face with a transformation that seems normal to him.
IT’S LIKE EVERYTHING THAT’S IMPORTANT TO THE PLOT IN THIS BOOK HAPPENS OFF-SCREEN!
Oooo, look at me. My name is Waso and I’m mad at Dusu because all of our people are dead now and I blame him. Wait... when did they all die!?! *wah* I can’t keep up with this graphic novel!
I am aware that Dusu: Path of the Ancient is a companion to The Untamed series, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the author expected the readers of Dusu to have read The Untamed first, so maybe some of these holes would’ve been filled. But in my opinion that’s terrible writing. If a reader can’t pick up one of your graphic novel and understand it and be immersed in its world on its own, then you have a problem.
I felt like I was running a marathon trying to keep up with the events unfolding in Dusu.
WARNING This review contains spoilers.
I couldn’t enjoy this story because half of the time I didn’t know what was happening. We’re blasted through hunt scenes to ceremonial storytelling circles to stranger encounters to unknown cities and to love scenes to everyone’s dead, and it all happens faster than you can blink.
I made excuses for the first issue and chalked my lost-ness up to massive world-building and backstory that would make sense the more I read. But it became clear in the second and thereafter issues that this was just the way Dusu was gonna unravel. One second we see Dusu encounter a woman, Idanya, and her injured brother, the next they’re tumbling in the sheets!
We aren’t given enough time to get to know Idanya or even Dusu, or to see their relationship develop. There’s not enough dialogue to help the story unfold, and the panels don’t give the reader a sense of any amount of time that’s passed.
Oh yeah, and then Dusu is suddenly part cougar. Let me clarify. There are lots of stories where the MC discovers they have powers or can shapeshifter, and the reader discovers it with them. And then there are other stories that begin with the MC already being magical or is already a shapeshifter and the reader knows its. Both of those work, both of those are compelling and exciting.
This wasn’t either.
We were led to believe that Dusu is just a normal human, although we know his father/adoptive father believes him to be something more. So we’re anticipating that moment where he discovers his power for the first time. Nope. We don’t get that. Halfway through vol 1, we just get slapped in the face with a transformation that seems normal to him.
IT’S LIKE EVERYTHING THAT’S IMPORTANT TO THE PLOT IN THIS BOOK HAPPENS OFF-SCREEN!
Oooo, look at me. My name is Waso and I’m mad at Dusu because all of our people are dead now and I blame him. Wait... when did they all die!?! *wah* I can’t keep up with this graphic novel!
I am aware that Dusu: Path of the Ancient is a companion to The Untamed series, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the author expected the readers of Dusu to have read The Untamed first, so maybe some of these holes would’ve been filled. But in my opinion that’s terrible writing. If a reader can’t pick up one of your graphic novel and understand it and be immersed in its world on its own, then you have a problem.
April 28, 2013
A child alone in the wilderness, his fate should have been death, but destiny had chosen otherwise. Taken into a tribe to become one of its people, while always being an outsider among them, he has grown into adulthood.
The artwork is outstanding with a plot that compliments it. I'm looking forward to reading more DUSU novels in the near future.
The artwork is outstanding with a plot that compliments it. I'm looking forward to reading more DUSU novels in the near future.
July 25, 2014
Beautiful
Beautiful
Beautiful Artwork. That's what keeps me interested. It's just amazing visually.
A nice start for a series. Also contains background info for the comic universe after the story for an other character and a trading card picture.
Beautiful
Beautiful Artwork. That's what keeps me interested. It's just amazing visually.
A nice start for a series. Also contains background info for the comic universe after the story for an other character and a trading card picture.
March 8, 2023
This book has the same strengths and weaknesses that I have seen in everything by Stranger Comics so far. Fantastic art, rich lore, but insufficient explanation of that lore, which means the reader had to work hard to figure out what is going on.
March 16, 2025
I grabbed this book as part of The Untamed and Niobe universe cross over lore, as recommended by the Stanger Comics booth at ECCC in 2024.
A year later, I was finally able to get around to reading it. The artwork is great and the story is more on the artistic interpretation side which may not sit well with the "I just came to be entertained and not think" crowd.
Enjoy!
A year later, I was finally able to get around to reading it. The artwork is great and the story is more on the artistic interpretation side which may not sit well with the "I just came to be entertained and not think" crowd.
Enjoy!
December 20, 2023
I'm a huge fan of Stranger Comics' vibrant fantasy worlds and stunning black character representation. However, sometimes their narratives can feel convoluted. Adding simple prologues and epilogues, rather than the current interluding sections, could significantly improve clarity and prevent reader confusion.
They also jumped from one panel to the next with no explanation. Dusu is a baby, which monsters are eager to feast on, and then he's a grown man, "a normal human" amid what kind of men? (They do describe this briefly) but they could have done a far better job explaining it in a prologue or adding an extra chapter to depict Dusu's background and growing pains.
The progression of his relationship with Idanya is also confusing (which I expected to play a HUGE role in this graphic novel given the cover), but one minute Dusu is firm on sticking with his village people and the next he is making love with this woman he only met once and helped carry her injured brother to their city and did not even converse much with.
I loved the artwork, world-building, and overall story, but those non-linear, cryptic segments after each chapter were incredibly frustrating.
It shouldn't require extensive knowledge of numerous other Stranger Comics series like "Tales of Asunda" or "Niobe and Dura" to fully grasp the events in "Dusu." A streamlined narrative flow with a clear beginning, middle, and end would greatly enhance the reading experience for newcomers and dedicated fans alike.
They also jumped from one panel to the next with no explanation. Dusu is a baby, which monsters are eager to feast on, and then he's a grown man, "a normal human" amid what kind of men? (They do describe this briefly) but they could have done a far better job explaining it in a prologue or adding an extra chapter to depict Dusu's background and growing pains.
The progression of his relationship with Idanya is also confusing (which I expected to play a HUGE role in this graphic novel given the cover), but one minute Dusu is firm on sticking with his village people and the next he is making love with this woman he only met once and helped carry her injured brother to their city and did not even converse much with.
I loved the artwork, world-building, and overall story, but those non-linear, cryptic segments after each chapter were incredibly frustrating.
It shouldn't require extensive knowledge of numerous other Stranger Comics series like "Tales of Asunda" or "Niobe and Dura" to fully grasp the events in "Dusu." A streamlined narrative flow with a clear beginning, middle, and end would greatly enhance the reading experience for newcomers and dedicated fans alike.
January 11, 2023
While wholly unique and interesting, this book relies heavily on lore that it doesn't always explain well. There are large text dumps at the end of each chapter that outline some of that lore, but that doesn't really make for entertaining reading. I commend the creativity of the world they're building, but perhaps a novel would be a better format? There's massive amounts of information to get across here and with a graphic novel there's not an effective way to show it.
November 28, 2019
I loved this story. The art is really phenomenal and as far as scifi graphic novels go, this is one of the better ones. If you're debating on reading this I would just let you know now, it's worth the purchase just to add to your collection for the art alone.
January 1, 2015
fantastic storyline and graphics. full review coming soon
May 8, 2016
I love the story and I love the art!
April 12, 2020
This had some cool action and a fun pace.
Read
July 17, 2024I have no idea what the fuck happened I shouldn't even give this a star rating.
Read
December 7, 2013False
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews