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Iyanu: Child of Wonder #1
Iyanu Child of Wonder Volume One
Iyanu, a teenage orphan with no recollection of her past, suddenly discovers that she has abilities that rival the ancient deities told in the folklore of her people. It is these abilities that are the key to bringing back an ''age of wonders,'' as Iyanu begins her journey to save a world on the brink of destruction! The Corrupt--cursed wildlife and strange, divine beasts--are determined to destroy humanity, unless Iyanu can stop them.
110 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2021
28 people are currently reading
595 people want to read
About the author
Roye Okupe
29 books105 followersBorn in Lagos, Nigeria, Roye Okupe is a creative specialist who holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in computer science from The George Washington University. His passion for animation led him to found YouNeek Studios in 2012, an avenue that would allow him pursue his dream of creating a diverse library of superheroes. Under that umbrella, Roye wrote, produced and directed several animated productions including, but not limited to, 2D/3D animated short films, TV commercials, show openers, music videos and much more. These productions have allowed Roye to attain much prestigious recognition’s such as being #5 on Ventures Africa’s list of 40 African innovators to watch (2016) as well as being part of NewAfrican Magazines’ 100 most influential Africans of 2016.
With the superhero genre currently at the height of popularity, Roye has made it a goal to create a connected universe of heroes, with origins from locations that are currently neglected and/or ignored. In August 2015, Roye released his debut graphic novel titled: E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams Part One, a superhero story set in a futuristic Nigeria. E.X.O. was received with critical acclaim and has since been featured on CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, NBC, The Guardian, ABC7, BBC, The Huffington Post, Mashabe and more!
With the superhero genre currently at the height of popularity, Roye has made it a goal to create a connected universe of heroes, with origins from locations that are currently neglected and/or ignored. In August 2015, Roye released his debut graphic novel titled: E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams Part One, a superhero story set in a futuristic Nigeria. E.X.O. was received with critical acclaim and has since been featured on CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, NBC, The Guardian, ABC7, BBC, The Huffington Post, Mashabe and more!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
January 11, 2022
Rounded up. 3.5 stars. This was such a surprise for me since it was a random pick up.
Iyanu Child of Wonder is a comic book series by the company Youneek Studios and is based on Yoruba culture and traditions. This is mainly a prologue and an introduction to the world where readers get the opportunity to learn more about the world. Iyanu lives on the outside of Elu's walls and is trained to have special powers that assist with battling against the Corrupted. There is some political intrigue as a new Oba allows his council to not only banish Iyanu's adoptive mother, but also continue to allow those in other parts of Elu to suffer in squalor. Tension exists between the new Oba and his brother who is more invested in creating an equitable society. I liked that the story focused on two different story lines that are actually connected in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, I was not a huge fan of the artwork. There were scenes that were drawn really well, but the anatomy of some the characters suffered especially with faces. Too many faces looked similar which is a tool that allows artists to move through drawing the artwork quickly; however, it takes away from the story. Nevertheless, the story ends on a cliffhanger which makes me extremely excited for the second volume. I believe that it's releasing this year and I can't wait to get my hands on it. If you haven't heard of this series, I would definitely recommend checking it out.
Iyanu Child of Wonder is a comic book series by the company Youneek Studios and is based on Yoruba culture and traditions. This is mainly a prologue and an introduction to the world where readers get the opportunity to learn more about the world. Iyanu lives on the outside of Elu's walls and is trained to have special powers that assist with battling against the Corrupted. There is some political intrigue as a new Oba allows his council to not only banish Iyanu's adoptive mother, but also continue to allow those in other parts of Elu to suffer in squalor. Tension exists between the new Oba and his brother who is more invested in creating an equitable society. I liked that the story focused on two different story lines that are actually connected in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, I was not a huge fan of the artwork. There were scenes that were drawn really well, but the anatomy of some the characters suffered especially with faces. Too many faces looked similar which is a tool that allows artists to move through drawing the artwork quickly; however, it takes away from the story. Nevertheless, the story ends on a cliffhanger which makes me extremely excited for the second volume. I believe that it's releasing this year and I can't wait to get my hands on it. If you haven't heard of this series, I would definitely recommend checking it out.
October 1, 2021
A tale set in an African fantasy world about a young outcast with special abilities. The world has been overrun by "corrupted" animals that attack humans. Humanity lives in a giant city behind a huge walls. There's a lot of world building here. The problem with a lot of it is that it's in text panels between the issues or at the end of the book instead of in the story, leaving you confused when it comes up in the story. I love that the main character and "chosen one" is a young girl. This volume is mainly prologue. Hopefully, Youneek Studios can continue this story as comics could use more stories with young black girls as the hero.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
April 25, 2021
I backed this on Kickstarter. It's a graphic novel by a Nigerian artist who also does short animated features. YouNeek Studios also puts out an African-themed line of superhero titles, but Iyanu is a traditional young adult fantasy story.
Iyanu is your basic "Chosen One," a mysterious orphan raised by a mysterious witchy woman who has taught her to fight the "Corrupt," beasts that have been infected by some sort of magical virus. Despite the two of them protecting the "Inners" who live inside a walled city, they are hated and feared and mistrusted - stop me if you've heard this one before.
The lack of originality is made up for by the beautiful full-color panels and the painstaking worldbuilding, creating a kingdom called "Yorubaland" which, while fictional, is very closely modeled on historical Yoruba culture and the Kingdom of Benin.
I enjoyed it a great deal, but unfortunately, this 112-page first volume is just the start, and YouNeek Studios is a tiny indie publisher so they've been promising volume 2 for a while now. It is definitely something I'd recommend to anyone with kids who like good old fashioned epic fantasy with an engaging tween protagonist, especially if you would like a non-European setting. There aren't a lot of African fantasies out there.
Iyanu is your basic "Chosen One," a mysterious orphan raised by a mysterious witchy woman who has taught her to fight the "Corrupt," beasts that have been infected by some sort of magical virus. Despite the two of them protecting the "Inners" who live inside a walled city, they are hated and feared and mistrusted - stop me if you've heard this one before.
The lack of originality is made up for by the beautiful full-color panels and the painstaking worldbuilding, creating a kingdom called "Yorubaland" which, while fictional, is very closely modeled on historical Yoruba culture and the Kingdom of Benin.
I enjoyed it a great deal, but unfortunately, this 112-page first volume is just the start, and YouNeek Studios is a tiny indie publisher so they've been promising volume 2 for a while now. It is definitely something I'd recommend to anyone with kids who like good old fashioned epic fantasy with an engaging tween protagonist, especially if you would like a non-European setting. There aren't a lot of African fantasies out there.
September 21, 2021
9/20/2021 Full review tomorrow at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
9/21/2021 The second title in the YouNeek YouNiverse is just as gorgeous as its predecessor, the first volume of Malika: Warrior Queen, if not more so. The digital art is rendered with a colorful airiness reminiscent of manga but with decidedly African influences. And the use of color throughout is simply mind-blowing: Godwin Akpan is so majorly talented!
If only the storyline kept up quite as well with the illustrations. I have the general idea of where the plot is going, but the layers of story are too frustratingly opaque. Essentially, young Iyanu has been raised just outside the city walls of Elu by the wise woman Olori, who is skilled in eliminating a mysterious force known only as Corruption. But the death of Elu's king sets in motion a power play by the new king's chancellor Noru, that would eliminate Olori and Iyanu while doing nothing to alleviate the suffering of Elu's citizens, whose welfare is championed only by much maligned foreign minister Uwa.
By the end of the book, I'd gotten an inkling of why Noru was pushing as hard as he was, but I'm genuinely surprised that Uwa is the only person not taken in by what's an obvious con. Noru is so entirely shifty, making portentous declarations with only the vaguest of claims to back them up, that it makes everyone who goes along with him look hopelessly gullible. It's one thing if he were speechifying to a desperate populace, but he's mainly talking to the entrenched ruling class, who have the luxury -- but clearly not the brains -- to ponder his pronouncements and push back, especially when said pronouncements are clearly against their own interests. It is absolutely mind-boggling how cow-like the new king is in just going along with what Noru tells him to do. Maybe this is a plot-point later, but there are no indications that the ruling class' submission is due to anything but sheer plot devicery.
In fact, of all the issues raised by this volume, the question of why Noru is such a dick is pretty much the only one that even comes close to being answered. Why does Iyanu have powers? Why are the city's ruling elite so quick to claim that she's performing "false wonders" when they can see with their own eyes that those wonders look 100% real? Where does Olori send her, and where is Biyi from? It's kind of annoying to go through an entire multi-chapter volume that doesn't bother to resolve a single one of its mysteries.
But I must say that I really dug MWQ, and the art here is so terrific, and the mission of the entire YouNeek YouNiverse so awesome, that I'm willing to give this obvious storytelling flaw a pass and look forward eagerly to the next installment. Tbh, this book felt a bit like half of an entire book -- it was, as a matter of fact, about half as long as MWQ. But since it didn't take much of an investment of time to enjoy, I'll just go ahead and bank some time in the future for Volume 2, which will hopefully round this story out more fully, if not completely. The art alone is worth the price of admission, frankly. Brilliant use of color aside, it was always very clear who was talking or acting at any given time: the art actually did a lot of heavy lifting for the story! Mr Akpan is a fearsome talent, and having a whole book of his art to look at is a sheer delight.
Iyanu: Child Of Wonder Volume 1 by Roye Okupe & Godwin Akpan was published today September 21 2021 by Dark Horse Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
9/21/2021 The second title in the YouNeek YouNiverse is just as gorgeous as its predecessor, the first volume of Malika: Warrior Queen, if not more so. The digital art is rendered with a colorful airiness reminiscent of manga but with decidedly African influences. And the use of color throughout is simply mind-blowing: Godwin Akpan is so majorly talented!
If only the storyline kept up quite as well with the illustrations. I have the general idea of where the plot is going, but the layers of story are too frustratingly opaque. Essentially, young Iyanu has been raised just outside the city walls of Elu by the wise woman Olori, who is skilled in eliminating a mysterious force known only as Corruption. But the death of Elu's king sets in motion a power play by the new king's chancellor Noru, that would eliminate Olori and Iyanu while doing nothing to alleviate the suffering of Elu's citizens, whose welfare is championed only by much maligned foreign minister Uwa.
By the end of the book, I'd gotten an inkling of why Noru was pushing as hard as he was, but I'm genuinely surprised that Uwa is the only person not taken in by what's an obvious con. Noru is so entirely shifty, making portentous declarations with only the vaguest of claims to back them up, that it makes everyone who goes along with him look hopelessly gullible. It's one thing if he were speechifying to a desperate populace, but he's mainly talking to the entrenched ruling class, who have the luxury -- but clearly not the brains -- to ponder his pronouncements and push back, especially when said pronouncements are clearly against their own interests. It is absolutely mind-boggling how cow-like the new king is in just going along with what Noru tells him to do. Maybe this is a plot-point later, but there are no indications that the ruling class' submission is due to anything but sheer plot devicery.
In fact, of all the issues raised by this volume, the question of why Noru is such a dick is pretty much the only one that even comes close to being answered. Why does Iyanu have powers? Why are the city's ruling elite so quick to claim that she's performing "false wonders" when they can see with their own eyes that those wonders look 100% real? Where does Olori send her, and where is Biyi from? It's kind of annoying to go through an entire multi-chapter volume that doesn't bother to resolve a single one of its mysteries.
But I must say that I really dug MWQ, and the art here is so terrific, and the mission of the entire YouNeek YouNiverse so awesome, that I'm willing to give this obvious storytelling flaw a pass and look forward eagerly to the next installment. Tbh, this book felt a bit like half of an entire book -- it was, as a matter of fact, about half as long as MWQ. But since it didn't take much of an investment of time to enjoy, I'll just go ahead and bank some time in the future for Volume 2, which will hopefully round this story out more fully, if not completely. The art alone is worth the price of admission, frankly. Brilliant use of color aside, it was always very clear who was talking or acting at any given time: the art actually did a lot of heavy lifting for the story! Mr Akpan is a fearsome talent, and having a whole book of his art to look at is a sheer delight.
Iyanu: Child Of Wonder Volume 1 by Roye Okupe & Godwin Akpan was published today September 21 2021 by Dark Horse Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
December 27, 2024
*3.5! Great start! I can't wait to see what comes next
September 15, 2022
I’m not actually a fan of Okupe or his YouNeek YouNiverse. I mean, they are fine books, well-meant and all that, but execution-wise they leave a lot to be desired.
The main reason I’ve been reading them is because our library continues to get them. God for diversity, good for representation and all that, but not very popular – they seem to always be available.
Anyway, so I’ve read four of them now, including this one. The only one I liked was Malika. This is sort of like Malika Jr. Likely to be Okupe’s venture into YA writing. Although…while the protagonist is a young girl, the rest of it, all the politics and courtly intrigue, might be too complicated for young audience.
Other than that, pretty standard Okupe fare. Decent but not especially engaging writing and very bland art. Like a video game and not even a particularly sophisticated one.
The best thing about this book and most of these books is the way Okupe draws inspiration from real historical figures and events of African past. The interesting small details.
Otherwise, well, it was mildly diverting and read quickly.
The main reason I’ve been reading them is because our library continues to get them. God for diversity, good for representation and all that, but not very popular – they seem to always be available.
Anyway, so I’ve read four of them now, including this one. The only one I liked was Malika. This is sort of like Malika Jr. Likely to be Okupe’s venture into YA writing. Although…while the protagonist is a young girl, the rest of it, all the politics and courtly intrigue, might be too complicated for young audience.
Other than that, pretty standard Okupe fare. Decent but not especially engaging writing and very bland art. Like a video game and not even a particularly sophisticated one.
The best thing about this book and most of these books is the way Okupe draws inspiration from real historical figures and events of African past. The interesting small details.
Otherwise, well, it was mildly diverting and read quickly.
March 30, 2022
I found this while searching for an ebook to take on vacation. I thought I would just take a peek to see if I would like it and ended up reading the whole thing, and then being disappointed that there are no more published volumes because the story is clearly just getting started. I love how this tale draws influences from Nigerian history, geography and folklore.
February 24, 2022
I picked this ebook book up more or less on a whim from the list of suggested titles for this month’s Cookies & Comics – probably because it looked the most fantastical and easy to get through hoopla. It is the first collected volume of the story of Iyanu, the “forest girl” who has no past she can remember (and a strange magical power) before being adopted by the Agoni, Olori. Olori is also the only one capable of cleansing the cursed animals so they neither attack humans nor poison them with their meat. For being the last of the Agoni, Olori is exiled to live in the forest contained in the outer walls of the city of Elu. Elu, where mankind find safety from the cursed animals beyond but not from the taint of entitlement, superiority, and classism within. Elu, where the new elected monarch listens only to one advisor, and will not even hear the advice of his brother, the appointed foreign minister, who seeks to better the lives of the poor and downtrodden workers in the city. When the relative seclusion and security that Iyanu lives in with Olori is no more, she finds herself alone in a hostile world with powers she barely understands, let alone has any control over.
Books like this remind me how un-diverse my reading can be – I want to do better at seeking out authors from different countries, with different backgrounds, and writing stories inspired by different traditions. In this case, Okupe is from Nigera, and pulls from Yoruba traditions and history. In between chapters he offers a short paragraph to flesh out more of Iyanu’s world, which is interesting in addition to what is going on within Elu and the world he has created. I do think the Goodreads description is a bit misleading, though – Iyanu does seem to have some past experiences with her power, even if she doesn’t understand it fully yet. The coloring of the story is quite beautiful, though I did have some trouble differentiating people’s faces – they are frequently quite similar in shape and other details. It took a few double-takes at times to realize that two people were different people (when I was looking at the faces instead of the clothing). The story itself is interesting, and I like how the plot and world are being built up and out. I just wish the next volume was out already, so I could jump right into the next one!
Favorite quotes:
The words of others are only as powerful as we let them be. What truly matters is how you see yourself, my child. – page 17
For wisdom is not a respecter of age. It gives freely to those who seek it out. – page 82
Books like this remind me how un-diverse my reading can be – I want to do better at seeking out authors from different countries, with different backgrounds, and writing stories inspired by different traditions. In this case, Okupe is from Nigera, and pulls from Yoruba traditions and history. In between chapters he offers a short paragraph to flesh out more of Iyanu’s world, which is interesting in addition to what is going on within Elu and the world he has created. I do think the Goodreads description is a bit misleading, though – Iyanu does seem to have some past experiences with her power, even if she doesn’t understand it fully yet. The coloring of the story is quite beautiful, though I did have some trouble differentiating people’s faces – they are frequently quite similar in shape and other details. It took a few double-takes at times to realize that two people were different people (when I was looking at the faces instead of the clothing). The story itself is interesting, and I like how the plot and world are being built up and out. I just wish the next volume was out already, so I could jump right into the next one!
Favorite quotes:
The words of others are only as powerful as we let them be. What truly matters is how you see yourself, my child. – page 17
For wisdom is not a respecter of age. It gives freely to those who seek it out. – page 82
January 31, 2022
4 of 5 stars
Really liked this comic! The story was so good...don't think I've ever read anything actually set in Yorubaland. Shoutout to Ashley for putting me on this. I will say that the art was not at all my favorite. I tend to like seeing the line art AND the colors. For this book though, the black outlines were not there much at all. It's definitely a subjective preference...one that ended up bringing down my reading experience. Also, there wasn't enough variation of the characters' faces. Many looked exactly alike but were wearing different clothing or hairstyles which was the only way to really tell them apart. Which brings me to the thing I like the most which was how hair was rendered. That part was on pointtt!
Really liked this comic! The story was so good...don't think I've ever read anything actually set in Yorubaland. Shoutout to Ashley for putting me on this. I will say that the art was not at all my favorite. I tend to like seeing the line art AND the colors. For this book though, the black outlines were not there much at all. It's definitely a subjective preference...one that ended up bringing down my reading experience. Also, there wasn't enough variation of the characters' faces. Many looked exactly alike but were wearing different clothing or hairstyles which was the only way to really tell them apart. Which brings me to the thing I like the most which was how hair was rendered. That part was on pointtt!
October 26, 2021
The story is fine but there's a lot of exposition and world-building that didn't hold my attention. The art, on the other hand, is gorgeous on every page. Especially when depicting magic or just showing off the tranquility of the forest.
November 12, 2021
This first volume gets middling marks for both art and plot. The inter-chapter background information on this Yoruba-based world were useful and interesting, but the flow of the story and art panels is not always great. Everyone talks about the dangers of the Corrupted and the importance and rare ability to pacify them, and how this is the basis for the state of this society, but we don't learn until more than halfway through what the Corrupted are (animals cursed to hyper-aggression against humans), and the reason why. I sometimes had to go back and re-examine panels to figure out whether this person is turning, falling, or skidding to a halt, and the explanation of the political situation and recent history could have been put earlier to give a clearer idea of what sneaky doings were going on among the people in power. Maybe these details are clearer to someone from Nigeria who knows the history and mythology upon which this is based, but for an outsider things seemed vague until we got that explanation-supplement and had to go back and re-examine earlier events. There are some characters and plot-points I am curious about, but I'm not hooked. With the size of my TBR pile, I don't know if I'll continue with this series.
May 16, 2022
It's cool seeing an African inspired fantasy world and contrasting it with the more familiar (to me) European worlds. It's a nice coming of age story featuring a fairly likable outsider protagonist who must go on a journey to save the world, or so it seems.
The story is fairly straight forward, but it feels very much directed at a younger audience, so I won't hold that against it. The artwork is pretty great overall, it's an interesting style and it suits the story well.
The story is fairly straight forward, but it feels very much directed at a younger audience, so I won't hold that against it. The artwork is pretty great overall, it's an interesting style and it suits the story well.
June 16, 2025
Strong worldbuilding and character development. There are inconsistencies in the artwork for the faces that I found very distracting. This volume ends in multiple intriguing ways.
January 17, 2022
Reading this was a lovely accident of the browse, one of my favorite past times with features my local library. I hadn't heard of this series but the cover art, featuring a young, Black, female archer, caught me. What kept me, I think, was trying to learn who she was and where she was headed. The rest of the VERY intricate storytelling and political intrigue --nah. The storytellers are doing a BIG reach with this one, trying to jam a lot in about language, about Yoruba culture, about warring societies --and I didn't care. The young lover of Tolkien-level detail and map-making might be all over this, though. And speaking of young --my eyesight wasn't keen enough to make out some of the detail in these VERY dark spreads. Why so saturated, maybe an error in the printing? Overall, there's enough strong elements here to keep this going, and more power to the creators! Maybe not 100% for me, but nice work.
April 9, 2022
This novel gives me Black Panther vibes because of the animals having extra powers and the Inners respecting special powers like the people who turned Tchala into the Black Panther with the magical flowers. The maps in the early part of the book were helpful to fully picture how much land the girl traveled and how much land the leaders of the Inners were having the men travel. Also, were the men transforming into the corrupt animals?
I did not enjoy this graphic novel. For a first installment I expected there to be a little bit more backstory than there was. Im not sure why certain characters had special powers while others did not. I wish there was some more clarifying details.
I did not enjoy this graphic novel. For a first installment I expected there to be a little bit more backstory than there was. Im not sure why certain characters had special powers while others did not. I wish there was some more clarifying details.
February 1, 2024
Interesting start! The art style reminds me of The Clone Wars animated show. It’ll be cool to see this as an animated show!
This volume sets up Yorubaland and the power structure, so quite a few names are thrown out. Iyanu and her guardian are interesting characters so I’ll be excited to see where the story goes!
This volume sets up Yorubaland and the power structure, so quite a few names are thrown out. Iyanu and her guardian are interesting characters so I’ll be excited to see where the story goes!
December 16, 2021
Beautifully illustrated, with a complex world and a detailed plot. I love reading a fantasy-genre "chosen one" story set in a society based on Yoruba culture and history -- this is the sort of comic book I dreamed of reading when I was a kid. I just wish this book paid as much attention to character as it does to the excellent art and complex worldbuilding.
September 21, 2023
Iyanu is a child with special powers, the animals are cursed and cannot be eaten, the villages and “inners” are in upheaval and tensions are rising.
I enjoyed the fact pages between each chapter because let’s face it the American school system sucks and doesn’t teach anything about the culture and diversity in Africa. I like that certain villages are portrayed a bit after real life cultures.
I enjoyed the fact pages between each chapter because let’s face it the American school system sucks and doesn’t teach anything about the culture and diversity in Africa. I like that certain villages are portrayed a bit after real life cultures.
February 7, 2022
Very pretty artwork. I liked the cultural information between chapters. You're thrown right into things and it's a little confusing at the start. I was really getting invested just in time for the volume to end. Lol
February 23, 2022
Love it!!!!
February 5, 2024
3.25 ⭐️ Dynamic mode is so fun!
January 30, 2023
3.5! Nice surprise, great art style and a moving, if not slightly cliche, story.
November 22, 2023
I’ve been getting into comics and anime lately, so of course I had to find some AA comics. I loved this story. We love a black woman thats going to stand up for what she believes in. I cant wait to see when and how Iyanu finds out who she really is. I’m excited to read the other two volumes in this series.
September 3, 2023
Honestly not my favourite and wasn't invested with the plot.
April 12, 2023
A solid intro to this African fantasy comic series.
Iyanu had me feeling a lot of mixed emotions. Firstly it does read more like an intro piece to a main comic. Not much happens in this first instalment but we’re given a basis for the politics and layout of the world.
That politics was confusing at times, I feel like a lot of backstory and explanation was needed to support it and I’m 26. This may be a little confusing for a younger reader as it was fairly disjointed and much felt left out.
Saying that I will 100% be picking up the next volume, I’m hoping it’s just finding it’s feet story wise and is trying to cover a lot in the span of a short time.
The stylisation is interesting and is partially based on the ways of the Yoruba people. We also have almost Black Panther esq elements with a similar magic system, and follow the MC as she fights against both politics and the forests animals that have been altered by magic.
With the art I had mixed feelings, I love the pallets and the fluidity to the action scenes. The landscape too is both well thought out and beautifully executed. Saying that, I did feel like characters could have had a little more refining/definition and consistency.
I enjoyed it but I’m hoping that in the second we get a bit more clarity & action with regard to the storyline.
TWs I noted below, skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
Tw// imprisonment, stigma against magic users, word ‘savage’ used to describe people on the outer, class system, brief mention of mass deaths of children.
Iyanu had me feeling a lot of mixed emotions. Firstly it does read more like an intro piece to a main comic. Not much happens in this first instalment but we’re given a basis for the politics and layout of the world.
That politics was confusing at times, I feel like a lot of backstory and explanation was needed to support it and I’m 26. This may be a little confusing for a younger reader as it was fairly disjointed and much felt left out.
Saying that I will 100% be picking up the next volume, I’m hoping it’s just finding it’s feet story wise and is trying to cover a lot in the span of a short time.
The stylisation is interesting and is partially based on the ways of the Yoruba people. We also have almost Black Panther esq elements with a similar magic system, and follow the MC as she fights against both politics and the forests animals that have been altered by magic.
With the art I had mixed feelings, I love the pallets and the fluidity to the action scenes. The landscape too is both well thought out and beautifully executed. Saying that, I did feel like characters could have had a little more refining/definition and consistency.
I enjoyed it but I’m hoping that in the second we get a bit more clarity & action with regard to the storyline.
TWs I noted below, skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
Tw// imprisonment, stigma against magic users, word ‘savage’ used to describe people on the outer, class system, brief mention of mass deaths of children.
February 10, 2022
I think this title is really mature for its demographic. It has a rich history and story building within its pages. Iyanu lives outside a city loosely based on one in Nigeria. There is a palace a wall, residential areas another wall, and farms and another wall. Iyanu lives outside the walls with her teacher/mother figure. She has some sort of magical ability that she doesn't understand and her teacher tells her she will explain everything when the time is right. Iyanu is curious about the city though and gets caught saving someone from a "corrupt" animal. "The corrupt" are really aggressive animals with red eyes that attack humans. Their kind is spreading and becoming a threat. Half the book is spent with the politics of the city, which is honestly kind of boring, and the other half is spent with Iyanu trying to survive once she runs away from the guards. There's so much detail of the world that it makes it really interesting to learn more but it's also a little boring if that makes sense. The illustrations remind me of story board images for a movie and are kind of strange but interesting to look at and are easy to follow.
January 29, 2022
Overall, I find the storyline very interesting. However, I have mixed feelings about Okupe feeling the need to explain about the world of the story in little segments between each chapter. It is interesting to read more details, but I also kind of with they would just show those parts of it within the storytelling.
I'm interested in the main character Iyanu, but I'm not yet feeling invested in her.
I'm also torn on the art style. It feels like it's somewhere between paintings and 3D computer animation. And it doesn't feel like the artist chooses to be consistent in how they draw each character.
I don't think I'd buy the books, but I will continue to check them out from my local library as they come out.
I'm interested in the main character Iyanu, but I'm not yet feeling invested in her.
I'm also torn on the art style. It feels like it's somewhere between paintings and 3D computer animation. And it doesn't feel like the artist chooses to be consistent in how they draw each character.
I don't think I'd buy the books, but I will continue to check them out from my local library as they come out.
August 24, 2022
I wanna see more black characters, I want more fantasy books with black MCs, I want more black folks getting stories. However, I feel like I've read this one before.
It's like, we, as a culture, found a formula for black main characters and we've done it to death. Like, we're only going to publish one story, over and over, because this is what the readership is eating with a spoon.
After I put it down for the first time, picking it back up was like pulling teeth. It failed to capture me, like a good book should. I want more black characters, but I want excellence, and I want black authors to have room to tell those stories.
(Disclaimer: I purposefully read blind, so I know NOTHING about the author, including race, gender, and cultural background.)
It's like, we, as a culture, found a formula for black main characters and we've done it to death. Like, we're only going to publish one story, over and over, because this is what the readership is eating with a spoon.
After I put it down for the first time, picking it back up was like pulling teeth. It failed to capture me, like a good book should. I want more black characters, but I want excellence, and I want black authors to have room to tell those stories.
(Disclaimer: I purposefully read blind, so I know NOTHING about the author, including race, gender, and cultural background.)
May 5, 2024
I wanted to like this, the landscape art seemed so different, but i felt a bit lost in plot and there was a lot of info to take in.
The faces and angles looked a little goofy sometimes, and i am sure they were not easy to make but it took away from the story a bit when i couldn’t tell who was who.
I wanted to indulge myself in the culture, but it kinda felt like a little kid explaining his crayon drawing, where you can’t recognize a single thing. A lot to process i guess.
When the aloof boy came in the action picked up a bit, i never really got to know Iyanu’s adopted mother person…
Not much happened plot wise, its a prolong i assume, so despite my hesitation i should probably read the rest of the series.
The faces and angles looked a little goofy sometimes, and i am sure they were not easy to make but it took away from the story a bit when i couldn’t tell who was who.
I wanted to indulge myself in the culture, but it kinda felt like a little kid explaining his crayon drawing, where you can’t recognize a single thing. A lot to process i guess.
When the aloof boy came in the action picked up a bit, i never really got to know Iyanu’s adopted mother person…
Not much happened plot wise, its a prolong i assume, so despite my hesitation i should probably read the rest of the series.
April 9, 2023
It wasn’t my favorite comic book. I wasn’t as engaged as I would have hoped. I thought the history at the end was really cool, and it interested me more than the rest of the comic had. I wish some of it had been explained better throughout instead of at the end. I think my main problem with the story so far was that I didn’t find a particular story I was very interested in. Normally, I would have been most interested in Iyanu’s story, but a giant chunk of it was spent with her wandering around a forest very confused. I think subsequent books might be a little better now that the foundations are in place.
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