Oduduwa (Okiojo's Chronicles Book 1) Review

Most comic and Fantasy fans are at least a little familiar with Norse mythology and history: Vikings, Elves, Asgard, Thor, and Dwarves are all too common. However, I am fairly certain that few of said fans are familiar with African history and oral traditions in the same vain as mythology. This is where Okiojo's Chronicles helps fills that need. They hope to chronicle the histories of Nigeria's more than 200 ethnic groups, in comic form.

Okiojo: The Wise Man

The story follows a wise old man named Okiojo. In the first book he comes across a group of kids bickering about the history of the Yoruba. The kids are picking on a Benin kid (glasses) for mistakenly thinking he is a part of the Yoruba. Okiojo lets glasses and the leader of the other group each tell their version of the Yoruba's history. Afterwards, he corrects them, letting them know that their versions were two pieces of the same history. The kids find out that they actually share the same history and then revel in their new camaraderie.

Verdict

First off, the concept, mission and execution are flawless. I learned a lot about the Yoruba's history from the symbolic ("mythology") and traditional historical points of view. The illustration is excellent and the humor, although sparse, is hilarious. I didn't know the number of groups globally that identify with Yoruban roots.

Panaramic Entertainment's mission is to release one comic every quarter. I'll definitely be keeping up with the series. You can buy the comics at their website in the comics section.

Kimani Ali is a Magical Realist Sci-Fi author-in-progress. When not writing or being engaged with the family business, he’s anticipating the week’s One Piece chapter, reading Black authors or meditating. Check out his blog or find him on Twitter and Facebook.