In ancient times when Africa was known as Alkebulan, a warrior rises to slay monsters, men, and gods. Your Major Spoilers review of Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1, awaits!

AKOGUN: BRUTALIZER OF GODS #1

Writer: Murewa Ayodele
Artist: Dotun Akande
Colorist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Editor: Karl Bollers
Publisher: Oni Press
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: April 3rd, 2024

Previously in Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods: In ancient times a god fell into water and to ensure he didn’t drown, he pulled the land from the sea. This drunk god then set out to make his first creation, monsters.

MINE TO USE

Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1 starts off by telling the story of how the drunk god Obatala fell to Earth and pulled the land from the ocean and began creating life. Things then cut to a hunter prowling the wetlands, killing the beasts there and preparing his weapons. What follows is a flashback starting with Obatala being confronted by a war god and being captured but not before enacting a plan that would lead to the birth of Akogun. Then we see scenes from Akogun’s upbringing while his father tells the story of how he courted Akogun’s mother. Violence then comes to Akogun’s village forcing him to head out and find those who are guilty and bring about his vengeance.

AMAZING TONE THAT FEELS BOTH FRESH AND FAMILIAR

From the very first page Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1 comes off more like a fable or legend being told around a fire, in the tradition of oral storytelling. It establishes this tone and maintains it throughout the issue, this mixed with the usage of African mythology makes this a truly unique reading experience. Yet, in some ways, this will still be familiar to fans of things like Conan the

Barbarian, in that there is plenty of brutal fighting, monsters, a bit of nudity, and an incredibly imposing central character. While the style of storytelling is unique and interesting, there are some moments when it becomes somewhat of a hindrance to the readability of this comic. Specifically, the back end when we see a group of raiders show up to Akogun’s village. We definitely see what they do, but we don’t get to know really who they are, or why they did it. This makes this part of the story feel somewhat emotionless, even though it still feels in line with the style. Where this issue is lacking the most though, is in establishing a story going forward, without a bit of narration at the end promising more tales to come, this would feel like a one-and-done. But, with that being said, the tone and feel of this issue are enough to carry it through, especially if you’re a fan of old-school violent fantasy.

COOL MONSTERS, FLAT COLORS

The best parts of the artwork in Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1 are the creature designs. The fight between the gods alone has some of the creepiest and coolest monster designs I’ve seen in a good while. Also, some credit should be given for the level of restraint the art has. This is a violent book, yet the depiction of that violence doesn’t get overly gratuitous. There’s some blood and vomit, but we’re not talking about fountains of it or anything. I just wish the colors in this didn’t drag the art down some. The colors come off as flat, artificial, and a bit too cartoonish.

BOTTOM LINE: A FRESH AND UNIQUE TAKE ON AN OLD GENRE

Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1 isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been seen before in that it doesn’t stray too far from the Conan or Kull school of sword and sorcery-style fantasy. But it does manage to breathe new life into that genre by introducing an aesthetic and source material that has been sorely missing from the genre. A few hiccups in the storytelling keep this from being as good as it could’ve been, but it still looks to be a fun series. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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