The Edge of Origins

OLAJU THE EDGE OF ORIGINS VOL1

Here's something markedly different. Not a single human character in this story. Think of "origins" as the origins of human life on Earth. The characters are wood-spirits(?) I think, assigned by the god Ashari to prepare the Earth for humanity. However, Barkuzu the elder decides not to ascend and wants to control Earth for himself. The new chosen and his friends must learn the secrets of the power system and stop Barkuzu's invasion before the biosphere collapses. It's a wild fantasy adventure, no doubt about that.

The art reminds me a lot of cosmic series like Silver Surfer and Guardians, especially of Groot the tree alien. The colorful creatures clash with the dark setting of the bad guy's lair, thus heightening the contradictions. Some of the animals are drawn in a cute way to give younger readers something to be excited about, besides the talking tree people of course. 

As far as the story goes, in some ways it's interesting and in others it's a bit long and slightly boring. The characters are pretty well written but the villain went from purporseful to Skeletor halfway through the story. I think the plot could have used a bit more polish. I liked the references to Yoruba and Igbo culture in this comic, giving it a cultural life of its own.

If you're interested, or have young advanced readers who are, then you can find it on pre-order at their site here. I got it on Kickstarter 2 weeks ago so it might be a minute or two before it's on sale.