Mythology is a complicated endeavor. While the stories of various gods and heroes have inspired various adaptations, it’s rare that there will be a story based on non-Greek mythology. It’s for that reason that I was drawn to Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1, and I’m happy to say that it’s worth the read. The titular Akogun is on a mission to hunt down and kill all the gods who inhabit his world; via flashbacks, more is revealed about his birth, along with the reason for his bloody quest.
Akogun comes into the world via the creative team of writer Murewa Ayodale and artist Dotun Akande. They work together like a well-oiled machine; as Ayodale spins the story of Akogun and the deities that inhabit his world, Akanda sketches it into being. There are reptiles with steel-hard skin that can camouflage themselves, a giant god guzzles barrels of wine, arrows zip through the air and tear through flesh. The end result feels less like a comic at times and more like a story being told around the campfire, which only adds to the mythological element.
Rounding out the creative team is Dee Cunniffe and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, whose coloring and lettering further tap into the mythological underpinnings that the story’s aiming for. Cunniffe brings a wild mix of colors; cold blue for the night sky, bubbling acid green for a swamp and of course copper red for the buckets of blood being spilled. Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering is a flowing, ancient-looking script that feels like it belongs on a scroll; this lends itself to the big pronouncements that Akogun delivers to his victims right before they meet their end.
Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods #1 forges a new mythology full of blood, intrigue and action – but mostly blood. It’s a big swing, but then again the best comics tend to be. If you’re waiting for the next God of War game, or if mythology was your favorite subject in school, you’ve got to pick this comic up.
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