Comics Meltdown Review of Visionary #2
Published by Comic Republic
Created by Akintoba Kalejaye
Written by Akintoba Kalejaye
Line Art by Stanley Obende
Colours by Tobe Max Ezeogu
Cover by Ozo Ezeogu
“Child, it seems you can see me?”, asks the spirit. And instantly I knew I was sold. Yes, I have seen you. And I have noticed you very well.
Visionary issue 2 is the third installment in a tale that looks keen on becoming one of Africa’s strongest titles in the comics scene. I would not deny.
When I initially leafed through this issue, I was a bit miffed to realize that there was little to be seen of Sango, the fan favorite who I am sure everyone that picked this up was looking forward to see. What we got instead was more Danmole, the young lad who has a past (and a connection to the thunder god) that is certainly pivotal to the plot.
And boy!, am I glad that I was miffed! With less focus on Sango, we are thrown right behind Danmole (and his family), who with this issue, has rightfully grown into a strong character of his own! Apart from his intriguing history and heritage, Danmole sets the ball rolling for the advancement of the plot, and his easily likeable personality is enough to leave you–by the time you are done–wondering about the unique circumstances that the trio (him, his sister and his grandma) have found themselves in.
This here is a solid protagonist after my heart! The Pros? Great lines and colors. Tiger grandma!!! A villain who practical screams “Nigerian!”. The suit with the native touch to it enhanced his swoleness. And I would be giving a half point to my rating for his originality alone.
The narrative, also, is easily the best part of this issue. It is consistent with prior releases. And it flows smoothly, from page to page, trusting itself to do so without stumbling. The Yoruba language also seems to bring a certain life to the tale, and you would never think you are reading some story about a bald hero, or some medieval swordsman who has been unlucky since birth. This is blatantly Visionary. And it is proud to uphold its own identity.
The magic system (though not much has been shown on that yet) is also a positive allure. And watching Sango walk towards the battlefield, lost in his own musings was also a thing of great awe! (Seriously, the Yoruba thunder god bleeds coolness every time he appears in page).
Cons? Alas, it ended too quickly! Which was my major problem with this book. I wanted to lose myself in the visionary world for a little bit longer. There was also a scene–a splash page, I think–where the proper sequence of reading was a bit difficult to decipher. It did not hurt it much as this was during a fight scene, but it is worth calling to notice.
All in all, I think this is one of the better comic releases from Nigeria this year. 4.5/5.
Hopefully, the wait up to the next issue will be a lot less and it might be a little bulkier. Kudos to the team that worked on this.
I have read Visionary #2. Have you?
Read the recently released Visionary #2 here:
Website:Â http://www.thecomicrepublic.com/readvisionary.html
Mobile:Â http://m.thecomicrepublic.com/VISIONARYhome.html
For plot Coherence, If you have not read #0 & #1 please do so.
Make sure to let us know what you think!
Review Written by Patrick Agusi (Writer, Comic Fan)
Catch Comic Republic on their Website for more great books.