Orisha, Vol. 1: With Great Power

Gr 7 Up–Due to unique birthmarks, Aboki is often singled out by people in his village. During a game in the forest, where he is once again playing as the monster instead of the hero, Aboki stumbles across an Orisha seed that magically bonds with him. A nearby spirit informs him that he is now the new celestial Orisha and that the powers he has inherited will draw beasts to him, right before a monster erupts into the clearing. Aboki needs to learn how to control and wield his new powers quickly to protect himself and others, but with other Orisha skeptical of him, it’ll be an uphill battle to find someone willing to train him. Not everyone is as they seem; without full control of his abilities, will Aboki be able to hold on to his positivity and survive? Nigerian-born creator Umar has expertly crafted a fantasy world enriched with West African mythos. His black-and-white sketchy illustration style is excellent at conveying movement, and the art is explosive during battle sequences.