Sunkanmi Akinboye

Iron Man fights a Cobra Commander with Sith Lord powers and an army of loser robots.

The novelty of being created by Nigerians, starring Nigerians, and set in Nigeria quickly wears off as the story seems content to strictly inhabit age old superhero tropes like a hero driven by the death of a dear relative who has a nearly magical armored fighting suit and a support network with an unlimited budget for technology. There are A.I. androids, holographic training rooms, (not very) shocking secret identity reveals, a purely evil organization with an unlimited budget for tech and henchmen, and a world of underground crap: secret laboratories, headquarters, and transportation systems (so much excavation!). And as in "Superman: The Movie," one of the big bads is just pursuing a real estate scam.

Side note: I thought Wale's name was a homophone for "whale" while I was reading the book, but afterword I found out it is actually short for Adewale and is pronounced "waa-lay."… (mehr)

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

MALIKA: WARRIOR QUEEN has been on my TBR list for a while now - but after devouring WINDMAKER, it just got bumped up. Set in the same universe as MALIKA (YouNeek Studios's YouNeek YouNiverse), WINDMAKER takes place in the near future - 2025, to be exact.

In the fictional West African nation of Atala, civil unrest is brewing as the nation's democratically elected leader is seeking to amend the constitution to allow himself to serve a third term. Though then-Vice President Mofeoluwa Balogun ran on a relatively progressive platform, in recent years his regime has veered towards authoritarianism, conducting illicit surveillance programs, cracking down on protests and curbing freedom of speech, and using the threat of police brutality to keep citizens in line. Things have only worsened since the attempt on his life, which Balogun attributes (without evidence) to "terrorist" groups like the RGA and Dark Ravens.

Just as it seems all hope is lost, a champion arrives in the reincarnation of the mythic WindMaker. King Bass, the original WindMaker who manifested his powers thanks to the Wind Stone, fought alongside Queen Malika in the fifteenth century. Legend has it that some day King Bass will return to save his people a second time. No one expected that he'd be born into the body of the President's adopted son and head of security, Boluwatife (Bo).

Twice orphaned, as a teenager Bo was recruited into the Veep's training academy by the First Lady - and, later, welcomed into their home. His childhood friends, Sola and Dayo, recognize the President for what he is: a dictator. But can they convince Bo to join the resistance before President Balogun cements his power?

WINDMAKER, VOLUME 1 sets the stage for what promises to be an action-packed and compelling story, one that's all too relevant today. In addition to the political intrigue and scifi details (a floating palace!) Okupe introduces supernatural elements that add an extra layer of mystery and mayhem to the story. While we get to meet the RGA, the Dark Ravens are mostly just hinted at, and I can't wait to visit Raven Island in volume two. Ditto the Olon Jin and the Forbidden Island.… (mehr)