Is’nana The Were-Spider: Drums of Ogoun
Writer: Greg Anderson Elysée
Artist: Sean Hill
Colors: Walt Msonza Barna
Letters: Deron Bennett
Backup Story Art: Blossom Blaire
Backup Story Letters: Andworld Designs
Cover: Sean Hill
Several years ago, Greg Anderson Elysée introduced comic readers to Is’nana, the son of the trickster god, Anansi. And with each engaging narrative he’s been accompanied by some of the best in visual storytelling to enhance Is’nana’s journey throughout our world and the Mother Kingdom. Drums of Ogoun is no different as this creative team takes you on an exciting adventure where our young hero meets Ogoun, the Loa God of War and Iron. This powerful being will soon discover that the young Is’nana, though kind and thoughtful, is more than prepared to throw hands, feet, and webs when necessary.
For anyone that is not familiar with Is’nana, you needn’t worry at all. Greg makes sure that the story is easy to get into for any new reader while making sure that those who have been there since day one are treated to more excellence as well. With a near perfect opening sequence, Elysée pulls both types of audiences into the story with a fascinating organic recap that builds on Is’nana himself and furthers the narrative. From the character’s struggles to his triumphs, the groundwork is laid for a solid introduction with great dialogue and pacing. This may seem small but it’s quite impactful when a writer treats his story knowing that this might be someone’s first time with their character. Even better when we get flawless execution that serves both types of audiences. All of this just makes everything better as things build to Is’nana’s meeting with Ogoun, and this is where everything gets turned up to 9000!
Elysée expertly displays the “show and not tell” technique as he scales back the dialogue during the action and allows the artists to breathe life into the story. The action is intense, bloody, and visceral thanks to the amazing skills of Sean Hill and colorist, Walt Msonza Barna. The dynamic panel layouts take your eyes everywhere they need to be with each hit while also making you feel the weight of these battles. What makes these fights more than just a slugfest are the various martial arts employed by Is’nana along with his otherworldly abilities. Hill’s execution of these techniques not only looks cool, but they add more layers to the character. For someone like me, this was the perfect eye candy and really helped to just immerse me further into the story. The character designs are just wild and impressive with each one really making you second guess how or if Is’nana will survive. It was also nice to see that it wasn’t just the action sequences that stood out but the quiet moments here are just as bold and memorable.
We’re also treated to a second story, Message from a Goddess where Is’nana meets Erzulie Freda, the Haitian Goddess of Love. A tale written by Elysée with art by Blossom Blair. Blair’s artwork gives an entirely different feel to the book and delivers a level of wholesomeness I wasn’t quite prepared for. My mistake was assuming this would be a one-off tale. However, it holds just as much weight as the first story and though there is a connection between the two its strength lies in its heart and stands firmly on its own.
Is’nana The Were-Spider: Drums of Ogoun is a fantastic story that continues to explore a mythology ignored far too long. There’s a rich tapestry of characters here that I’d love to see more of as the meeting towards the end hints that this Pantheon is not yet finished with Is’nana. So, here’s hoping we get to see more of these characters and possibly from these creative teams in the future.
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
