Xenoglyphs Vol. 1
Publisher: OSSM Comics
Writer: Omar Spahi
Artist: PJ Catacutan
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover: PJ Catacutan
At first look, volume one of Xenoglyphs caught me a bit off guard. I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first Kickstarter venture, but writer Omar Spahi’s passion project definitely grew on me as the narrative progressed. The book tells the story of globe trotting adventurers Steven James and Dominick Jenkins as they race to intercept the nefarious Master of Evil. Their goal: to thwart his attempt at world domination as he seeks to consolidate the power of the Xenoglyphs, nine mythic stones that granted ancient gods around the world unfathomable abilities.
Protagonist Steven James possesses the stone of healing and is a member a secretive society of Separators, a loyal lineage tasked with guarding the elusive relics. Each Xenoglyph, for generations, has been kept isolated from the others by oaths of secrecy, protected by individual Separator factions. In service of this objective, the duo find themselves racing against time, an unknown evil, and even other separators to ensure that no single entity can claim them all.
There is an obvious and immutable appreciation for the Egyptian locale in this team’s efforts. However, the use of very tight framing and seemingly rapid cuts in action lend to a claustrophobic feeling that doesn’t necessarily serve the scope of the Spahi’s vision. Still, artist PJ Catacutan’s color work elevates some very barebones choices in the visual narrative and honestly had me revisiting particularly vibrant panels in awe. The compilation features updated artwork throughout, giving the story a more refined look overall. Character designs are simplistic, but in the visage of main antagonist Anubis, Catacuan has crafted a formidable villain.
The premise of Xenoplyphs really gives Spahi a lot of room to delve into religious and cultural detail while developing the backstory. Reflective of this title being his first foray into comic writing, action and dialogue advance briskly. Character development is lacking early on, but there is an urgency and consistency to Steven and Dominick’s quest that ultimately proves endearing. Personally, I feel more establishing shots, to use film parlance, would have tempered the pacing and helped in the worldbuilding. Themes of loyalty, integrity, and perseverance in one’s chosen path are truly excellent values to affirm for young readers, but the truncated character development, indecisive tone, and stilted dialogue likely won’t fully engage more mature comic enthusiasts. That said, Xenoglyphs is a worthy introduction to the medium for my boys and I hope the project is successful enough on Kickstarter to see the full series receive similar TPB treatment.
Christian Davenport
