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‘Eru #1-2:’ Comic Book Review

I’m going to be honest: I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in the Eru comic a lot of the time. I’ve got the basic gist of it, but there seems to be a whole world of backstory that I’m missing. But, at the same time, it hardly matters. What makes this one worth reading is the journey, and it’s a journey definitely worth taking.

The basic premise (as I understand it) is one that’s been done before more than a few times. There’s an ancient war between the forces of evil and the forces of good. One mythic figure (Eru, King of the Night) is tasked with keeping evil at bay, destroying it by any means necessary. He’s not so much a good guy as an antihero, who does what needs to be done. In another story, he’d probably be the villain, but, compared to the actual villain of this story, Eru is definitely the hero.

The first issue is only 9 pages, and 5 of them are cover art and notes from the creator. In the 4 remaining pages, we establish the basic world where the comic takes place and see Eru confront the villain as he’s about to offer a woman as a human sacrifice. The second issue is told from the woman’s point of view, as Eru does battle with this evil person or creature or whatever he is. It’s slightly longer, but not much. The whole issue is 20 pages, but half of it is spent on a different adventure: the myth of an ancient warrior woman named Ireti.

As far as plot goes, Ireti’s story is more compelling than Eru’s. The appeal of Eru’s adventure goes beyond plot, though. First of all, the art is gorgeous: vivid color and great detail. We see the battle between good and evil waged in the streets on a dark and stormy night, and the images are actually worthy of that description. And, the writing, though not always clear in terms of what’s happening, makes up for it by being pure poetry. “The guillotines they come for him, teeth bared like blades, skin as thick as tempered iron.” There are gems like that throughout both issues . . . interspersed with Eru saying things like, “Are you high?”

One of the things that sets the story apart is its setting: Lagos, Nigeria. The comic has a Nigerian creator, Max Ezeogu, and the feel throughout is distinctly different from American comics—which is part of its appeal. The story may be a little vague and well worn, but the comic as a whole is a work of art and very much deserving of your time and attention.

Steven W. Alloway, Fanbase Press Contributor

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