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XOGENASYS, VOL. 1
Concept by: Johnny O’Bryant III
Writer: Tre McIntosh
Editor: Corey Mikell
Artist/Co-Writer: Nikolas Draper-Ivy
Editorial Associate: Janae Young
Cover Designer: Daniel Eyenegho
Graphic Designer: Sol DeLeo
Retouching and Lettering: Vibrraant Publishing Studio
Publisher: Noir Caesar and Tokyopop
XOGENASYS is a treat. Coming from Noir Caesar and Tokyopop, it’s a scifi sports activities collection grounded in human drama, very like many sports activities manga that got here earlier than it. For these of you who loved the human struggles in Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse (Sony), Hajime no Ippo (Kodansha), and Megalobox (TMS Entertainment, Toonami), this is particularly for you! While Primus7, the opposite Noir Caesar title that debuted final week, caters extra to followers of motion fantasy, this one will attraction extra to readers who admire drama and the human situation, as a result of the primary character Darius doesn’t have any superpowers and follows a extra conventional sports activities story.
Raised in a neighborhood that steadily turned extra harmful, Darius Walter Smith had no selection however to make use of his father’s boxing methods to defend himself and his household. This led to violent encounters with gangs and the specter of being compelled into juvenile detention. After his most up-to-date scrap with the authorities and The Flaming ‘60s, his solely salvation is Timothy Mustafa–a skilled athlete who got here from comparable humble origins. Timothy now recruits and trains hopefuls to enter XOGenasys, a skilled preventing circuit that enables the usage of martial arts and prosthetic enhancements within the type of bodysuits.
What makes this story compelling is at the beginning, the pacing. There is motion, sure, however these scenes punctuate the drama, permitting the narrative to breathe and develop at its personal tempo. Darius’s mom is involved about her son; she’d relatively he deal with his expertise and curiosity in artwork, relatively than be drawn deeper into the cycle of violence and preventing. Having a pure expertise in preventing doesn’t make her blissful, as a result of no mom would ever need her baby to be doubtlessly uncovered to hazard.
Due to his notoriety, nonetheless, Darius can’t escape from those that need his energy for their very own. One of them is Kenny, a member of the gang often called The Flaming ‘60s. Darius knows better than to accept their offer or provocations, but there’s little else he can do after they ambush him and additional murk his public picture. The scene of Darius standing up for himself solely to be brutally crushed on the way in which to select up his little sister Lena is particularly poignant. She is younger, however understands that Darius isn’t going out of his strategy to beat individuals up. She needs him to show her how one can battle as properly, however Darius is aware of that may additionally additional complicate issues.
The XOGenasys includes each skilled fighters and pure skills who’ve been scouted into the league by different execs. Darius has thought of becoming a member of himself, earlier than being denied by his mom. After Timothy graciously pays off their household’s debt and erases the looming risk of being despatched to juvie, Darius lastly has the chance to show himself and develop into a dependable supply of earnings for his household, now that he’s been expelled from college. Darius by no means whines, however is all too conscious of the hardships life has compelled him to shoulder. This makes him stoic, however finely in-tune together with his feelings and wishes–a trait that is glorious for offering ahead momentum to the story.
In phrases of story occasions, this is most of what occurs. After some months of coaching, his first match is up in opposition to a relative of Kenny, who is out for payback after being rejected and humiliated by Darius. However, by way of emotional payoff, there is a lot far more to digest. The affirmation that comes from the acknowledgment of Darius’s struggles and expertise; the aid and gratitude that comes from figuring out the Smith household is lastly secure after years of dodging debt collectors and neighborhood violence; and the tenuous aid that comes from figuring out Darius has a doubtlessly profitable and profitable future after being continually undermined, framed, and persecuted by each the authorities and underbelly of society, albeit with the hazard of it coming via bloodsport.
This is an underdog story, and one which is successfully informed; it feels harking back to a sports activities biopic with narrative. Something concerning the execution of this story feels uncooked and relatable. It is likely to be the expressiveness within the artwork, or the way in which the dialogue matches how actual individuals communicate to one another. Regardless, XOGENASYS Volume 1 is a rousingly profitable debut for Noir Caesar–I’m totally invested for the experience and eagerly awaiting extra. This quantity is now accessible instantly from TOKYOPOP, and different venues similar to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Indigo.
Courtesy of Noir Caesar, right here is a quick preview of XOGENASYS Volume 1, for many who are curious:
Xogenasys, Vol. 1 is out now.
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