DJELIYA SC

Senegalese French writer and artist Juni Ba brings a range of influences to bear on this post-apocalyptic fantasy tale, incorporating elements of French bandes dessinées, Japanese manga, American animation (particularly Samurai Jack) and West African folklore. The result is an entirely unique adventure, following a dethroned prince, Mansour, and his djeli (a kind of bard/bodyguard/hype-woman) Awa as they journey across a magic-blighted wasteland to find the wizard Souamoro, who is responsible for the terrible mess the world is in. Along the way Awa and Mansour tell stories about their pasts to the wizard’s assistant, where we learn more about the characters and the world they live in (which is unlike any textbook post-apocalyptic world you’ve seen before). It’s a story about stories, enriched with West African language and culture, and has action a-plenty portrayed in Ba’s vivid, bold style. This is Ba’s first full-length graphic novel, and we’re very excited to see what he does next!