Title: Dawn of the Patriot: Heart of Ziik
Author: Okimi Peters
Rating: 4 stars
Dates read: 29 Apr 20
Publication date: Apr 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Graphic Novel
Description:
Plagued by the mysterious death of his older brother, the unassuming yet highly spirited 19 year old Ziik will be thrust on the daunting path to becoming a vigilante in the Third World. Progressively finding himself as a symbol of light through the shadows of Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, Ziik must not only weave through the present day complexities of his homeland on his quest for justice; he must also learn to overcome himself to find peace.
I really didn’t know what to expect from this graphic novel. I have read a fair few. but never really one based in the “real world”, by which I mean not featuring direct fantastical or super power elements, and it really took me by surprise. The art style was complimentary to the plot and style of the novel, and the story was an archetypal origin story, in this case for Ziik.
The story itself was based around a boy whose brother dies, and is prompted to enter fighting to help pay for his funeral. The story itself did lack a tiny bit of direction or depth in terms of flow, but it was detailed enough that I did find myself wishing there was a little bit more to read about in this particular issue. Ziik has a lot of potential to become a moralistic vigilante within Lagos, and I liked the morality battle that was established almost immediately within the story.
I also found the art work really complimentary to the story. The past and present panels were really distinguishable, and the colours used really worked for the scenes within them. The art and colouring was rich and fitted with the vigilante storyline.
Overall, I found this to be a strong debut and enjoyable story.
Travel in Retrospect 
