A review by readingvicariously
After the Rain, by Nnedi Okorafor
5.0
Wow, what a great story! It’s like a tale of Nigerian spiritualism from Chinua Achebe run through a filter of Clive Barker with a dash of Evil Dead thrown in. I can’t say too much without spoilers, but this was such a creepy and engrossing read for me. It’s rife with imagination and moments of straight up horror.
I loved the emphasis on Nigerian spirits and folklore. I also appreciated its attempt to explore Chioma’s double consciousness through a lens of magical identity. And the art is so cool in a fantastical sort of way. It does inventive and amazing work with the pages and panels like I’ve never seen before in a comic, every border bleeding into another and overlaid with smaller images to reflect the conflict and Chioma’s emotional state. It’s hard to explain, you just need to see it for yourself!
My only complaint is that the ending left me without a clear understanding of what all had taken place. That and the copy on netgalley is pretty fuzzy and hard to read at times. I truly wish I had a physical full-color copy of this beauty.
I loved the emphasis on Nigerian spirits and folklore. I also appreciated its attempt to explore Chioma’s double consciousness through a lens of magical identity. And the art is so cool in a fantastical sort of way. It does inventive and amazing work with the pages and panels like I’ve never seen before in a comic, every border bleeding into another and overlaid with smaller images to reflect the conflict and Chioma’s emotional state. It’s hard to explain, you just need to see it for yourself!
My only complaint is that the ending left me without a clear understanding of what all had taken place. That and the copy on netgalley is pretty fuzzy and hard to read at times. I truly wish I had a physical full-color copy of this beauty.