New Masters #1 Review: A Wonderful New World Emerges from West Africa

It's always hard to introduce a new world to comic readers, especially when there are many franchises out there with multiple decades of stories available in different formats. The key is to make the new project unique and original enough to stand out from the crowd, with creators behind-the-scenes who are passionate to share their stories with the world. A new Image Comics series titled New Masters sets out to do just that, and its opening installment is a good first step in the right direction. Brothers Shobo and Shof Coker merge their creative backgrounds together to reveal a new take on West Africa.

Our protagonist is Ola, a young girl who spends her time scavenging for a rare substance called Obsidium. What immediately stands out about Ola is her robotic left arm and matching companion named Ase. Ola will remind readers of other female heroines that adapt to their new world order by grifting. Shobo and Shof have assembled a diverse group of characters, who each have a compelling history worthy of exploration. Tosin and Yvolla are in a secret relationship, which appears to be even more forbidden since one of them is an alien; Tosin's powerful father and his evil scheme to sell off an archive to the highest bidder; and the four top contenders to steal the archive.

You can tell a good amount of time has been spent on fleshing out the physical world of New Masters. At the beginning of the 21st century, an alien race called the Jovians landed on Earth, with their culture slowly merging with ours. This is displayed through changes in the African continent, as debris from the Jovian fleet has settled in the landscape. We're taken on a tour of The Eye of Orùnmìlá, the dead capital of Ife, Eko City, its Yaba Market and interplanetary Hypergate, and the Molue Graveyard. The Afrofuturistic influences come into play at each location, as flying cars and hoverbikes casually float in the air over floral plants and a street market. While advanced technology is highlighted, Shof makes sure Africa's wildlife is accurately represented.

Another highlight of New Masters is the native African dialects the characters use. Instead of Americanizing the dialogue, Shobob and Shof fall back on what they're familiar with, allowing readers to become familiar with the characters' pattern of speech. Each person comes across as authentic and natural, plus it also makes them more defined and unique at the same time. 

There are about four different story arcs playing out in New Masters, with a black market auction set up as their natural collision course. Thinking of all the different ways they can connect and cross over with one another isn't a bad exercise, either. While readers will be pulling for Ola, others like Tosin have enough responsibilities on their plate to warrant a cheerleading squad. New Masters #1 pulls off its opening while keeping enough intrigue on the backburner to keep readers coming back for more.

Published by Image Comics

On February 2, 2022

Written by Shobo Coker

Art by Shof Coker

Colors by Shof Coker with Julmae Kristoffer

Cover by Shof Coker