Comics Syllabus

This week: “Djeliya” by Juni Ba (TKO). New issues of “Crossover,” “Monstress,” “Usagi Yojimbo,” and “Made in Korea.” First, we review “Djeliya” by Juni Ba from TKO Studios (video episode here). Juni Ba’s new graphic novel is “A West African Fantasy Epic” and follows djeli (storyteller and advisor) Awa as she fights for (and with!) Monsour, heir to a throne, against gods and beasts for the rightful throne. Ba’s work artfully mixes Cartoon Network stylistics with folk narratives from Ba’s Senegal/West Africa, as he mentions in this great interview with the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast. Paul unpacks some of why this book has jumped to the tops of his list, and Juni Ba to the group of creators Paul’s most excited about. On this week’s “Polybagged,” (video episode here) covering some new comics in shops this week (June 30, 2021), we talk about: “Usagi Yojimbo: Dragon Bellow Conspiracy” #1 by Stan Sakai and Pattison (c) (IDW), “Made in Korea” #2 by Holt and Schall (Image), “Monst