About this item
Growing up as a prodigy, Malika inherits the crown from her father in an incredibly unusual way, splitting the kingdom of Azzaz in half. After years of civil war, Malika finally unites all of Azzaz, expanding it into one of the largest empires in all of West Africa--but expansion will not come without its costs. Enemies begin to rise within her council, and Azzaz catches the attention of one of the most feared superpowers the world has ever known: the Ming Dynasty! As Malika fights to win the clandestine war within the walls of her empire, she must also turn her attention to an indomitable and treacherous foe with plans to vanquish her entire people. Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1 also features bonus stories "Malika: Dragon Trials" and "WindMaker: Birth of a King" - and a new "behind the scenes" section! "Our mission is and always has been about empowering African creatives and storytelling while bringing both to a global audience.
About the Author
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Roye Okupe is an award-winning filmmaker, author, speaker and entrepreneur whose passion for comics and animation led him to found YouNeek Studios in 2015, an avenue that would allow him to pursue his dream of creating a diverse library of superheroes. Under that umbrella, Roye wrote, produced and directed several animated productions, including, but not limited to, the award-winning and critically acclaimed Malika - Warrior Queen Animated Short. These productions have allowed Roye to attain many prestigious recognitions, such as being #5 on Ventures Africa's list of 40 African innovators to watch (2016) as well as being part of NewAfrican Magazines' 100 most influential Africans two years in a row (2016 & 2017) . Most significantly, in 2021, Roye was nominated for the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics, meant to honor "commitment to excellence and inclusion."With the superhero genre currently at the height of popularity, Roye has made it a goal to create a connected universe of superhero and fantasy stories inspired by African history, culture and mythology. In August 2015, Roye released his debut graphic novel titled: E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams Part One, a sci-fi superhero epic set in Lagos, Nigeria. E.X.O. was received with critical acclaim and has since been featured on CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, N.B.C., The Guardian, ABC7, B.B.C., The Huffington Post, Mashable and more! Roye's sophomore graphic novel: Malika - Warrior Queen, was also received with critical acclaim, winning the prestigious Story of the Year award at the Glypc Comic Awards in 2020. That same year, Roye signed a first of its kind, monumental 10-book deal with Dark Horse Comics - one of the world's largest comic book publishers.
