RUNELESS

This graphic fantasy by Masuku and Quartey, accomplished comic book creators from Zimbabwe and Ghana, respectively, is set in a pre-colonial African fantasy world where friends Fungai and Ngoni were born without runes.

In Dura, runes are granted by a magical source known as the leyline; they give people special abilities, such as healing and telekinesis. Most runes are inherited, but others can be earned through good deeds. In a society where being born without runes marks someone as a second-class citizen, Fungai and Ngoni face constant hardship. After their orphanage closes, the boys are forced onto the streets, often resorting to stealing food to get by. Their friend Tashinga, a Leyist priestess who’s struggling to reconcile what she’s been taught with her compassionate feelings and newfound insights, helps when she can. When a mysterious stranger arrives at the boys’ encampment with a promise to help them acquire runes via a different path, Fungai and Ngoni must decide who they want to become and how far they’re willing to go to gain what they desire. The story moves briskly, exploring in depth the lengths to which people will go to maintain power. Each boy faces his own challenges in the battle with a caste system that marginalizes those who are different. The detailed artwork has a cinematic feel that enhances the sense of place, from pastoral scenes to the bustling city and moments of intense drama.

An immersive, action-driven tale of magic, transformation, and justice.