Bronze Faces is a new series coming out from BOOM! Studios on February 5th. The series is coming from brothers Shobo and Shof Coker, the creative team behind the critically acclaimed New Masters from Image Comics in 2022. While their comic book experience is light Shobo and Shof have shown strong storytelling abilities in comic book form. They are joined by Eisner Award winning artist Alexandre Tefenkgi, who won an Eisner Award for his work on Image Comics’ The Good Asian. We got a chance to check out an early copy of Bronze Faces #1. Find out how BOOM! Studios newest series turns out with our advance review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Shobo Coker and Shof Coker
Artist: Alexandre Tefenkgi
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
BRONZE FACES #1 SOLICITATION
“Soho, London. Childhood friends Timi, Sango, and Gbonka reunite on the eve of the British Museum’s historic purchase of the works of Timi’s father, the seminal Nigerian artist Adewale Balogun.
Timi has been invited as a “guest of honor,” but what the Museum is heralding as a triumphant acquisition, the trio see as nothing short of brazen cultural theft. Emboldened by a night of drinking and shared outrage, they concoct a bold scheme… to steal back the artwork themselves!
But when they come into possession of a document called “the Register,” outlining dozens of colonial-era stolen artifacts, their sights turn even higher to the Benin Bronzes — the British Museum’s cache of nearly 1,500 works of art stolen from the Kingdom of Benin.
Celebrated authors Shobo & Shof Coker (New Masters) draw from their Nigerian heritage for the heist of a lifetime, joined by acclaimed artist Alexandre Tefenkgi (Once Upon a Time at the End of the World, The Good Asian).
Prepare for a story that’s at once an exhilarating adventure and simultaneously a breathtaking descent into mythology, history, and the horrors of colonialism, perfect for celebrating the start Black History Month.” – BOOM! Studios
REVIEW
Bronze Faces #1 gets the most important part of any story nailed right out of the gate: its purpose. Shobo and Shof Coker provide context for why every relationship and action taken by the three leads, Timi, Sango, and Gbonka, is important. That importance leads the ties to Nigerian culture and history to be more than just a heist story.
The opening two pages of Bronze Faces #1 is an excellent example of how to create foundation for a strong debut issue. Everything from Shobo and Shof’s writing to Alexandre Tefenkgi lays the groundwork for how the rest of this issue expands on these ideas. The actions done by the leads all has a purpose as they steal specific museum items. Their urgency to get everything makes you immediately aware how personal this heist is to them.
That importance makes the rest of this debut issue largely a flashback to explain what happened in the opening. This is where Shobo and Shof really get into the personal aspect of this story. They aren’t just simply trying to tell us a history lesson of Nigerian culture. There is a story based on three characters having personal stakes in this story.
In learning about Timi, Sango, and Gbonka past and present that you feel how important the heist that this comic book opened with is. The dynamic between the three comes across as genuine. Shobo and Shof do an excellent job at getting across how they are childhood friends. There is small attention to detail things in the dialogue that will be reminiscent of how you act with long-time friends that you haven’t seen in a while.
At the same time, they are three distinct characters who end up living their own lives. Because of that they’ve developed personalities that doesn’t mean they are on the same page 100% of the time. That leads to choices and actions taken that help amplify who Timi, Sango, and Gbonka are as distinct characters.
The end result of Bronze Faces #1 does exactly what it needs to do. That is taking the foundation presented and building the pillars that reinforce the story that will be told in future issues. How that opens up to further explore Nigerian is something that will be exciting to learn through a heist-based story.
For their part Alexandre Tefenkgi works really well with the story being told. Tefenkgi isn’t the traditional art style superhero comic book fans will be used. But Tafenkgi style is something that fits in extremely well with how Nigerian culture and history is explored. He gets across how unique it all is. Which works well into how Timi, Sango, and Gbonka are three distinct characters that you’re invested in following.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Bronze Faces #1 delivers a compelling narrative that will leave you wanting to read where things go next. Shobo and Shof Coker accomplish this by taking a heist story and injecting personal investment of the three main characters. In the process they explore Nigerian culture in a way that is gets you invested in the journey that will be built off the foundation started in this debut issue.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
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