Blokhedz Graphic Novel #1

by Street Legends Ink

This is the story of young Blak, an aspiring rapper who is blessed with the mystical gift of turning his rhymes into reality. Living in the Monarch Projects of Empire City, Blak must struggle to survive the violence and temptation of the streets -- no small feat when he must contend with personal tragedy as well as his own hot-headed temper...both of which threaten to get the best of him. With the support of his crew, the G-Pak, Blak makes life's toughest decisions while dodging the notorious underworld boss Bloko, his arch-nemesis Vulture, and bitter gang rivalries. Can Blak remain true to himself and his gift? The fate of Empire City hangs in the balance....

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2007

Reviews

[Tama Wise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love urban stuff, and I love hip hop stuff. Moreso, I love graphics as well, so you can't get too much closer to getting all my one loves into one place than to make a hip hop graphic novel.

Having said that, Blokhedz, which is on some hip hop mystical type trip (to borrow from the slang:) feels almost like it's treading the almost cliched when it comes to hip hop in graphic novel format. Rappers finding they have mystical power through their words doesn't seem all that original.

It also doesn't help that some of the scenes were poorly cut, leaving me wondering what was going on, like they had to cut it to fit the obvious comic format that it came from.

The collection ends with the main character discovering his power, but leaves the rest for the sequel. Which I might well try reading. All in all, just a hint too cliched for my liking, even though it did look rather slick and well drawn.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.
When I started reading it, I didn't think I would want to continue. At first it seemed cheezy and fake, but the narrative was very engaging. While Blak's rhymes aren't exactly amazing, it adds a different feel to a graphic novel by breaking it up into more entertaining chunks. The setting of the futuristic and desolate Empire City caught my attention to; they re-imagined New York but in an apparently more economically segregated future. I'd recommend it to any teenager who enjoys rap music and somewhat true-to-life narratives set in different times and places.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The concept, the characters and the art are all stellar. However, there were just too many technical and plotting problems holding this back from being great. If you're a fan of alternate approaches to superheroes or interested in things being done a little different, this is a fascinating approach to the type of stories told in superhero and sci-fi books.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

picked this up to see who it might be appropriate for...i liked the art and the basic story line, however, it was hard for me to follow some of it. there is a lot of violence, some of it pretty graphically drawn.

[Denise Rader · Rating 4 out of 5]

good comic so far...

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stone cold classic.