Blokhedz: Genesis

This African-American novel of the streets pits its young hero, Blak, against local gangs, his brother's killers and his own inner demons. Blak must come to terms with his extraordinary gifts—a magical ability that lets him fight, lead others and rap at a high level. The plot is a bit hard to follow. It's not always clear who are Blak's friends and who are his foes, and the role of an almost-otherworldly recording studio head is never completely defined, but the book has a driving story line that keeps flowing. The color art is striking and shadowed, full of jewel tones and fantastic motion—this dystopia has a beating heart you can see and feel on the page. The characters are similarly oversized: big and angry, or big and loving, or confused in deep and tragic ways. A few of the stereotypes are a bit unfortunate, but scenes like Blak's encounter with the devil himself in the sewers feel alive and scary. At times, it's hard to tell whether the story is taking place in Blak's own personal dreamscape or in some hell on earth, but it doesn't really matter. The story brings a manga-like intensity to this inner-city quest. (Mar.)