Temudjin

Ozanam (Klaw) fuses biography and fantasy in this ethereal graphic novel imagining Genghis Khan’s reborn spirit, Temudjin. Born to a human and a wolf spirit in a remote Mongolian village centuries after Khan’s death, Temudjin is prophesied by the shaman Ozbeg to unite clans and overthrow tyrants. Ozbeg raises Temudjin, teaching him to tap into the spirit realm, and Temudjin marries the spirit Ayami. As he grows up, Temudjin uses the realm to escape life’s torments, defeat enemies, and win over clan leaders. But while he grapples with the brutality of Khan’s legacy, he still follows his path: quarreling with his closest allies, mirroring Khan’s rifts with trusted generals; betraying Ayami by marrying a human woman, paralleling Khan’s adultery; and employing his same ruthless war tactics. Carrion’s artwork juxtaposes sprawling landscapes with intimate close-ups, atmospheric darkness with bright colors, and rigid panel structures with dreamlike interludes. Temudjin ultimately unites Mongolia, exemplifying the best of Khan’s leadership, but then follows the darker side of his inherited power to expand his dynasty into China because “his destiny summons him there. And he must see it to the very end.” Fans of Luen Yang’s Boxers & Saints will relish this quasi-historical quest. (Nov.)