Codex Black (Book One): A Fire Among Clouds

by Camilo Moncada Lozano, Angel De Santiago (Colorist)

Overview

Navigate through monsters, mysteries, and the will of the gods with two young extraordinary adventurers in fifteenth-century Mesoamerica as they search for a missing father.

Donají is a fearless Zapotec girl who, even though she’s only fifteen, is heralded as a hero by her village. In Codex Black, Donají sets out on an adventure—accompanied by the god that lives inside of her poncho—to find her missing father. Along the way, she meets a 17-year-old winged Mexica warrior named Itzcacalotl, and over time their temporary partnership blooms into an incredible friendship.

The search brings the young pair closer to danger and deeper into mystery than either could have predicted. What exactly was Donají’s father involved with? And how did a simple search for a missing relative lead Donají and Itzcacalotl into a fight with a terrifying bat monster to defend an entire village?!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684059591
Publisher:	IDW Publishing
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Series:	Codex Black , #1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,011,069
Product dimensions:	6.19(w) x 9.13(h) x 0.67(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Camilo Moncada Lozano is an Mexico City-based artist best known for his work on Codex Black, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views in its original incarnation on Tapas. Along with his work in comics, Camilo is responsible for the 2017 animated short film Donaji & the Magical Poncho.

Editorial Reviews

"Both a thrilling epic and a setup for forthcoming volumes—not to mention a rollicking action-adventure featuring well-crafted characters—this gets the highest recommendation, right down to its very helpful back matter, addressing language, beliefs, and historical context." —Booklist (Starred Review)

“An enticing, fast-paced series opener.” –Kirkus Reviews

“A gorgeous, emotional YA adventure steeped in true Mesoamerican history and myth.” –AIPT Comics

“One of the books we've been most excited to read in 2023.” –IGN

"Filled to the brim with fantastical mythology, engaging and well presented history, enjoyable characters, and lots of heart to spare, Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds is a great introduction to a fun fantasy adventure!" –The Library Ladies

"A fun graphic novel with an intriguing mythology twist." –Page By Paige

“This graphic novel needed to exist.” –ICv2

“The artwork is beautiful and dynamic, showing off the swoops of Itzcacalotl’s wings and the whooshes of feet and fists from Donaji in combat.” –The Work Print

From the Publisher

05/26/2023

Gr 6 Up—Inside a hollow mountain, a masked group gathers, and a forbidden ritual is completed. Darkness enters the world, as readers learn the Triple Alliance of the Nahua cities of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan aims to conquer the known world. A young Mexica warrior, Itzcacalotl, goes off on his own to explore, leaving a marching army behind, and falls into a trap. In the small village of Quie Yelaag, Zapotec teen Donají celebrates her 15th birthday by heading out into the world to find her missing father. Accompanying her will be a god named Chicahualizteotl, who inhabits her poncho and grants her tremendous strength. These two adventurers are bound to cross paths, and when they do, their adventure will be legendary, and world-changing, even pitting them against gods themselves. Set in 15th-century Mesoamerica, this graphic novel was originally a webcomic hosted on Tapas. The author/illustrator, who is based in Mexico City, is also the creator of the 2017 animated short film Donají & the Magical Poncho, which serves as a prequel to this story. The art style is vibrant and colorful, capturing the imagination and serving the story well. VERDICT With roots in Mesoamerican mythology, this fantastic tale will charm any reader. Its connection to history and tradition makes it wonderful for teaching while being entertaining with its adventure.—Adam Fisher

School Library Journal

2023-04-12
This fantasy adventure based on a popular webcomic introduces a mythical world of gods and monsters overlaid on the historical backdrop of the Triple Alliance in the final days of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

The book opens on a forbidden ritual performed under cover of darkness, as orbs of light rise and summon a Child of Darkness against the backdrop of the first days of colonial expansion in Mesoamerica and reign of the Triple Alliance between Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan. Meanwhile, Itzcacalotl, an ambitious, 17-year-old would-be Mexica warrior, wanders from his group into the jungle where a murder of crows brings magical transformation. Elsewhere, 15-year-old Donaji prepares to leave her Zapotec home on a quest to find her long-lost father with help from a quechquemitl, a poncholike garment, imbued with the spirit of a god. A wrong turn puts Donaji in Itzcacalotl’s way, and they are able to join forces on the quest to find Donaji’s father, though the path is fraught with supernatural dangers. But how the dark creature from the ritual ties into their journey remains shrouded. Alert readers will know that Spanish invaders lie on the horizon, leaving them eager for the next installment. Graphic novel fans will appreciate how the colorful, manga-inspired illustrations dramatically bring the Mesoamerican setting to life, and history buffs will enjoy the footnote factoids sprinkled throughout.

An enticing, fast-paced series opener. (map, name glossary, places, historical context, deities, author’s note, additional sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews