Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars)
Overall Concept and Plot:
Dark Arte pulls readers straight into the gritty, dangerous underworld of Lagos, following a haunted vigilante driven by loss and vengeance. Once a victim of tragedy, the unnamed protagonist, burdened by “a curse born from choices he cannot erase” (Page 3), is taken in by the Black Bird gang. After years of violence and indoctrination, he attempts to escape but learns that the past has a way of chasing you down. Now reborn as Dark-Arte, he becomes both hunter and ghost, a sniper whose presence sends fear rippling through the city’s criminal veins.
The first issue centers on a tense, cinematic sniper ambush targeting a group of gang members referred to as “puppets.” Each shot, each scream, feels deliberate, not just revenge, but a sermon of terror. This isn’t heroism; it’s psychological warfare.
Creative Team & Execution:
The success of Dark Arte is deeply rooted in its small but fiercely talented team:
- Writer, Illustrator, Color Artist, Letterer: Dapo Oni Richard
- Editor: Bamidele Oni
- Storyboards: Olawuyi Gbenga
- Studio: Depee Comics Studio
The art style captures Lagos’s underbelly with cinematic precision, deep shadows, sharp contrasts, and the occasional crimson flash that reminds readers how violence paints this story. Onomatopoeic bursts like “CRACK!” and “BLAM!” heighten the raw, sensory punch of every scene. Each page feels deliberate, pulsing with intent and intensity.
Highlight Pages That Define The Darkness:
Page 6–7: The Ambush Begins
What starts as a calm street conversation explodes into chaos with the sharp crack of a sniper’s bullet. Instantly, the ordinary dissolves into carnage.
Page 15: The Taste of Terror
A brutal depiction of panic and surrender. “Their fear… their rage… it all tastes the same in the end.” It’s pure, chilling poetry.
Why You Should Read Dark Arte:
If you’re drawn to morally complex anti-heroes like Batman or The Punisher but want something that feels raw, local, and real, Dark Arte delivers. It’s more than a vigilante story, it’s a character study of trauma, redemption, and the fine line between justice and madness.
Set in a Nigerian landscape rarely explored in this genre, it grounds its mythos in Lagos’s chaos, turning its alleys, rooftops, and shadows into characters themselves. Depee Comics proves that African storytelling can stand tall in the global comic space with style, depth, and a pulse of authenticity.
By the final pages, when a mysterious figure vows to “crush Dark-Arte before the storm,” the hook is already in. You’ll be craving Issue 2 before you even close the cover.
How to Get Your Copy:
To grab your copy of Dark Arte Issue 1, visit Depee Comics Studio on Instagram and send them a DM to place your order. Support Nigerian creators and dive into a world of vengeance, fear, and urban justice done the hard way.