“We must not remind them that giants walk the earth.” - Superman
That quote from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is what inspired me to become a writer. It inspired me to pick up my laptop, and begin to write my own superhero dramas that I have now called Baraka.
Baraka is set in a world extremely similar to our own with the exception that in this world, mythical creatures are real but are kept at bay by a secret society of the true elite, the superb - The Children of Baraka.
This secret society’s raison d'être is to protect humanity from the supernatural, and from themselves. The Superman quote is an excellent way of expressing fear of what humanity would do if they found out that not all men are created equal. What caring God would give some the power to render a mountain into ruble with their own fists and others nothing? How would humanity react upon finding out that they are powerless against these giants who walk among them? Would they rejoice, or would they retaliate?
Some of the characters you will find here are original creations and others are taken from history and re-imagined for storytelling purposes. These stories can take place in different time periods ranging from the bronze age, to medieval times through to the modern era. But although these stories take place at different time periods and in different places, all the characters in them share one common link, they are Children of Baraka. But what does it mean to be a Child of Baraka?
Baraka is a blessing that is regarded in various Eastern religions as an indwelling spiritual force and divine gift inhering in saints, charismatic leaders, and natural objects. The Children of Baraka are those who have been “blessed” with extraordinary abilities through no fault of their own, meaning that they aren’t earned. They gained their abilities in a seemingly random fashion but all share one thing in common - those who have “awakened” their Baraka only achieved it after an important event in their lives (ranging from the horrific to the beautiful) changed something inside them that sparked a flame they never knew was there, and were transformed into something...greater.
Due to the randomness of who gains a Baraka, not all who awaken one are what we would categorise as good, meaning that some will use their power in questionable ways. The Children of Baraka are there to stop them, but who told them to? In their bid to protect the world from the supernatural, aren’t they depriving the world of knowledge that was never meant to be kept secret? Who are they to judge what the world is ready for and what it isn’t?
This comic series is my homage to all the influences that I’ve had over the years in the realms of design, art, writing, comics, music and science fiction. It is a love letter to my heroes such as: Mike Mignola, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Tite Kubo, Takehiko Inoue, George RR Martin, J RR Tolkien, Philip K Dick, Frank Herbert, Herge, Edward Munch, Mozart, Paganini, Metallica, Robert Wilson and others who’ve helped shape my imagination to what it is now, and will be in the future.
I hope you enjoy my stories.
Rafael M.
