Codex Black (graphic novel series)

Cover art for the first book in the series, titled "A Fire Among Clouds."

***Codex Black*** is an epic adventure graphic novel series, written and illustrated by Camilo Moncada Lozano, with colors by Angel De Santiago, and based on the homonymous webcomic series by the same author. It is being published by IDW, with its first volume released in April 4th 2023, both in physical and digital versions.

## Synopsis

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.

## Differences with webcomic

### Book 1 - *A Fire Among Clouds*

The first book in the series, subtitled *A Fire Among Clouds*, comprises the first 5 chapters of the webcomic, as well as the Prologue. However, with the jump from a webcomic format to a graphic novel, *Codex Black* underwent several changes.

#### Color

Unlike the webcomic, which was mainly in black and white, featuring certain colored chapter covers, the graphic novel version is fully colored, both in print and the digital version. The colors are done by Angel De Santiago, with some covers and special pages colored by author Camilo Moncada.

Black & white vs color comparison.
#### Redraws

The original webcomic began its production in 2017, while work on the graphic novel version started between 2021 and 2022. In that time span, the series' drawing style underwent a gradual refinement. This led to several panels and pages to be redrawn and updated to the latest standards, particularly in the early pages of the book. As such, the graphic novel isn't a mirror copy of the webcomic, featuring several changes ranging from minor art updates, to entirely redrawn pages that change the flow and pace of certain scenes.

Updated page from chapter 1 (inks only) (Original, left. New, right)Pencil sketch of an updated panel.Pencil sketches of updated panels. What used to be half a page was compacted in three smaller panels.Redraw from Chapter 2, this one changed the pace of the scene considerably. Also adds new dialogue.
#### Added content

The graphic novel also includes a considerable amount of added content that was absent from the webcomic version. Around 50 new pages, with new scenes and an entire new sub plot, differentiate both versions, while still maintaining the overall direction of the story presented in its original iteration. The added scenes are scattered throughout the first book, though the most drastic changes and additions occur in Chapter 5, completely altering its ending compared to the one featured online.

#### Removed content

Some content from the webcomic didn't make it into the graphic novel. Some of the smaller episodes called "Mini Codices" were omitted, although these are still available in the online version. Among the removed ones were:

* Mini Codex 4 (2 pages): Short scene where Itzcacalotl comes up with the nickname "Chica" for Chicahualizteotl.
* Mini Codex 5 (4 pages): Short segment (sort of like a trivia) about a background character named Biiyanaa, who has an unrequited love towards Donají.
* Mini Codex 6 (4 pages): Another short segment with historic facts about the worship to the god of the underworld in Zapotec culture, and the close relationship that the people of Quie Yelaag had with death.

A brief scene where Itzcacalotl interacts with Donají's cousin, Bio', was also removed, this being the only character interaction from the webcomic that was completely left out from the graphic novel. Other panels and pages were removed or edited in some way, but the scenes they belonged to all remained mostly unchanged.

## Trivia

* Before the webcomic came out, Codex Black was originally planned to be fully colored, but due to the time this would imply, it was later decided that it would be black and white instead. It was only until the graphic novel that the color version was possible.