You are on page 1of 80

Freelance Talents Presents

Indian Comics Fandom (Volume 7)


In this Issue:
*) Reviews: Negatives (Raj Comics), Yugandhar (Raj Comics), The
Caravan (Yali Dream Creations), Ravanayan Finale # 1 (Holy Cow
Entertainment).
*) Interview: Abhishek Gautam (Artist-Colorist).
*) Articles, Updates, Photos, Previews & Ads from Amar Chitra Katha,
World Comics India, Meta-Desi Comics, Raj Comics, DI Comics, Holy
Cow Entertainment, Aryan Creations, Vimanika Comics, Freelance
Talents, Comic Con India, Pop Culture Publishing, Tricolor Books Lotus
of Saraswati, Manta Ray Comics and Graphic India. Owners retain
copyright to their respective works.
*) Featured Artist Mr. Rahul Sharma
*) Fan Fiction Shakti 2563 AD by Mr. Himanshu Singhal
Freelance Talents & Mohit Sharma. All rights reserved. Owners retain copyright to their respective works.
*Cover Master Ryan with Mixtape (Manta Ray Comics)

*) NROER

Logo Designed by Mr. Aman Rawat

National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) is a collaborative


platform, involving each and every one of us interested in children, teachers and
education. The Repository will endeavour to bring together all digital and
digitisable resources.

Report
The HRD Minister Dr M M Pallam Raju recently launched the National Repository
of Open Education Resources (NROER). Addressing the Conference on ICT for
School Education in New Delhi, he said that the school education has in the recent
times witnessed immense growth. Having promised our children the right to
education, leveraging technology is important to expand school system.
The National Repository is a collaborative platform which proposes to bring
together the best of digital resources for different subjects domains, across
different stages of the school system and in different languages.
The Minister of State for HRD, Dr Shashi Tharoor said that Ministry of Human
Resource Development is continuously working towards inclusiveness of
Education. In order to make education inclusive, the use of ICT would be quite
beneficial. Although technology may not replace the teacher yet it will make
teaching more attractive. The Secretary for Higher Education Mr Ashok Thakur
said that ICT initiative is not only promoting school but teachers as well as

students also. He said that at present we are connecting 400 Universities and
20,000 Colleges through ICT highways. The Secretary for School Education and
Literacy Mr Rajarshi Bhattacharya said that ICT which is developed by NCERT will
improve teaching quality at school level.
Over 200 delegates from the Government, NGOs and the private sector
participated in the two-day Conference organised by MHRD and NCERT. The
National Conference brought together a variety of stakeholders- policy leaders,
practitioners, researchers, implementation agencies and developers of content to
examine the policy in the light of their insights and impressions, identifying gaps
in the system and suggesting a roadmap for implementing the policy.

The Conference aimed to evolve a roadmap for using ICT into schools and help
teachers and children make best use of the opportunities that ICTs provide. Based
on National Curriculum Framework, the ICT Curriculum for teachers and students
intends to provide a holistic introduction to ICT in education.

*) Book Launch, Discussion on Terrorism & Communalism

Our book Terrorism Explained' is a comic book, which deals with the theme of Terrorist
Violence, globally and locally. It narrates some of the major events related to terrorist acts,
goes on to discuss the stereotypes associated with terrorism, takes up the genesis of global
terror with politics of oil, takes up Hindutva terrorism and the ideology guiding that. This the
theme unfolds with illustrative cartoons. This book is a sequel to our earlier Communalism
Explained. - Ram Puniyani, Sharad Sharma.

*) - Tinkle Junior Series


Birds & Aqua

Flying, floating, diving, soaring creatures that inhabit the sea and the sky are
unique. In Ask about Birds and Aquatic Animals, children get answers to their
'whys' about penguins and pelicans, otters and whales and so many others. But
not before some imaginative replies. Why does a dolphin jump? Is it.. ..because
he wants to show some gymnastics? ..because he wants to fly in the sky? Funny
answers but not quite correct! In an easy-to-understand format, children are
taught animal facts. But only after giving them a chance to guess the right
answer! Designed for children in the age group 3 to 7 years, the episodes are
simple, animated, highly informative and full of laughs! 13 episodes that take your
child on a learning voyage into sky and sea.

Forest Animals

Forest animals are fascinating but too far away to be familiar. In Ask about Forest
Animals, the lion, the hippo he elephant and other such animals interact with
children and help to answer all their "whys". Why does the lion have a mane?
Well, is it.. ..so that we know where his face is? ..so he can tie ribbons in his hair?
Funny answers but not really correct! In an easy-to-understand format, children
are taught animal facts. But not before giving them a chance to guess the right
answer! Designed for children in the age group 3 to 7 years, the episodes are
simple, animated, highly informative and full of laughs! 13 episodes that bring the
wild to your doorstep.

Other Comic Books in the Series Exotic Animals, Neighborhood.

*) - Brainwave Magazine

Brainwave is filled with new topics and Science fun-das every month!
Plus it has comics, stories, fascinating facts and AMAZING PRIZES to be
won!

August 2013 Issue


All About Physics: In which we travel in an alien's spaceship deeper into
the universe, know why Einstein wanted to be a plumber, discuss why
the chicken crossed the road, and simply learn to love physics...

*) - The Essence of India Collection (Amar Chitra Katha)


ACK - THE ESSENCE OF INDIA - THE BEST OF INDIAN HISTORY MYTH AND
FOLKLORE This Pack includes the following 24 single Titles and 2 special issues.
Click on the view list tab for the list of titles in this pack.

*) - The Story and the Song

What happens to stories that dont get told? What happens to songs that
dont get sung? Are they forgotten or do they emerge some day? Parvathi
knows a story and a song, but she keeps them to herself. The story and the
song, however, are determined to escape! This Tamil folktale adapted for
children by Manasi Subramaniam is illustrated by Ayswarya
Sankaranarayanan.
ISBN 9788181902733
Price Rs. 95

*) - Interview with Abhishek Gautam (Aashu) : ColoristIllustrator


Interviewer Mohit Sharma
April 2009

Mr. Abhishek Gautam is a talented colorist, special effects-image editing


artist. He worked for Raj Comics (parts of Nagayan series and reprint comics
of various series) and few Indian comic publications, magazines.

Q - Aapki pasandida comics?


Aashu - Khooni Khilone, kirigi ka kahar, Kohram, chumba ka
charkaview, jahar , naagpaasha, vishkanya, vinaash, pralay,samri
ki jwala, jung, jigsaw, bheriya, takkar, gundakar, typhoon,
tanashah,kobi aur bheriya, kaher, curfew, yeh hai doga,

main hoon doga, junglistaan. Wulfa crorepati. Guru Bhokaal


Kobi Dakshina abhi aur bhi hai......

Q - Aapki favorite series?


Aashu - Khazana Series, maine maara dhruv ko Series , Hatyari
Rashiya waali series, ab marega parmanu series, mahayudh Series,
Tantra Series, Gold heart mini Series, anupam sir
waale fighter toads ki saari comics bahut acchi lagti hai.

Q- Aapke favorite characters?


Aashu - Super Commmando Dhruv, Nagraj, Doga(uska origin
bahut accha laga), Parmanu, Ashwraaj , Yodha , purana waala
bhokaal, pradeep saathe ji waala Gamraaj ,
Q - Aapke favorite foreign characters?
Aashu - main foreign characters ki comics nahi padi hai main unko
animated
series ke dwara hi dekha hai .
Batman
Spider-man
Avatar: the Last air Bender
Prince Of persia
Tom and Jerry
Ben 10
He-Man
Tin Tin

Q - Aapne kitne saal mey art banana shuru kiya?


Aashu - Main artist nahi hoon. main school time pe drawing karta
tha, ab nahi karta. school time mein meri drawing kafi acchi thi
aur drawing mera fav. subject bhi tha.
Q - Aap kab se comics padh rahe hai?
Aashu - Comic books toh main chote se hi pad raha hoon. us time
rent par comics padta tha .black cat waale set maine comics
collect karna shuru kiya tha. us set se Nagraj aur dhruv ki comics

main regular pad/collect kar raha hoon. baaki character ki comics


main select kar karke hi padi hai. year 2000(super commando
dhruv comics aayi thi) se mein maine comic padna band kar diya
tha. Maine dubaara comic book padna November 2006 se shuru
kiya hai.
Q - Aapki pehli comic?
Aashu - yeh toh theek se yaad nahi shayad chacha choudhary ,
billu ki thi. lekin RC ki meri comic jo kharid kar padi thi Toofan ju,
Shankar
Shahenshah , Mujhe Maut Chaiye thi.
Q- Comic kay alawa kaun si magazines pasand karte hai?
Aashu - Digits, Chip. movies ke articles .
Q - Aapki hobbies kya hai?
Aashu - movies dekha, gaane sunna , Tv dekha, coloring bhi karna
.
Q - Aapki age?
Aashu - 26 Years.
Q - Apne real life friends kay baare mey kuch bataiye?
Aashu - mere kuch school ke , college ke aur kuch forums ke
friends hai.
abhi toh school waale friend jayda touch mein hai . forum waale
friends se bhi baat hoti rehti hai.

Q - Ghaziabad kaisa shehar hai?


Aashu - acha shehar hai ghaziabad. yaha par facility saari 90
percent tak
available hai. ek saal baad yaha par metro bhi aa jayegi. yaha par
mall bhi kaafi jyada hai. Ghaziabad delhi ke NCR mein aata hai.
ghaziabad se delhi aur noida paas parte hai. ab ghaziabad ko hot
city bhi kehta hai.

Q - RC Forums kaisa lagta hai....iski khoobiyan, kamiyan?


Ashu - khoobiyan ->
RC ka forum section badiya chalta hai.
kamiyan ->
RC ka home pages organize theek se nahi hai.
RC ke charcters ke baare mein site par information kam hai.
images bhi
bahut purani lagi hui hai.

Q - RC Website mey kaise sudhar ho sakte hai?


Aashu - Home page heavy hai , der mein load hota hai .
home page par user online waale section ko move karke sabse
neche laana chaiye. aur flash ad joh site load hone se pehle aata
hai uss hata dena chaiye. Home page ka color kaafi samay se black

isko bhi change karna chaiye.

Q - Ab aap forums par kum kyu aate hai?


Aashu - thoda samay kam mil raha hai.

Q - Coloring kab shuru ki?


Aashu - saket bhai ko maine nagraj ka title cover apne style mein
banane ke liye req. kiya tha.unhone banakar forum par post kiya
tha. ussi art ko sabse pehle digital color kiya tha. uske saath ek
parmanu ki art jo main thoda trace karke banaya tha , woh bhi
color kiya tha .

Q - RC kay liye coloring karne kay mauka kaise mila....apna pehla


kaam
karke kaisa laga?
Aashu - Jab bhi Himanshu sanjay sir se milne Rc jaata tha, toh

main bhi uske saath chala jaata. Tabhi ek baar sir ne terminatarr
ka ad effect karne ke liye diya tha. karke bahut acha laga tha. teen
sikke ka last mera first printed page tha joh edited hokar us hua
tha. uske baad Dr. Virus ki hai. dekte hai aage kya hota hai.

Q - Kya aage bhi RC kay liye kaam karna chahenge?


Aashu - haan bhai.
aur abhi paper ke wajah main kuch nahi kar pa raha hoon . kuch
pages
main RC se lekar aaya tha , bas yeh paper ki tension khatam ho
jaaye
uske baad main unpar haath acchi tarah saaf karunga.
Q - Kis field mey career banane ki soch rahe hai?
Aashu - govt. jobs main try kar raha hoon.
Q - Kya RC ko kisi doosre shehar mey apni branch kholni chahiye?
Aashu - branch honi toh chaiye lekin abhi RC ko apni comics har
saher ke
shops( railway station ke alawa ) mein available karani chaiye.

Q - Nagraj ki animated movie aur Doga par bollywood movie....kis


kay baare mey aap zyada utsahit hai?
Aashu - abhi doga ki movie se zyada utsahit hoon.

Q - RC videsho mey apna market kaise grow kar sakti hai?


Aashu - agar unhe international market jaana/grow karna hai toh
karana chaiye. waise abhi RC ko india mein aur bhi jagaho par
grow karna hai.

Q - RC mey aapke favorite artists?


Aashu - Manu ji
Lalit Sharma/Singh
Anupam sir(Pehle waale artwork Anupam sir ka ).

Q - RC mey favorite writer?


Aashu - RC mein writers aaj bhi wohi hai joh pehle bhi comics
likha karte they. lekin abhi bhi aaj ki comics se purana waali
comics jyada acchi hai.

Q - Koi message ya baat aap sabhi se kehna chahte hon?


Aashu - comics ke chitra kamjor hote ja rahe hai background
detail kam dikti hai aur charcter par bhi ab detailing kam hoti jaa
rahi hai. aur jinartwork mein detailed hote woh saaf nahi hote hai.
kprisya es par dhyaan dijiye.

*) - Meta-Desi Comics

Creating stories - comic or otherwise - has always been something dear to me and
as a result, the past couple of years of getting to do what I love and interact with
and see fans enjoy the ever-growing Indian Comics Industry, well it's been insane.
What did become clear however, was that while the publishers are all dedicated
and have worked immensely hard to produce as much great content as possible everyone has limitations. Thus GROUND ZERO was born!
What is 'Ground Zero' you ask? Well the term refers to the place closest or at the
centre of a nuclear blast - which is what we want this project to become, a centrepoint for talented folks to showcase their work and get a chance to shine.

In this anthology, you will find a place where different artist with different styles

and sensibilities will bring you a set of stories of varying genres - something for
everyone is our motto! - and in doing so, take the first steps in hopefully creating
a hub for the many talented writers and artist who are struggling to find an
outlet. Some of our tales will be short and sweet and be completed in this
volume, others will continue in future volumes in the true spirit of anthologies like
the legendary 2000AD and Heavy Metal. You've got some early artwork already
on the page and soon we'll be sharing more details on the various stories you'll
get to enjoy and on the talented creators behind them.

Mr. Akshay Dhar at Bangalore Comic Con (June 2013)

We aim to bring you the maximum comic-bangs for your bucks so stick around
folks!
Cheers!
Akshay Dhar

*) - The Caravan

The Caravan is a classic horror/action/adventure in the trend of 'From Dusk till


Dawn' and '30 Days of Night' copiously coated with spicy Bollywood masala that
will make you smack your lips with the taste of bloody curry!
Pages 88
Publisher Yali Dream Creations
ISBN - 9780989757409
By Mr. Shamik Das Gupta & Mr. Bikash Satpathy
Reviewer - Mr. Srijit Bhattacharya
Rating 4/5

Lurid, loud and lewd, The Caravan is best read with a cutting chai and some hot
singaras. The mood is set from the start. You have an ominous dust cloud and the
jingle of music, and mysteriously materialising out of the sandstorm a roaming
band of garishly dressed banjarans. Cinematically, this is quite exciting, as after
the rumble of the sandstorm, you hear soft flute music wafting through it. What
follows is pure mayhem. What you have here is homage to all the years of
Ramsay horror movies, the khooni aatmas and the saamris. No corner has been
spared - it is choc-a-bloc with beautiful maidens who transform into vicious
creatures of the night. And I could recognise, Koena, Vidya and perhaps a few
others. Blood and guts flying everywhere
The writing is very very contemporary with some very "non-veg" jokes thrown in,
but then, this wasn't going to be a walk in the park. The best one is when Asif
wonders how anyone can kill the monsters, especially when there is no Christian
among them! This was a very interesting twist and leaves you hanging over a
ledge. The setting, as you have it, is India. And within that, a vampiric story of this
scale has never really been done. Gypsies, or nomads, are still a mysterious
culture with little actual evidence available on their quirky familial ties, culture
and belief systems. Thus, as a mystery, its a perfect setting.
Bikas Satpathy's art is excellent. The women are very very pretty and well-drawn;
especially, Durga. As one would expect in such stories that the woman is a weak
and helpless victim - but Durga, is a complete antithesis of that. In fact, she is the
strongest of them all with her beauty and rage. The male characters are tough
too, but props, except, of course for Asif - who is, without a doubt the wisecracking hero of the book. Finally, the theme of communal harmony, of two souls
brought together through a common purpose and rising above their petty
religions is wonderfully wrought as they walk off into the sunset.

*) - Review : Negatives (Raj Comics)

Latest Multistarer by Artist-Author Mr. Anupam Sinha & Raj Comics Team
160 Pages
Reviewer Mr. Youdhveer Singh
**Spolier Alert**
26 160

! (
)
!

,
,

,
.. !
...

, !
...

, !
!

!
! 160
5 (,
,, ,) 2
(,) -
CF
! 5 !
! 4
..
... ! ,
!
!
,
!

!
,

!

! 61 !
- !
.
!

!
Unrealistic

! !
!
...

!
..
!
!

,
! ,
..


! ..




.. !
!
!

! !



!
,
!

-97 !

..

... ,
,
(-124)
! (-130) ,
( )! -155
-152 ,

, , -151

! 3-4

!
, !

-35 !


!

!
,

!
, ,
, !



70 , !


!
, ,,

,
!

!(
)

, ,
!
!
.. !
-

!
!
!

!
!
!

!

! -

,
.. , !
,
-

!


! , ,

, !
!


!
!
# #



..
? 1-

! (-89) !
! (-128)

! ,
? !

2- ,



!( ,
)!
,


!
!
.. !
, ...
,

!
100 % !

, 2 ,
!



!
3--15 - !
! ,
100 !
, ,
100 !
, ! 100

?? 100

,
??
, ,
- ,
!
, !

, !

!
,
!
, - !
,
!
4- Adaptation
,

! , !
!
,
!
U-Turn !




!
...
@ ,
!
.. !
!
,

, ,
!
@
...
..
.. ..

!
,

..
!
!

,
,
! !

( !
,
!)
..
..
.. !

1- 160 !
2-
!
3- !
4-( )
, ,
!
1- 160
, !
2-
, ...

!
3-

!
4- !

-3/5
-5/5

100% !
90% !
, !
, !

!


..
!
-

, !
!

!
!

! ,
!
!

!
, !

!
-
!
, ?
- !

!
!
!

!
!
- , !
10 !
!
! ,
! !
2 - !
! !
! !
bubbles

, ! bubbles
, !


, ,
! ,,

.. ,
! "
" !

rotataion !

!

,
, -
!
,
!

*) - Review Yugandhar (Raj Comics)


Pages - 96
Authors Mr. Tarun Kumar Wahi, Mr. Nitin Mishra
Artists Mr. Lalit Singh, Mr. Nitin Mishra
Colors Mr. Bhakt Ranjan, Mr. Abhishek Singh
Reviewer Mr. Saurabh Agrawal
Rating 7/10

My first and foremost view about the issue is that narrative as well as language
was not very reader-friendly, especially Prastavna part. Dimag ka dahi ho jata hai
padhte padhte, especially agar aap kaam se thak kar aaye ho, khana kha kar rat ko
padhne baithe ho. Mujhe kahani ka pehla half thoda boring laga. Main neend ki
jhapkiyan lete hue padh raha tha. Pata nahi mujhe neend aa rahi thi isliye kahani

boring lagi ya kahani boring thi isliye neend aa rai thi. Agli rat maine fir baki half
padha. 2nd half achcha laga. Pata nahi, kahani achchi thi isliye neend nahi ayi ya
neend nahi ayi isliye kahani achi lagi.

Sabse pehle teeno hero ki kahaniyon ki bat karun toh Adig ki kahani sabse
interesting lagi. Naye hero Adig ko uski freshness ka fayda mila. Saare danav jo
paashan daanav ban gaye, lag raha hai ki shayad yehi wo paashaan danav hain
jinhone sare heroes ko peet peet kar Yugam k paas bheja hai.
Shiromani Yoddha ki dwapar yug ki kahani ko sabse jyada page mile, par shayad
cmx ke 3 prime heroes me se sabse chhota role bhi usi ka tha. Dwapar yug ki
kahani ko mainly Devon-asuron ki pratiyogita ne dictate kiya. Aisa laga jaise
kahani rasta bhatak rahi hai. Yoddha ke Yugam tak pahuchne se jyada ye kahani
Swarg ki sthapna ko dedicated lag rahi thi. Yoddha ka to pata nahi, par Rahu-Ketu
ko jarur reboot mil gaya. Unki origin story hi change ho gayi. Bhokal ka part mujhe
sabse weak laga. Uske fight sequences kuch khaas interesting nahi the. Haan,
Yuddheshtveer mujhe bahut badhiya character laga. Actually, meri nazar me
kahani Yuddheshtveer aur Mahaguru Bhokal ke yuddh se pick-up hui. Uske pehle
kahani thodi dheeli chal rahi thi. Thode continuity errors bhi lage kahani me. Sadly
maine parirakshak Bhokal series nahi padhi hai, isliye shayad mera kuch kehna
galat hoga par misaal k taur par kahani me yeh dikhaya gaya ki Yuddheshtveer ko
Mahaguru Bhokal se yuddha karte waqt Brahmashya ne kaid kar liya tha. Isme
khud Mahaguru ka koi talent nahi tha, lekin shavmitra ne bhokal se kaha ki
Yuddheshtveer jis kaid me hai usme use pahuchane ke liye Mahaguru ko kayi
charan paar karne pade. Besides, Bhokal ne brahmashya ka tilism tod diya hai, to
fir uske pita mile kyu nahi? Shayad main kuch miss kar raha hun. Soch raha hun ki
ab 'Parirakshak Bhokal' series bhi padh hi lun.

Shavmitra se ek bat yad ayi, usne Tiranga ki kami ko poora karne ki koshish ki, but
not even half as good as Tiranga's poetry. Bakwaas poetry thi. Poetry se yad aya..
Language. Kuch jyada hi ajeeb hindi ka prayog kiya. 'Prapita'.. aisa word maine
pehle nahi suna.. haan, shayad 'Parampita' ko aj ki sms generation short me
prapita hi kahegi. Bhaasha ko bematlab complicate karne ki koshish ki gayi. For ex.

Chandrama roopi Cheenak ne zabardasti devon ko 'he Aadityon' keh kar


sambodhit kiya. Aaditya to sirf ek hai, Surya. Simply 'he devon' keh sakta tha par
writer ka mann kiya language ko unnecessarily complicate karne ka. Ab ye dekhna
hai ki Yugam ka maksad kya hai dono groups ko ladane ka.. I hope koi genuine
reason ho, sirf apne time pass k liye aisa na kar raha ho.

Artwork bas average hi tha. Cmx ke initial page par hi Ashwaraj, gojo, Bhokal,
Yoddha sab k chehre feminine lag rahe hain. Kahani ka ek prime character
Yoddha, kahani ke 55th page me apni entry ke 1st frame me hi itna bekar draw
hua hai ki uski aankh, naak, muh appreciate hi nahi ho rahe. Sab ek dusre me mil
gaye hain, Jaise inking par koi mehnat hi nahi ki gayi ho. Anthony aur bhediya ki
shakal dekh kar to hasi hi chut rahi hai.

Mera review padh kar kisi ko lagega ki mujhe cmx pasand nahi ayi, par aisa nahi
hai. Cmx mujhe decent lagi, bas mera review dene ka style hi aisa hai.
'Sarvayugam' ka intezaar hai. Shayad wo Yoddha, Adig aur Shukraal par centered
hogi. Bas ek shikayat hai, kam se kam Sarvayugam ka ek teaser ad to dete
Yugandhar ke sath. Sath hi ek landmark series ki starting issue ke sath green page
toh hona hi chahiye tha, series ke planning aur origin tak ka safar aur series ke
future ko discuss karte hue.

*) - Holy Cow Entertainment

Here you go, the biggest news in the history of HCE. "WE ARE GOING MONTHLY FROM JAN.
2014!!!" yeah, you heard it right! "We call it our 12 on 12 Initiative", 1 book every month from
Jan 3 - 2014 onwards. The The Aghori will be back with a 2nd arc containing 6 issues and 6
issues of Holy Cow Presents "Showcase". You have already tasted Aghori series and the 1st
issue of Showcase - Sheshnaag (published insideRavanayan finale) If you like what you have
read then go for it
Join the monthly revolution by subscribing all 12 issues at great price in the given subscription

form below. For further inquiries, you can send mail to subs@holycow.in. Online transfer
facility also available. GO..GOGO!!

Our break out release Ravanayan finale - part 1 (withHoly Cow Presents "Showcase" book 1 Sheshnaag, which also happen's to have an uncanny connection with Ravanayan part 1) is now
well in stock with#homeshop18 and #infibeam. For those who will be proceeding now for the
book can get them here easily.

*) - Project Showcase
Its time now for "Phase 3" of Holy Cow Ent. as today we introduce you guys to our brand new
series Project - "Showcase". A 7 issue series focusing on 14 lesser known gods and demi gods
who played pivotal roles in Ramayan and Mahabharat but are not very well known to the hindu
masses. Also, the stories are not regular birth to death ones but we have picked some
moments/hours/days in time from their respective lives and focused on them thereby giving
the characters a whole new perspective. Now combine that with the kickass art HCE always
provides you, its gonna be a complete visual treat!!!
Spinning from the pages of the critically acclaimed Ravanayan series - we give you Project
"Showcase"!!! Giving your Holy Cow's biggest collaboration bet. 7 writers and 8 artists!

*) Review - Ravanayan Finale (Book 1)


Author Mr. Vijayendra Mohanty
Artist Mr. Vivek Goel
Reviewer - Mr. Tanmay Kumar

No more talk just fight and fight for your own good.
Ravanayanss this final installment got broke into two pieces book 1 and book 2
and now we are having Ravnayan final book 1. Book is all about how the last fight
was fought between Raama and Ravanaa, those thing which we already know
from a long time ago. But still there are few characters that were taken a very
important role in that fight, but yet they do not get value of their name in our
mythological history. This book tried to highlight those names and characters and
tried to pull them somehow in lime light, as we all know this is universal truth that
whenever a real war fought theres no room for much conversation there. Books
story is good and it will connect you directly to that Ramayanas war ground.
Where Lamxna got hit by Indrjeet (son of ravanaa) and then hanuman
(pwanputra) will go for the search of sanjivani buti. But the twist is there that
what was going on at that particular time with laxman, when he was attacked by
Indrjeet, because at that time he was not alive neither dead. If I say it in todays
word, he was in coma state. This mystery also got revealed in this books, as a new
parallel books series attached inside it named Project Showcase where it was
sown well that in that state of heath Laxmans soul was drove by sheshnaag into
the cheer sagar, where laxman got many information about this universe and
about different eras and about life cycle. And from now this series will continue
with each issue of Ravnayan.
Over all this entire book is good. But disappointing point of this book is page
count as told by holy cow entertainment earlier that it will be 60+ pages in it only
for Rvanayan final, but originally it is somehow 31 pages for Ravanayan final and
rest pages are of Project showcase along with 2 or 3 pages of writers desk page.
Still it is a 60 pages book in total if we also include it's covers. But still it was a
great book to have; as it is a final book, anybody who is following this series
should have this issue. Artwork is good but not the best artwork compared
according to Ravanayans previous issues. But yes few frames where very much
mesmerizing. Books rating based on 10
Story: - 6/10, Artwork: - 8/10

*) DI Comics

Location Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.


The official home to the exclusive new range of comics from Digitally Inspired
Media. Mission : DI comics was born with the aim to propel the comic scene in
India to a whole other level, to reach out to existing fanbase, while bringing new
followers to the country's exponentially growing comic book realm.
Description : DI comics was founded on a slushy monsoon evening in the backalleys of Chetpet, Chennai. A brand new #inspired idea from Digitally Inspired
Media, DI comics is everything that you would expect from a comic book, and
everything you wouldn't. With the credibility and quality of an international
standard, its core is quintessentially Indian. We at DI comics believe that there are
no boundaries to storytelling. The stories are all around us, in every universe, in
every city, in every street, in every mall, in every tea shop and in every passing
daydream. It takes a single figment of an idea to tell a story, and these are the
stories we want to tell. What a better place than here, what a better time than
now.Welcome to DI Comics.

Product Alien Raja by Mr. Vineed Vijayan Richie

*) - Manta Ray Comics

For the first time in 3 years, Manta Ray is traveling to Kochi for an evening of
comics, stories and storytellers...
> Launch of MIXTAPE 2 - our latest collection of stories.
> Making a comic - LIVE... with these awesomely talented creators > Anil, Gokul,
Kishore, Manoj, Praveen,Pratheek, Roshan, Rupesh, Sinu, Tina and Vivek
> Art showcase of many of the comics and stories we've created...
> And of course, there will be our books too!
That's a ton of stuff happening over one evening!!:)
If you're in Kochi on SEP 22, do come to Cafe Papaya and say Hi!

Mr. Prateek Thomas introduces Manta Ray Comics on the first day of Anifest in Mumbai.
We completed TWO YEARS of the The Small Picture on Aug 31 2013!! A big Thank you to everyone...
who read some, many and all of these one-page comics, shared it with your friends and wrote to us
about them; and even collected them every week and showed it to us at the Comic Cons... it's been such
an exciting journey for us.

*) - The Small Picture


(Weekly Web Comic Series by Manta Ray Comics)

In last week's Small picture, Gaurav Ogale shares his experience of encounter with a monk whom he
taught in Dharamsala. The story is set in Tibet - you'll see the monks, the mountains and valleys, the
monasteries and of course, the momos here! 'Conversations with Samten'

*) - Vimanika Comics

Mr. Animesh Pathak at Vimanika Flagship Store - Samatadeep society 25 th


Road opp Mickey Mehta yoga center ,near Tavaa and Sigdi Off Linking Road
Bandra West.

Mr. Sumit Sinha with Mr. Amit Tayal

*) - The V Tee Quote Contest


And here it begins with Kali Maa from our Hit Title Shiva The Legends of the Immortal!!
Vimaniks, our hugely popular T-shirt contest is back and it's a lot bigger this time around!
Rules:
1) You have to come up with a word/phrase that you think will be a perfect tagline for the Tshirt you see in the picture. 2) No copied material. The shorter, the better. The more original,
the better & dont forget the word respect too for our Gods & goddesses keep that in mind and
lets see how creative you can be. The most exceptional entries will be selected and one of them
will go up on the T-shirt itself! Also, winners are eligible for prizes worth over Rs. 1000 and their
name and photo will be published in one of our future issues!!! So what do you await Young
Balak/Balika!!

*) Comic Con Hyderabad (September 2013)

About 10,000 people turned up to catch the city's first ever Comic Con Express at
Hitex Grounds on Saturday. Marking its debut in Hyderabad, its fourth stop since
its inception in India in 2011, day one of the festival was dominated by a heady
mix of comics, movies and pop art.
Desi - videshi liaisons were seen everywhere as Batman and the oh-so incredible
Hulk shared the dais with our very own Chhota Bheem and Shikari Shambu, much
to the delight of comics enthusiasts in Hyderabad. In addition to interactive
sessions with Indian as well as international artists, the convention had a book
and merchandise fair as well featuring graphic publishers from across the globe.
Legends from the world of comics were all over the merchandise-from grim wall
paintings of The Joker and paper mache coasters with characters from the Asterix
comics to alarm clocks with Marvel's superheroes and superhero T-shirts.
Adding a dash of Hyderabadi flavour to the products were T shirts with taglines
such as 'Proud to be a Cyberabadi', 'Andhra or Telangana, I love Hyderabad' and
the popular 'Biryanibad'.

"I was eagerly waiting for Comic Con to come to Hyderabad and I am not
disappointed by what I have seen here. There is a perfect blend of local and
international superheroes, all of which we have grown up reading," said a visibly
excited Nishant Sharma, a student at JNTU. Amongst the several sessions held,
the meet with the Hyderabad-based creator of one of India's favourite
superheroes, Chhota Bheem, Rajiv Chilaka, got the most hits.
The much-awaited Cosplay session received close to 100 entries as people
paraded in the guise of their favourite fictional characters. A clutch of local artists
too lapped up the opportunity to showcase their talent. "I wasn't planning to sell
any of my art work here today but only put them on display. The response from
the crowd has been so phenomenal that I might just change my mind at the end
of the day" said Aditya Chilmula, all of 17, and a pro at Charcoal Art. Aditya's
charcoal sketch of the feared yet revered Joker was a crowd-puller.
Nevertheless, local aspiring graphic designers, while glad to get a platform to
display their work, rued that the city lacks a 'design culture'. "There needs to be
more visibility of graphic design in the mainstream art sector. The city has a lot of
talent in terms of design, which needs to be further nurtured and honed," said
Raviteja Govindaraju, founder of folktales.in. The comic carnival ends on Sunday.

*) - Money Control Article by Sonali Chowdhury


For teens transported into the world of zombies or for those who identify with young
superheroes, comics are no laughing matter.
These modern, contemporary stories are courtesy Level10 Entertainment founded by Shreyas
Srinivas and Suhas Sundar. Launched in 2010 under the then name Level10 Studios, the
Bangalore-based company began by publishing Comic JUMP, a comic book aimed at youngsters.
Their own story has since evolved, and many sequels later, the start-up's focus has shifted from
comic book 'stories' to 'generating content' for the digital and television mediums, specifically
the young Indian urban male. Awww, did our very own 'superheroes' finally grow up?
Before we reveal the exciting tale spun by our superheroes-in-the-making, first a flashback.
Magical World Of Comics
Friends and former college-mates, Sundar and Srinivas had always been very passionate about
comics. After they graduated from engineering college in Bangalore, they scripted their own
stories, where Sundar was a software professional and Srinivas, a manager in a multi-national
consumer goods company.
But, the tale goes, both of them felt helplessly drawn to the magical world of comics, till, one
day, they quit their corporate jobs and succumbed to the extraordinary power that had them in
its grip. Together, they incorporated Level 10 Studios in 2010, with a seed capital of Rs 20 lakh
raised from their personal savings.
"We wanted to do something no one else had done in India. We didn't stick to any particular
genre, especially not mythology, which other publishers were doing. Instead, we wanted to
create unique content targeting the older audience aged between 18 and 30," reveals Sundar.
Jumpstart Into Comics
Comic JUMP first ventured into the realms of sci-fi, horror and fantasy. "We were looking at
content that was not inspired by public domain characters such as Ram, Bheem and Hanuman.
We wanted to create unique Indian properties that were completely owned by us in terms of
intellectual property but could resonate with an Indian audience," says Srinivas. The company
also started creating content for children's animation series after collaborating with a Japanese
partner in October 2010.
The first series, on zombies, was successful in creating the right noises and attracted a lot of
readers and fans. Some of the popular titles from the Comic JUMP stable are zombie thriller

The Rabhas Incident, superhero epic Shaurya, fantasy series Batu-Gaiden and dark-hero titles
Daksh and Odayan.
Folding Up Publishing
Comic JUMP's titles cast a spell over fans and initially readership grew by word-of-mouth
publicity. Why, their Facebook page had nearly 50,000 fans. The first twist in the tale came
when the founders realised that magazine publishing was not a profitable business and they
folded up Comic JUMP in December 2011. Alas, Sundar and Srinivas felt less like 'superheroes'
now!
But a new and challenging chapter was about to be scripted. The founders received angel
funding from Seedfund and Mumbai Angels, but they had to reinvent themselves. Donning a
new avatar -- Level10 Studio was renamed Level10 Entertainment -- they shifted their content
online to create digital editions and graphic novels of Comic JUMP. They also began to partner
with broadcast television channels such as Cartoon Network and publishers such as Westland
and Pop Culture Publishing and, in Japan, Zero Sum Wireless and Thanks Lab.
Foray Into Television
With renewed vigour, Sundar and Srinivas now focused on the animation space. "It took us
around a year before we partnered with Cartoon Network," reveals Sundar. Things took a turn
for the better and, Batu-Gaiden, a property the company had developed in collaboration with
their Japanese partners, aired on Cartoon Network in April this year.
Cartoon Network also picked up Ninja Nontu, another comic book story aimed at the 10-15 year
age group. This series will air this year. And there's more good news. Flying high, our
'superheroes' received an award from Comic Con India for their story Odayan, while Pop
Culture Publishing will publish the title as a graphic novel in October.
Revenue Model
Level10 Entertainment's revenue comes largely from selling broadcast rights of its animated
shows to television networks. The company plans to publish graphic novels through publishers,
but content which is not in print will be sold free in the digital editions. The start-up is yet to
break even but hopes to this year.
Key Learnings:
Talent Hunting: No one said being a superhero was easy and Sundar and Srinivas have had to
call upon extraordinary powers whenever the going got tough. "Talent hunting is the biggest
challenge," reveals Sundar, who co-scripted the Batu-Gaiden movie. The company engages
creative talent on a project basis by hiring freelancers across India. "We keep our in-house team
very lean and currently have 35-odd employees," he says.
Know Your Domain: Since both founders had no idea about publishing, the journey into
animation was also rough. "Putting our own money into a business about which we had no

knowledge was not the smartest thing to do. But we are learning every day, not to mention the
help we receive from our directors," confesses Sundar.
Monetizing digital content continues to remain a key challenge and the start-up has only just
begun to make a foray into this space.
Money Doesn't Solve Problems: And how about their biggest lesson -- launching and then
folding up Comic JUMP? "Our vision has always been to create intellectual property that can be
exploited in multiple mediums and comics was an effective and low-cost visual medium for us
to begin with. Comic books were a way of testing whether our property would be accepted.
And if it was, we would leverage it through different mediums," says Sundar.
But, he confesses, an entrepreneur has to first research the market before launching a product.
"There is no substitute for due diligence because simply throwing money at a problem doesn't
solve the issue."

Indian Comics Fandom Note - Some of the leading participants in the Comic Con Express Hyderabad
were Amar Chitra Katha, Campfire Graphic Novels, Scholastic India, DC Comics by Random House,
HarperCollins India, Pop Culture Publishing, Holy Cow Entertainment, Mario Miranda Gallery, Level 10
Studios, Chariot Comics, Myntra.com and Green Gold Animation - Chotta Bheem Comics.
Never did the comics community in India have a platform where they could meet and interact. Now they
do! Comic Con India is a unique event celebrating the illustrated medium, which brings together the whole
comics industry and related fields such as Merchandise, Toys, Games, Films and Animation, along with
fans of this culture from all age groups.
Comic Con Express Hyderabad saw the launch of over 10 titles at this convention. One of India's best
comic book publishers Campfire publishing, released their graphic novelization of Pride & Prejudice.
Also, the famous graphic novel titled ODAYAN written by Suhas Sundar, which went out of Print, was
re-launched by Pop Culture Publishing in partnership with Level 10 comics. Holy Cow Publishing
launched their finale comic to their best selling series, Ravanayan Finale & Pop Culture publishing
launched Satya Police - A graphic novel by the the winners of the first Comic Con India grant given at
1st Comic Con India Awards! With all the merchandise madness at the convention, Amar Chitra Katha for
the first time ever brought out merchandise around its popular comics and characters, exclusively at
Hyderabad.

*) - Graphic India & Filmkraft Launch Krrish Comics

Rakesh Roshan & Hritik Roshan with Krrish 3 Comic and Merchandise
Image Courtsey The Indian Express

As the release date for the latest installment in the Krissh series grows near, the
makers of the film are pulling out all stops to promote it in unusual ways. This
time around, Graphic India andFilmkraft Productions (I) Pvt. Ltd (the producer of
Krissh 3) have collaborated to launch an original digital comic series and comic
magazine called Krrish: Menace of the Monkey Men.

The story features the original adventure of Krrish written and illustrated by
comic book creators -- Tom De Falco, Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema -- who have
worked on leading comic book characters such as Spider-Man, Spider-Girl,
Superman, Thor, The Avengers among others.
Filmkraft Productions (I) Pvt. Ltd Founder and acclaimed producer and Director,
Rakesh Roshan said,As we get ready to launch Krrish 3, one of the most
ambitious movies in Indian history, a compelling comic book program based on
the Krrish superhero is essential. Graphic Indias quality and production standards
make them the perfect choice for us to partner with on this exciting expansion of
the Krrish franchise.
Graphic India Co-Founder & CEO, Sharad Devarajan added, Through digital
comics Krrish can now fly straight from the big screen and into the small screen of
mobile devices, reaching his millions of fans.
Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said,
Krrish after capturing the hearts and minds of the nation is now ready to gain
cult status with its first comic book magazine. Our digital distribution strategy will
take Krissh closer to every fan. The Krrish franchise is definitely now in the league
of international superheroes a new generation is growing up with.
It will be released as a comic book magazine in stores later this year and also be
converted into an animated mobile comic that will be released as weekly chapters
through an exclusive Krrish Comics App, which will be launched by Hungama
Digital, Filmkraft Productions (I) Pvt. Ltd digital partner for Krrish 3.

*) - Top US-based Manga Comic Publisher set for India Entry


Heres some good news for comics aficionados, the largest US-based Manga
publishers is all set to make its entry to India.
The Indian market is especially important to us as we expand our reach and
distribution of our English language manga around the world, says Kevin Hamric,
director of publishing and marketing of VIZ Media, which has headquarters in San
Francisco and distributes, markets and licenses anime and Manga titles from
Japan.
Manga are Japanese comic books, read from right to left, covering a broad range
of genres, including action and adventure, science-fiction and fantasy, romance,
historical drams, sport, food and the paranormal.
The two main categories are Shonen generally for boys and tending to be more
action orientated, and Shojo for girls and tending towards romance and the
paranormal.
With Indias growing book and reading sector we have identified it as key to our
growth. We receive many, many requests each and every month from fans in
India to bring our product here, Hamric, who was in India this week, told PTI.
He is very enthusiastic about the Indian Otaku or Manga enthusiasts.
We are very enthusiastic to bring our industry leading Manga to the thousands
of fans in India who have been patiently waiting to purchase and read the likes of
Naruto, Bleach, One Piece and many other series.
While the Naruto series is about an adolescent ninja Naruto Uzumaki who
constantly searches for recognition and dreams to become strongest ninja in his
village, Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the
powers of a Soul Reaper which helps him take on the duties of defending humans
from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife.

*) - Aryan Creations

*) - Baali


, ,


, ?


....






.... ....

*) Dhurandhar Pandey

*) PyschoDevi

...
,


...
..., ...
, ...
....


*) -Events
Next Comic Con Express StopMumbai!!!

Raj Comics Annual Free Comics Day

*) Tricolor Books

*) Famous Characters with Indian Origin Appearing in International


Comics # 1

Omega Sentinel (Karima Shapandar) : Marvel (Appears in 294 Issues)


A human Sentinel. Freed of her mutant extermination protocols, she struggles to
maintain what little humanity she has remaining.

Origin:
Karima Shapandar was a successful detective for the Indian National Police in
Calcutta, India. When the eldest son, Sanjit of Police Chief Shaara disappeared
mysteriously, Karima was assigned to protect his younger son, Neal Shaara,
Against his fathers wishes, Neal took the initiative and sought out the individuals
who had last seen his brother Sanjit, a journalist who was in the midst of
investigating a story. Karima trailed Neal from a distance but, when he was
attacked by a street gang, she had no choice but to intervene. Karima made short
work of the gang given her superior hand-to-hand combat training.
Karima decided to assist Neal in digging deeper into the story his brother was
working on before his disappearance. However, many of Sanjits sources refused
to talk, mostly out of fear of an unknown source. Karima and Neal realized that
something serious and horrible was occurring in the streets of Calcutta. During
their time together investigating, Karima and Neal found themselves attracted to
one another, as an emotional bond grew between the two. After days of
searching, Karima suggested that they take one night off for themselves.
However, their investigation had not gone unnoticed. As the pair were about to
share their first kiss, they were attacked and easily subdued by Bastion, and his
Prime Sentinels. Neal's brother had been turned into a sentinel.
Sanjit fought his programming long enough to disable the other Sentinels, but
died in the process. As Neal cradled Sanjits body, Shapandar quietly told Neal to
run. She had discovered that she too was a Prime Sentinel; humans transformed
into sentinels and set up as 'sleeper' agents, unaware of their programming until a
nearby mutant activated them (as in Neal's usage of his mutant powers). Neal
refused, saying he loved Karima. Karima begged him to leave, saying she couldn't
hold on much longer. Neal was forced to flee.
Powers:

As a Sentinel, specifically a Prime Sentinel Karima is outfitted with advanced


technology, surpassing that of most other Sentinel models. These models strength
capacity allowing them to lift circa 70 tons, the ability to move at superhuman
speeds, and superhuman durability (in particular due to Electric Isolation, a
special resistance to electric attacks and damage) with regenerative capabilities.
Increased agility and great senses, making her a great battle combatant. Adding in
that even prior to her physical augmentation she was a trained and experienced
fighter.

She has a multitude of implants making her a cyborg. Among the things she's
equipped with are Sentinel-like energy guns allowing her to manipulate energy on

a sub-atomic scale, jet booster allowing flight and various radar and scanning
devices.
She can also project holographic images and has a great resistance to electrical
signals. genetically encoded with Sentinel Prime technology, granting her
superhuman strength, reflexes, and durability, telescopic and x-ray vision,
proximity sensors, bio-scanning and monitoring, individual bio-tagging and
locating, an internal CPU with satellite modem access, vast data storage and
collating capacity, long-range interactive holograms, target identification and
acquisition locks, nannites capable of bio-mechanical regeneration and threat
adaptation changes, self-propelled flight, extendible finger-knives and armorpiercing darts, and a large array of retractable devices in her shoulders, wrists,
abs, thighs, and shins, including searchlights, volt-casters, lasers, plasma knives,
sonic disruptors, neural disruptors, nitrogen and flame weapons, and rail guns.

*) Lotus of Saraswati (Independent Publisher)

Lotus of Saraswati is an independent media house initiative by writer and artist


Mrinal Rai. It is a publishing house bringing to you the great art of stoy telling in
varied ways. We publish comic books, novels and other fiction mterials.
Published Comic Kurukshetra Yuddha

*) Freelance Talents Championship (2013-14)


Inaugural Freelance Talents Championship is an international event with
remarkable participation in 2 leagues and 8 rounds. Total 311 Authors
Participated with 29 renowed judges. The Final & Bronze Medal Match were
postponed. These are the Quarter Finalists & Semi-Finalists the latest update from
the Championship.

*) Featured Artist - Rahul Sharma

*) Fan Fiction : Shakti 2563 AD


Character Shakti (Raj Comics)
Author - Himanshu Singhal (2007)

2563 AD
This is an era in which mankind has gained immense power and lives is a marvel
of technology. But still in this overhyped society and away from the gloomy lust of
the society are the slums of Mumbai city. And within these slums lives the rogue
people. Who have been assaulted countless times by the people of the big cities?
Similar is the case of our protagonist.
Issue 1. The Discovery
A young rogue girl is walking down the streets towards a row of houses lining the
road on both sides. From the shadows of the street emerges a gang of five men
wearing torn trousers and dirty t-shirts, sandals and shirts, with no good
intentions they close toward the lone girl. Frightened she runs in the opposite
direction. On seeing that their prey is running away they also run after her.
After crossing various untidy (broken, littered and unkempt) streets and taking
various turns she enters a stranded corner of the city and enters an old cottage.
She keeps on looking backwards for any sign of the gang and stumbles down on a
grave, falling on face. She looses her consciousness and lies there on the mud.

Engraved on the tomb stone is the name Chanda. Yes this is the same Chanda
who was the host of Devi kali and enacted as Shakti. But it was a story of the past.
In this new Mumbai, there is no savior of women. Long after the sudden
disappearance of Shakti the crime over women has increased.
Now while the girl (her name is Shivani) lies unconscious the spirit of kali wakes
up. She has now found a new host. A young teen lass who is both beautiful and
cunning. But fate has it she is also assaulted by men and therefore is a rogue to
the cruel society. Kali manifests Shivani and there in dream Shivani meets Chanda,
she discloses to Shivani the secret of Shakti. As Shivani is regaining consciousness
the gang appears. They have tracked down their prey. Unaware of the major
events that have passed down in the past few minutes they close on Shivani.
Hoping to find a frightened young girl they are shocked to see a fierce lady
warrior. The hunters themselves become the hunt and are slain by the new
Shakti. After the slaughter the Shakti manifest leaves Shivani's body and she drops
down on the ground.
Shivani wakes next morning and hopes the events of the past to be a dream, but
her hopes are shattered as she finds herself lying on the ground surrounded by
five lifeless bodies. She runs away from the place. Too frightened to return home
she goes to a nearby shopping lane and disappears amongst the crowd. Only to
emerge from the other end of the lane in front of a bar. She enters the bar and
sits on the table at the farthest corner. Ordering for a glass of liquor she drowns a
full glass in a gulp and puts her hands on her face. Now that she knows that what
happened yester night was not a dream she faces many questions. Is the Shakti
entity gone or is it still within her? If its gone then will it return? Or was it just for
once? If it will return how will she react? She did not like the idea of being
possessed by someone else and abiding by their will. Though she was grateful
that it saved her the night before but still the idea of murder was something
against her values. She respected human life. She had made-up her mind
whatever mat happen she will not let Shakti entity take over her and murder
someone else.
The day ends but the dought does not die. Has spirit of kali manifested Shivani by
chance or is she chosen? If chosen then for what? Kali will not choose a new host

unless there is something very important. A task that is deadly and horrendous
but the fates have it. Life of Shivani and the people of Mumbai will never be same
any more.
------------X----------------X---------------X-----------X----------X------------City of Mumbai, The heart of the computerized settlement of mankind
At an office of leading defense equipment manufacturing Pvt. Company a stout
man gives some orders to his secretary on phone. He appears tensed. Five men
have been found dead in the slums. Murdered gruesomely with no trace of
murderer what so ever.
This news has not found its way to any news channel for they were ordinary
people living in slums and accounted nothing to the high society of the city. But
for the head of the defense firm it was a matter of concern for they were his
agents in disguise. Agents of the mistress of darkness, Lady Vishela. These agents
had special powers. They could not be just killed. Something special was about
their murderer, he was powerful and fierce. But who was he?

In the slums of Mumbai


Shivani reaches her friend Radhika's home who works as a waitress in a fast food
center. Luckily she was at home but was upset. When Shivani urges her, she
discloses that she had a breakup with her boyfriend whom she found was
cheating on her. Radhika breaks down in front of Shivani. She had come at
Radhikas house to find solace and now she has to comfort her instead. Radhikas
misery was more important than her indecision. As much Shivani tries to suppress
the anger inside her the more it ignites. Finding it hard to tolerate any more she
leaves Radhikas house in haste. She heads towards Radhikas boyfriend Dipeshs
flat unintentionally.
When she reaches Dipeshs apartment, the spirit of kali takes over her
consciousness. Now kali as Shakti enters Dipeshs house who is watching TV.
Shakti slays Dipesh. Next Shivani wakes up and finds herself in a pool of blood.
She gets frightened and is relieved only on finding it to be of Dipesh. The horror of
killing another life was too much for her to curtail. It was also clear that spirit of
kali is always with her inside her body and will take charge for the aid of an
assaulted women.
Finally accepting this as her fate and duty Shivani takes up the mental of Shakti.
This was not an easy task. In many situations she would be engaged in a combat
and hence needed proper combat dress. So Shivani breaks into a mall at night and
picks up some goods she needs for the job. Next she comes back to her house and
using her sewing skills prepares for herself a combat dress. A black jumper type of
body fitting leathery suit. Covering her body from neck to toes. From shoulders to
wrist, leaving her palms exposed. She wears metal wrist bands knee guards and
belt all having flowery carvings. The metal belt helps her tie important things
when needed. She places a ruby chain as a Mang Tika over her forehead to
disguise the third eye which emerges when Shakti entity takes over her body. She
ties her hairs with a scarf forming a Choti. The material of her clothing is fire
resistant and water proof. Fully aware of herself she goes back to the wretched
cottage where she obtained her new powers and searched the place. There she
found an old personal diary of Chanda. She brings the diary home and reads it.
Through it she comes to know of her new powers and the extent to which they
can reach.

How is Shivani going to balance between her personal life and the
mental of Shakti?
Will she sacrifice her idols for the sake of assaulted women? Will she
do justice to her duties as Shakti?
What decisions will she make as Shakti?
What are the dangers that await her?
Answers to these and many more questions in upcoming issues.

Artwork from Graphic Novel Naach by Mr. Harshvardhan Kadam

You might also like