Multiculti globalization or tutti-frutti ice-creamization?

Devi is good, although it seems a little derivative of Witchblade visually (hopefully, however without the soap opera aspects of the story). But Virgin Comics' Snake Woman is awesome! It's more of a mature readers title with more interesting art. And the story is already compelling (a pretty huge feat for an issue #1, IMO). Worth the read. I have high hopes for these imprints.

Got a copy right here of the free preview comic from Virgin, with excerpts from both Ramayan Reborn, the garish “adaptation” of the Ramayana “presented” by Deepak Chopra (more a quick celeb endorsement, I suspect), and Devi, a kind of Aeon-Flux-ish super-goddess-heroine thing (this one tagged by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur).

Sure, the source material is Hindu, but the artwork and writing are in that reprehensible new jack post-McFarlane American neo-superhero style. Tons of visual noise and digital colour trickery, but piss-poor composition, clumsy characterization, derivative design, corny excess without impact, yadda yadda. The writing sucks too.

The creative staff is all Desi... British-Indian, maybe? Much as I’d love to see a genuine Indian comics wave at least poke a hole in the stranglehold that paris, NYC and Tokyo have on the comics medium internationally (deservedly, mind you, though Latin America has long had amazing stuff going on), I’m not sure this is really it.

Hindu mythology is certainly a goldmine of cool shit, and I’ve no problem with huge liberties being taken with the source material, Bollywood-style (then again, I’m not religious, or even Desi). But is this Virgin stuff actually reflective of a genuine Indian comics sensibility? Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather see this on the racks than no Desi-derived material at all.

Maybe someone out there could offer some info and insight. How much of a comics industry does India have? And is it this Americanized in appearance?

-Rupert

My knowledge and understanding of Indian mythology and history can fit in a thimble. I'll be looking over my son's shoulder when he starts to bring home "The Adventures of Devi," which EastWest describes as "the story of a goddess reborn as a young woman who fights crime in modern Sitapur."

That's multiculturalism, playing out on globalization's stage. And a graphic novel shall lead them.

Xena did Devi in season 4, which was broadcast way back in the previous millenium.

So I think the leadership post has been taken. The follower jobs are still open, though.

(Xena yell ringing in the background)

I was an original fan.

I even wrote about Xena for Salon, waaaaaay back in the day.

http://archive.salon.com/july97/21st/xena970703.html