Devi Rebirth Omnibus - Review

*Spoilers Ahead*

Indian graphic novels have had sort of a rebirth over the past few years. What started with classics like Tinkle and Chacha Choudhary for Indian kids has grown into story lines and artwork ready take on the global stage. One such graphic novel comes in the form of Devi from Graphic India, the creators of the fabled Ramayan 3392 AD.

The story of Devi draws inspiration from various sources, namely Indian and Greek Mythology, the Bible and even a bit of The Lord of the Rings. Now, I say ‘draws inspiration’ and not ‘copied’. The way Shekhar Kapoor has moulded the Devi universe using these subtle references is an homage rather than ripping them off. On the exterior, Devi is your traditional good vs. evil story; but once you start exploring the character of Tara Mehta and her relationship with the Devi, the story reveals itself to be one about humanity being its own saviour.

Character development of the protagonist is essential to any good story. Tara, a.k.a. Devi, goes through the classic Hero’s Journey narrative pattern, but I’ve always been a fan of the character development of antagonists as well (Think Wilson Fisk from Netflix’s Daredevil). The story of Iyam is subtly but beautifully written into the main plotline. His egoistic view of mere mortals, his ‘will they – won’t they’ chemistry with Kratha, his struggle to gain Bala’s approval after millennia of serving him and his eventual breaking point with his master. Iyam’s character arc actually made me feel for him and hope he had a happy ending.

Mukesh Singh and the rest of the art team have brought the Devi universe to life in a manner perfectly befitting the story. The way they thy illustrated the city of Sitapur was my favourite part about the artwork. An Indian metro peppered with holy shrines and ancient ruins of a bygone era, something you’d only expect to find in India. One thing I’d particularly like to point out is the synergy of the Art, Panelling and Lettering teams to bring together multiple plot points and form the primary story arc.

The detail given to the character design is what makes them interesting. Devi’s attire is a blend of powerful, beautiful and goddess-like; perfectly depicting her benevolent yet fiery personality. Each God was also represented each in his/her own unique way; Interface with his sassy personality and digital avatar, Kapital and his weird knack of talking like a financial adviser.

Make sure you purchase the digital copy of Devi.