Category Archives: reviews

Rao Reads the Blogs

The blogosphere frequently has a great deal to offer on comics & religion. Here’s a taste of what’s currently being covered at some other notable sites:

The Comic Book Bin‘s “Religion and Comics” section has two new offerings from two of their contributing voices. First, Hevre St-Louis examines the 14 Stations of the Cross as sequential art: “My point in arguing this simple premise about the 14 stations and comic art is of course to show how omnipresent and an important part of world culture the comic book is.” Then, Andy Frisk remains with Christianity as he looks at the character of Thor, naturally tied to pagan Nordic religions, as a “warrior Christ,” specifically highlighting the God of Thunder’s portrayal by Mark Millar in Ultimates 2 as the epitome of this vision.

The Apocalypse Plan

ComicAttack.net‘s “Comics Are My Religion” offers insights from Jeff Jackson, this month focusing on (mis)portayals of Revelation in comics. Fortunately, one new book, The Apocalypse Plan by Rafael Nieves and Dan Dougherty, seems to get it right, at least in a creative manner. “Nieves’s book is not a literal retelling of Revelation, although it does wrestle with the literal sensibilities that most interpreters give it.”

Steve Bergson’s Jewish Comics blog provides an extensive and impressive account of the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) from a Hebraic perspective. Bergson delivers details not only on the panels that relate to Judaism but also on high-profile creators with backgrounds or works pertaining to the faith.

Finally, Faith in Four Colors both gives its Swedish recommendation of Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books and Graphic Novels (also covered by Jackson last month) and puts out a call for people’s personal experiences with Chick Tracts. Information on how to respond is available at the blog site.

Indian Comics

Does the imminent cancellation of Outsourced leave Aziz Ansari from Parks and Recreation, tweets from Deepak Chopra, and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta as your only connection to Indian culture and Hinduism? Let’s correct that:

Liquid Comics. Good comics companies don’t die — they rebrand. When Virgin Comics, launched in 2006, moved from New York to Los Angeles in 2008, it became Liquid Comics, and it remains home to some sensational titles like India Authentic, Devi, and The Sadhu. One could do worse than sampling Hindu lore from Liquid Comics, either in print or digitally.

Chitrakatha: Indian Comics Beyond Balloons and Panels. This upcoming documentary from filmmaker Alok Sharma examines the native roots of comic book and comic strip making in India, spanning over three generations of artists. His film promises to show how alive the art truly is and the complex traditions from which it sprung.

Vimanarama. This stand-alone Vertigo graphic novel allows award-winning writer Grant Morrison to immerse his Western readers in a mix of Hindu lore and his own boggling storytelling. Perfect for the comic book reader steeped in British or American fare but uncertain as to how to tread into foreign territory. Post-orientalist, Vimanarama is a love letter to Bollywood, superheroes, and Jack Kirby as a vendatic guru!

India’s Immortal Comic Books: Gods, Kings, and Other Heroes. For the brainy and the brave, there is Karlin McLain’s book on the decades-old publication of Amar Chitra Katha which takes the interwoven lore of the Hindu gods and delivers it in accessible comic book form. Perfect for English-speaking scholars, India’s Immortal Comic Books looks at what make ACK “special to comic book lovers everywhere,” says Pradeep Sebastian of Businessworld.