Ground Zero Vol. 1 by Meta Desi - A Comics Anthology

I finally got a chance to catch up on this book at the Leaping Windows comics library. Loved the cover art, and the general format and layout of the book. Almost all the stories (except one) are written by Akshay Dhar and one must admire this guy’s talent at presenting so many diverse genres within one book.

Things big and small- Art by Ankur Amre & Sammi Lenker

Pretty much the ruminations read existential commentary of a party goer in Delhi, the protagonist sounds like Matthew McConnaghey from Dazed and Confused, who wants in on the fun yet doesn’t shy away from being philosophical about it.

The Last Baqani - Art : Sahil Rao

This workman-like account of a lost futuristic race/tribe is reminiscent of many sci-fi cities seen in the likes of Fifth Element, Blade Runner, or even Dredd, from recent times. I quite liked the in-depth-ness of the terminologies, and felt the writer knows these well, instead of just quoting them here, and would like to read more of similar kind of stories. And any story that starts with a bar conversation, I am in!

The Mirror Cracked - Art by Vivek Goel

My favorite story of the lot, because of the perfect balance between writing and art, everything is in place here, right from the Samurai aesthetic to the monologue of a guilt-ridden Samurai warrior who looks back at better times, and how he turns from a protector to a slayer.

A Day in the Life – Art by Abhijeet Kini

This cute little story of a 9 yr old and his heart-warming adventure with Yamdoot showcases the brilliance of Abhijeet Kini in telling a story fluidly. I am not too fond of his style though and think it suits pop art more than comic books, but I am waiting to be proved wrong.

Equality – Story and art by Anik Kumar Maitra

Though I appreciate the gory concept and the use of silhouettes I didn’t quite like this one too much.

Raakshas Rising – Art by Tarun Padmakumar

With a title like that, one would expect more of rising to happen, except all you get here is 2-3 eastmancolor pages and panel and a Batman-like figure leaping against the night sky.

Super Soldier Squad – Art by Anant Sagar

There is whole lot of spy lingo here(combat, target infiltration) and some cool Manga-like art however the dialogue seems self-important and the story/backstory or the motive seems missing. May be 1-2 page preface would help setting the context.

Meta Desi Comics