Shekhar Kapur's Snake Woman Volume 1: A Snake in the Grass

The story for "ASITG" is based on the Nagin mythos in Indian literature, which has been exploited to the hilt in numerous B-grade bollywood movies. What is different here is not only the setting (a contemporary city), but also the treatment to the subject. The reader will alternatively sympathize and hate the main protagonist for her actions (brutally killing off the members of the "68"), all the while asking "What's next?" The graphic novel aptly demonstrates that if the basic premise or plot-outline is sound, you do not need psychedelic graphics to woo the reader. The stark artwork (poster style) complements the equally macabre storyline. I recommend this graphic novel for anybody who likes to read stuff thats off-the-beaten-path.

The premise is OK, but with additions that separate it from the general run of comics. A young woman discovers that she has powers far beyond anything she could have imagined. At the same time her powers emerge, and a big step ahead of her, a cabal of "The 68" is on her trail. They'll kill her if she doesn't master her powers first and kill them - but just what they want adds complexity to the conflict of mystic forces. The mythological underpinning adds depth to the story; because it's non-Western myth, it adds a sense of mystery as well. Virgin comics made a huge splash when it arrived about a year ago, and this title shows why. They have top talent, lots of it from outside the comics industry and lots from outside of American traditions. That freshness and unique sense, different in each title but shared across the line of titles, gives a competitive edge in the fight for shelf-space in stores and dollars in the buyers' budgets. Production values are high, artwork is competent (though not as painterly as the cover suggests), and the story is exciting, partly because of its unfamiliar cultural backdrop. Give it a shot. -- wiredweird