Stan Lee’s ‘Chakra – The Invincible’ Issue #1 | Graphic Novel Review

IN-Shelf | By Ambarish Ganesh on March 30, 2014 @ Punch_a_tantra

Issue #1 is a superhero origin story, where we get to learn how a local Mumbai kiddo acquires powers that ultimately make him invincible. That it’s co-created by comic legend Stan Lee only increases its mojo. The first page of the book introduces us to the villain-fighting superkid Chakra, who narrates his story in a flashback.

Raju Rai takes a stand against bullies who’re robbing a man (a man very much styled like Stan Lee – maybe an intended bonus), but lacks the necessary brawn to overcome their assaults. Enters elder brother Sameer, who packs abundant muscle power to beat and shoo the goons away. Sameer is not only a protective elder brother, but also the head of the house since their parents lost their lives to an accident. Raju hopes to become a scientist, a hope well supported by Sameer, who provides for him doing odd jobs. Pursuing this dream, Raju becomes the genius yet forgetful Dr. Singh’s apprentice, who’s working on project called Cybernetic Hyper-Acrobatic Kinetic Realignment Acceleration Suit Version 2.0 – a technological suit which can activate the seven chakras (points of energy) of a human body – a suit Dr. Singh makes Raju try for an experiment. An experiment that’ll change the course of Raju’s life forever. Towards the end of this issue, we are made aware an evil faceless man called Boss Yama who’s behind all evil forces trying to destroy the world, pretty much on the lines of Samrat Kilvish from Shaktiman.

The cover art surely catches the eye, and the intricate artwork and illustrations on the inside by the acclaimed Jeevan J Kang is just as good. The glossiness of the paper brings this artwork to life. The story as such did not have a lot to share in terms of novelty, but I’ll let this series breathe a little. It’s still at an infancy stage and it’s a Stan Lee creation, so we never know in what way our desi superkid will surprise us. The narrative is pretty much linear, except for that one brief flashback. Colors have been chosen wisely, juxtaposing time periods to further add punch in the script. Also, the purple-blue muddle brings out Chakra’s “becoming and being Chakra” moment well.

The first issue indeed promises the dawn of a new, interesting superhero to the comic world, but whether this superhero is to be celebrated in the same ranks as Iron Man or Spiderman is something to gauge from the subsequent issues.