Many Comic Book Ramayanas

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the multivocal nature of the Ramayana epic in Indian graphic narratives from the 1970s to the present. There are two dominant narrative trends that arise in these graphic retellings. The first trend is to uphold Rama as the ideal god-king by presenting Rama as the clear hero of the epic story both textually and visually. The second trend is to critique Rama as the ideal god-king by focusing the textual and visual narrative on other protagonists within the epic storyline, and thereby engage in a critical examination of Rama through feminist and/or subaltern perspectives. This essay sheds light on the contested interpretation of the god Rama within contemporary Hinduism and South Asian culture more broadly. These comics that idealize Rama and those that question his idealism, when taken together, are valuable for their ongoing contributions to the multivocal nature of the Ramayana story.