DEEPAK CHOPRA & SHEKHAR KAPUR PRESENT

Created
Deepak Chopra & Shekhar Kapur
Script - Shamik Dasgupta
Art ■ Abhishek Singh
,ColoT.^ Ash win Chikeriir-J
Letters - Nilesh S. Mahadik &\|
Rakesh B. Mahadik
C ovii'^f^n^hish e k Sin g|^&
Ash win Ch fJ&jli S* ^ 5 ;
Assistant Editof^ Mahesh Kamath k -
, . Editor: GotHpinv^cfiSfcBlpf^f

v ir g in c o m I ^ '
Chief j
I ; SHARAD DEVARAJAN
Chisf .Creative Qffiderand Editor-in-Chief
GOTHAM C H O P R ^ .^ k ^ .
President &■Stiid\lP^i!W J
SURESH SEETHARAMAN
'Chief Maixeti
LARRY LIEBEI^to': :
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JEEVAN K A N G :
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ALAGAPPAN KANNAN
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MACKENZIE CADENHEAft

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DEEPAK CHOPRA, SHEKHAR KAPUR,
SIR RICHARD BRANSOH'• C

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M a rk Frangos, Frances FarT O ^ D a frtfo te fr
Christopher Linen, P e te rre to m a n ; ; ^
Raju Puthukarai and MaUika Chopra

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 Armagarh is ridden with conspiracy which weakens the great nation from within.
After Rama's humanitarian act of saving the lives of the people of Janasthan in exchange for
surrender to the Asura army ofViv-Shan, the council decrees upon him the sentence of fourteen
years of exile in the oudands of Aryavarta. Maharaj Dashrath dies in grief of losing his son
Rama. Lakshman is on the run, chased by assassins. Bharat dies in a freak accident in Khundgiri.
Very few know that a covert band of Asuras have disguised themselves as human beings in
Armagarh, and that their evil machinations have slowly eroded the integrity of the supreme
council that rules the land. The House of Suryavanshi falls victim to these conspiracies and
after havingjustly ruled over Armagarh since the days of the Mahavinaash, now looks like it is
about to collapse forever. Indeed, the times are dark for Armagarh.

A small band of rebels led by the late Maharaj Dashrath's close

friend, Councillor Sumantra, makes advances into investigating this
conspiracy, and unearths shocking facts. Kalnemi, the prominent
councillor is actually an Asura. The Gods that decree moral
judgment are nothing but a programme now
controlled by the Asura imposters. Rama, Lakshman,
Bharat, and Shatrughan, the four Suryavanshi
brothers are now victims of this conspiracy,
and have been methodically eliminated from
Armagarh. But all hope is not lost. A call from
Khundgiri leads the rebels to the caverns
beneath the mining city.
 "THEY CAPTURED MV
BROTHER BHARAT
ALMOST A YEAR AGO.

THEY ARE KEEPING HIM

ALIVE, TRYING ID BREAK
DOWN Hl« GENETIC COPE
M D -ClONT-W tK

AN A6UBA
CLONE.

"BUT SUttYAVANSHr DNA IB HARD

10 COPY. OF SELECTIVE BREEDING
AND GENERATIONS OP TRAINING,
WE AREN'T THE TOUGHEST OF
K M A TB h W FOR NOTHING.

“BUT THEY ARE SMART, BEING

PATIENT, KEEPING HIM ALIVE, AND
DRAINING HIM SLOWLY. Z CAN ONLY
IMMINB THE PAIN HE MUST BE IN.*

THEPVNASTV
OP KAMA

■WABWOHflOF
ARMA0ARH
 "MORE THAN A VEAR HAP PASSED SINCE
MY BROTHERS AND I WERE DISPATCHED BY
THE ARMAGARHIAN COUNCIL TO KM JNPSW
AND JANA 6 THAN RESPECTIVELY I STILL
REMEMBER HOW IRRITATED LAKSHMAN WAS
A T BEING POSTED IN JANASTHAN. ALL HE
WANTED WAS WAR, FOR WHICH THERE WAS
LITTLE SCOPE IN THAT TINY HAMLET.

“THAT WAS NOT THE

CASE IN KHUNDGIRI.
THERE IS NOTHIN© BUT
WAR OVER HERE.

“THE ASURA INVASION HAD

GOTTEN MORE AMBITIOUS
AS THE WEEKS PASSED. THEY "BHARAT WAS O VER JO Y*?
HAD WRESTED CONTROL OVER A T THE PROSPECT O F SEVERAL
HALF THE ISHPAAT* MINES. MARTIAL ACTIVITIES IN WHICH
HE COULD S E T INVOLVED.

BHARAT FOUND HIS DHARMA*

HERE, MARCHING AGAINST
THE ASURA CONQUEST AND
ADMINISTERING THE GRISLIEST
OF DEATHS TO THEIR HORDES."

■DESTINY
 “IN TIME, BHARAT GREW
"AND IT WASN'T JUST HIS SPECIFICALLY FOND O F SHIVANI,
VAJRA THAT INDULGED.... THE DAUGHTER O F COUNCILOR
KALNEMI. A NEW RECRUIT IN THE
flKSHAUHINI’ THAT CAME WITH US.

‘THE INTOXICATION O F SUCCESS “FROM THE BEGINNING, I HAD

AND POWER TURNED HIM INTO NOTICED THAT HER INTERESTS WERE
QUITE A CAROUSER. HE JUST MORE INCLINED TOWARDS AMOROUS
COULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH OF ESCAPADES WITH MV ELDER
WINK AND WOMEN. BROTHER RATHER THAN TRAINING."

"SOMETHING
WHICH I BECAME
QUITE WARV OF.

“I TRIED TO PERSUADE HIM TO

SLOW DOWN, BUT HE FOUGHT BACK
FURIOUSLY. HE CLAIMED I WAS JUST
A BOV AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
THE WAVS O F MEN. O F WARRIORS.

“IN SHORT, OUR CONVERSATIONS

BECAME LIMITED AND CURT
THEREAFTER. I IMMERSED MYSELF
IN STUDIES AND INCREASED MV
KNOWLEDGE O F THE HISTORY AND
GEOGRAPHY O F THIS LAND.

'ARMAGARHIAN ARMY
 •BHARAT'S INFATUATION WITH HER
GREW TO THE POINT WHERE HE MADE
HER HIS SAR ATH r DISCHARGING
DHANUSH, WHO SERVED US FAITHFULLY
SINCE WE WERE BORN.

"HE LEFT FOR BATTLE IN HIS

B A TH " WITH SHIVANI. Z WARNEP
HIM, BUT l O NO AVAIL

'PILOT

•AIR CHARIOT

“THAT WAS THE LA S T TIME Z SAW

HIM. HIS RATH CRASHED IN THE
BATTLEFIELD. REPORTS CAME
THAT HE PER ISH EP IN THE FIRE.

"BUT Z KNEW FROM MY TIME IN

KHUNDGIRI THAT A CONSPIRACY WAS
BREWING AGAINST MV BROTHER AND
THE SOVEREIGNTY O F ARMAGARH
AS A WHOLE. NO REPORT COULD
DISSUADE ME FROM MY INSTINCT
THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS.

“S O Z STARTED EXPLORING THE

SUBTERRANEAN NETWORK O F KHUNDGIRI,
WHICH Z KNEW FROM MY RESEARCH WAS
HONEYCOMBED WITH HUNPREPS O F TUNNELS
LEADING IN AND O UT O F THE MINES."
 "FOR LONG I WATCHED THE
ASURAS AND LEARNED ABOUT
THEM-THEIR MOVEMENTS
AND MOTIVATIONS.

“AT PRESENT, THEV ARE SPREAD WIDE AND

DEEP WITHIN THE MINES O F KHUNDGIRI, AND
BURROWING TOWARDS OUR FORTRESS. THEV
HAVE FORMED THEIR STRONGHOLDS AND
RESEARCH LABS IN SOME O F THE MINES.

’MONTHS, I SPENT UNDERGROUND,

EVADING AND DODGING THE ASURAS,
EXPLORING DEEPER, FEEDING ONLV
ON CAVE RODENTS.

EVENTUALLY, AFTER MUCH ANXIOUS

WANDERING, (WITH A FEW CLOSE
CALLS) I ENCOUNTERED WHAT I
HAD ALWAYS SUSPECTED.

"...AND MV INSTINCT WAS

S P O T ON. SHIVANI WAS NOT
TO HAVE BEEN TRUSTED."
 SOMEWHERE PEEP
UNDERNEATH KHUNDGIRI

HENCE I ^
ACCUMULATED AS MUCH
INFORMATION AS I COULD,
AND TRANSMITTED IT
TO YOU UNCLE ,
^ 6 UMANTBA.
WELL DONE MV
BOV. WERE VOUR FATHER
ALIVE, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN
PffO UP O F VOU. ^

HM...MV FATHER... I RUE THE

WE LEFT HIM. THE MALADIES O F HEART
BODY TOOK A GREAT TOLL ON HIM AND
SUCCUMBED. I FA/LEP HIM AS A SON.
IT IS MY GREATEST REGRET.

“ WE N EEP BHARAT TO ^
^ SHOW US ^ SAVE ARMAGARH. WE NEED
WHERE THEY ARE THE HOUSE O F SURYAVANSHI
. KEEPING HIM . ^ TO STAND BESIDE US. ^

HOW ^
MANY HAVE VOU
BROUGHT?

TEN SKILLED
KSHATRIVAS.

P F N K ...W H A T^^B
G O O D WILL TEN ”
KSHATRIYAS BE AGAINST
THE THOUSANPS IN THE
^ CATACOMBS? -A

WE'LL
DO WHAT WE
MUST.
FOLLOW M E-
I KNOW WHERE THEY
_ ARE WEAK... .
 OPEN THE
DOOR.

A WONPEQFUL
EVENING TO YOU
s. MV LOVE. 4

JUST TO KEEP X
VOU INFORMED, FORT
KHUNDGIRI IS IN SHAMBLES.
THE LACK O F LEADERSHIP
>. IS HAVING ITS DESIRED >
EFFECT.

I STILL LOATHE
r THE DAV WHEN VOU FIRST ^
TOUCHED ME WITH VOUR FILTHV
HUMAN HANDS. BUT I HAP NO
OTHER CHOICE BUT TO OBEY THE
. COMMAND O F MV FATHER TO A
k. WRAP VOU AROUND
MV FINGERS.
^ THE DECEPTION, ~ I HATED MV ^11
A T LEAST, PROVIDED r FATHER FOR MAKING ME N
s. SOME THRILL. ^ VOUR PLAVTHING. BUT AFTER
THEV’RE DONE CLONING VOU,
ALL MV TROUBLES WILL BE
COMPENSATED, AND I'LL
. HAVE A PERSONAL F O O T .
SLAVE TO BOOT.
 r AH. SO VOU HAVE ^
COME FOR B IG BROTHER
AT LAST, LITTLE TUBBY
^ TO THE RESCUE/

NEVER
f CONSIDERED ^
VOU TO BE A THREAT.
SHOULD'VE KILLED VOU LON©
k BACK. ANVWAVS, TO A
ERR IS HUMAN...

^ ...BUT
TO DISEMBOWEL |
^ IS... ASURA..
Z KNEW VOU
V H T t f WERE LURKING IN V
THE TUNNELS FOR J
LONG...
^ ...BUT NOW THAT
YOU'VE BROUGHT VOUR W
FRIENDS TO THE PARTY ^
^ AS WELL...
— YOU'VE MADE
I THINGS PAR TOO
EASY ^

w ‘IM
GOING TO KILL
_ VOU ALL. AND
MAKE YOU
WATCH.

SHATRUGHAN.
UNSHACKLE
BHARAT.

WE'LL TAKE
CARE OF HIS
EX-G IRLFRIEN P.
 JAYANT,
MANPAVL.COVER
HER FLANK,
AGNISH, THE ^
NEURO-CANNON, AIM
FOR HER LOWER TORSO:
►.THREE HITS MINIMUM. „

r THE ONLV ^
THIN© VOU'RE
©OIN© TO H IT IS
V TH E rW T -

SUMANTRA'S COBB
TEAM. FINALLV, I'LL RIC?
US OF VOU REBEL

PAAWIT...SHE
WILL SLAUGHTER
THEM ALL.

0HARAT...MMK£
U P BROTHER. WE
NEED VOU...
 ...IT'S TIME TO G E T
SOM E CLOSURE ON OUR
HEH...VOU MIGHT'VE . LITTLE TByeZ~ .
GOTTEN AWAV WITH THOSE
WORTHLESS PISAACH* .VOU WITCH.
^ GUARDS.

•flSURA
GGGNNN. ZOMBIE
RACE

^ GUESS VOU
NEVER FOUGHT A REAL
RAKSHASA.

HKKK.

H CNl

AH...MV
DARLING, Z AM ^ BUT AS MUCH ^
LOOKING FORWARD AS I'D HATE TO SAY,
. TO IT EAGERLV. > VOU'RE WITHOUT VOUR
_ WEAPON. ^

W THERE ARE ^
SIXTV-NINE WAVS I
CAN KILL VOU WITH MV
^ BARE HANDS. ^
 ARMAGARH,
THE RAJMAHAL

^ COUNCILOR ^
KALNEM! REQUESTS AN
AUDIENCE WITH YOU
'w O ' MISTRESS. ^
I AM NOT ~
INTERESTED. TELL
HIM THAT I AM
. UNW EU. _

B...BUT HE
INSISTS...ITS
IMPORTANT...

^ I TOLD YOU ^
ONCE, GIRL...DONT
TRY MV PATIENCE.

I P O INSIST
COUNCILOR
_ KAIKEYI.
 THE MAHARAJ
GREETINGS r HAD BUT A FEW VEARS^
KAIKEVI LEFT, AND THE LOSS OF
HIS FAVOURITE SON RAMA
USHERED HIS DEATH
r FOR WHAT? I ^
LOST MY HUSBAND, I SOONER THAN WE V
LOST MV SO-VS. WHY EXPECTED.
. SHOULD I FEEL .
V EXULTED? y

^ NOW P O N T
SAV VOU WERE N O T
OVERJOYED BY THE
PASSING AWAV OF
k . THE OLD MAN. ^

SHUT
■ VOUR A R R O G A N TJ
^ MOUTH. r
^^^^M V H O P E S W E R E "^^^'
HIGH BECAUSE I WANTED MY ^
SON BHARAT TO BECOME THE CHIEF
COUNCILOR OF ARMAGARH AND THE
GODS BEAR WITNESS THERE'S NOT EVEN
^ NO ONE ELSE WORTHIER ^ RAM A?
THAN HIM. I

r THAT'S WHY ”
WE CONSPIRED AND
DECIDED TO PLOT
Vw A G A IN ST HIM ^

K VOU SUGGESTED HE BE
SENT TO JANASTHAN WHICH WAS
SOON TO BE ATTACKED BY THE
ASURAS, AND WE EXPECTED THAT
v HE WOULD DIE IN THE BATTLE ^
l*k> THAT ENSUED.
” BUT IT TURNED
OUT TO BE OTHERWISE, HI
CAME BACK WITH THAT
^ BRAT LAKSHMAN.

” IT WAS ENTIRELY "■ f B V

YOUR PLAN AND I PLAYED \ I ■ 1
ALONG. HOPING THAT ONE V
DAY MV SON WILL BECOME M
THE M AHARAJ OF
ARMAGARH. BUT THEN
REPORTS CAME
5 L OF HIS DEATH IN
M ts. KHUNDGIRI. VO UPBE ^
RESPONSIBLE FOR
. THAT KALNEMI.' .
r DON'T VOU PA R E ^
ACCUSE ME WOMAN/ I
AM NOT RESPONSIBLE
FOR VOUR SON'S
^ RECKLESSNESS/. A

r ALL WHAT VOU EVER ^

WANTED WAS FOR BHARAT
TO BECOME THE MAHARAJ.
ALL VOU EVER WANTED WAS r BUT MV SONS ARE
k i o P E ETR O Y RAMA A N D j PEA PJPLV BECAUSE
LAKSHMAN. VOU SENT THEM TO
^ KHUNDGIRI. ^

^ WE B O TH LOST
OUR CHILDREN KAIKEYI, )
BUT WE ARE ALIVE.
AND W E ^
■ HAVE THE WHOLE
^ OF ARMAGARH
TO RULE. >
X LETS FORGET ^
THE PAST AND BEGIN
ANEW, I'LL BECOME
THE NEW MAHARAJ OF
ARMAGARK AND VOU
^ SHAU BE MV A
Y ^ JZ O N E O R T .

WITCHi
'L y ' TOMORROW X .
M r I AM GOING TO BE X
7 APPOINTED THE NEW \
M AHARAJ OF flRMAGARH,
AND THE ENTIRE COUNCIL IS
WITH ME. I CAME TO YOUR
CHAMBERS TO GAIN VOUR
SUPPORT, OTHERWISE I FROM NOW
WOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN ~ ON VOU WILL ROT IN ^
L A PAMN FOR A A THE LUXURY OF THIS
HAS-BEEN LIKE CHAMBER. YOU'LL NEVER
vou. SET FOOT OUTSIDE THE
^ BOUNDARIES OF VOUR ^
W QUARTERS.
AS FOR
BHARAT, I'LL KEEP
HIM A U V E FOR ANOTHER
VEAR. HIS SUFFERINGS
^ WILL BE LEGENP. ^

BHARATH;
A u vtr/~
 ^ YEAH I'D BEEN ^
rr f e e l s ” FEELING DISTURBED FOR
S O O P TO HAVE SOME AN AWFUL LONG TIME.
ASURA BLOOD ON MV . HOW LONG WAS IT?
HANDS AFTER A
^ LONS TIME. ^
I LOST COUNT OF
TIME...MAVBE SEVEN MONTHS
UH...WAS THAT REALLY OR MORE. IT'S HARP TO TELL
NECESSARY? IT WAS QUITE . TIME IN THE DARKNESS
. MESSY... DISTURBING.. ^ OF THE MINES.

^ YOU'VE BEEN ^
LOOKING FOR ME IN THE
MINES FOR THE LAST
^ SEVEN MONTHS? ^

^ I WAS N O T ~
GOING TO LEAVE
WITHOUT FREEING
^ VOU. ^

^ THEN WE'RE ^
fkffiV. REMEMBER,
I SAVED VOUR ROUND
BEHIND IN THE SHAKTI
^ KUNDALI? ^

IT WAS \
RAMA VOU BIG ^ GUESS SO, FEELIN G ^
LUG.' YOU NEED REST. A BIT WOOZY. THE DUNG
THE DRUGS HAVE EATERS REALLY MESSED
. MESSED UP . _ ME UP GOOD. ^
^ V O U R MIND, /
r FUN IS FUN, WE'VE S O T
AND DONE IS DONE TO G ET OUT OF
. BROTHER. HERE.

WHAT ARE
VOU LOOKING
s. FOR? *

w I'M NOT GOING ^ COME ON

TO G ET OUT OF HERE THEN, WHERE ARE
_ WITHOUT MV GEAR. _ . VOU?. *

—MV VAJRA 16 MADE

r OF THE FIN ES T ISHPAAT
OF KHUNDGIRI, BOASTING THE
MOST SOPHISTICATED SOLAR
.TECHNOLOGY THAT POWERS ,
THE BLADES.

Jr I SWEAR I
CAN LOP OFF THE
TEN HEAPS OF RAVAN
tv WITH THIS BABV. ^

^ AH...THERE'S ^
MV BELOVED VAJRA*,
v AND K A VA TC H " ^

K 60 ^
ARE THE LEGENDARY
WEAPONS OF ‘BHARAT
. THE BERSERKER"? >

•BHARAT'S AXE HMMPH...BIG ^

"ARMOR WORDS, BOVS AND
THEIR TOYS. ^
 a h I R EM EM B ER ,
r VOU’RE UNCLE SUMANTRA'S >
DAUGHTER MANDAVI. LAST TIME
I SAW VOU, WE WERE TRAINING
IN THE SHASTRA-GAR*. HOW
^ OLD WERE VOU THEN? S
TWELVE-THIRTEEN?

r FOURTEEN. ^
VOU WERE QUITE A
B R O W B E A TE N I
V RECALL.
^ INDEED, and”
ALL IN THE RIGHT
PLACES, I MIGHT
^ ADD/

^ BHARAT, WE 1
HAVE TO LEAVE
NOW. MV SCANNER IS m i
DETECTING A LARGE L t
NUMBER OF ASURAS y ^ |
NEARBV. 4
r YEAH, AND ^ ------------- - 7 WE HAVE
I USED TO SCARE V TO RUN.
THE SPIT OUT
L . O F VOU. ^
THAT WAS ^
A LONG TIME AGO.
I'M NOT SCARED OF
ANYTHING ANYMORE.
GUESS I GREW A
UP. ^

'COMBAT INSTITUTE

^ AH, SHIVANI
SERVED WELL AS
AN APPETIZER. .

BHARAT, WE W O N T
ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL IT ^
IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY. THERE
. ARE AROUND THIRTY ASURAS .
HEADING THIS WAY.

MAYBE
MORE.

MORE THE
MERRIER.
“ IF WE HURRV, ~
WE MIGHT REACH OUR
VEHICLE BEFORE THEV
CATCH UP. ^
SUMANTRA, VOU'RE
ALWAYS SUCH A
s. SPOILSPORT. <

HUFF...HUFFF.

ARE VOU TRYING T O ^

OUTRUN ME? LOOKS LIKE
VOU'RE OUT OF BREATH...
. WANT A PIGGYBACK

^ HUFF...IN
VOUR PREAM S.
^ HUF...

GODS HELP
US...THEV ARE
TOO CLOSE.
^ THEV ^
ARE TRYING TO
SURROUNP US.

THEV MIGHT
WELL BE IN THE
NEXT TURN. „

BRING IT
ON, THEN.
 I CAN STILL
USE A SECOND
SERVING. >

HAPPV?

I CAME HERE ^
WITH TEN KSHATRIVAS.
NOW THERE'S ONLV
O N E LEFT. MV COME, LET'S
DAUGHTER, <30 FOR A SECOND ROUND.
LET'S FIND OUT EVERY SINGLE
ASURA IN THESE CONFOUNDED
^ MINES. ___ ^

✓----- AND KILL

VOUR BROTHER
AND MV DAUGHTER
IN THE PROCESS?,

THAT'S
WHAT VOU
WANT?

I AM
SORRV, MY k|
. FAULT.
^ I WAS
f LOOKING FOR A
I LEADER AND FOUND
L A W AR-ADDICT
INSTEAD. _ *

MANDAVI, LETS
G E T OUT O F HERE AND FIND
RAMA, WE MIGHT DIE IN THE
WASTELANDS, BUT THEN IT WILL BAMA-EXILEtT?
BE A WORTHV DEATH WE WILL
DIE TRVING TO FIND OUR TRUE
. LEADER WHOM ARMAGARH .
EXILED.
 r YES, EXILED.
KAMA WAS EXH EP
THE COUNCIL BECAUSE ^
HE CHOSE 10 firfHT THE COUNCIL EXILED
> HUMAN LIVES. HIM FOR FOURTEEN YEARS, 1
AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION
!;•/ ■ VOUR MOTHER VOTED AG AIN ST
fl RAMA ALONGSIDE KALNEMI ,
;• AND THEIR FRIENDS IN BNP FOR YOUR
•i THE COUNCIL INFORMATION VOUR
FATHER, MAHARAJ
DASHRATH IS A O
MOM.

r KALNEMI IS SPREADING > LEAR ME TO

HIS INFLUENCE. SOON HE WILL VOUR VEHICLE, UNCLE
BECOME THE MAHARAJ OF . SUMANTRA.
ARMAGARH. KNOW THIS,
.ARMAGARH WILL BE RULER. ^ r r s m m the
--------- BY AN ASURA SURVAVANSHIS RETURN
* ^ „ IF WE T T ----- ’B ” TO ARMAGARH.
OO NOTHING )
ABOUT IT. V ANRI
StVgAff.
^ BEGIN THE
PROCESS O F ANOINTMENT \ 1
MV FRIENDS, FELLOW J
COUNCILORS.
n B ^ 7 IT'S TIME
M L ( ELECT THE NEW
m V M AHARAJ O F
V ARMAGARH. ,

TO EE CONTINUED
 IN T E R V IE W W IT H ANDY HIGGLE
Q: Tell us a bit more about this Gamekeeper thriller, which is just my cup of tea. Zero
and some o f the other characters that inhabit spandex.
the series.
Q: With so many people behind
A: The main character is Brock, the Gamekeeper— whether it be Guy, Virgin
Gamekeeper, who's something of an unknown Comics, your artist, yourself—this could be a
quantity to begin with. We deliberately don’t very challenging project for anyone on the
reveal too much about him or what makes him creative side. What's the creative process
tick— all that's apparentat first is that he's not been like thus far?And what sort o f say does
exactly what you'd call a "people person." Guy have on this book? Does he have final
He's much more at home in the wild, more in script approval?
tune with nature than ofKer human beings. '
The story begins when Brock takes in a A: I was initially wary about getting into a "too
young runaway he's caught trespassing on many cooks" situation, with the various
the estate where he wprks, which is owned by interested parties all wanting to throw their
Jonah Morgan, a rich, old Scottish academic two cents in. The kind of situation where you
who shares a dark secret with Brock. They try to please everyone and end up pleasing no
were both damaged by something that one, including yourself. Butwe agreed that all
happened in the past, and have been unable feedback and discussion would be filtered
to move on ever since. though my editor, MacKenzie Cadenhead, who
Then, out of a clear blue sky, their dark has done a wonderful job of distilling and
past comes calling again. As the action begins focusing any competing voices into a single
to escalate in the present, we begin to flash clear vision.
back to the past to fill out Brock's back-story So, yeah, while I imagine Guy doubtless
and learn what brought him here in the first has some kind of script approval, I've been
place. It's brutal, bloody stuff. given a very great deal of freedom to tell
exactly the kind of story I want to tell. I guess
Q: When we first talked about Gamekeeper, that's why they wanted me for the job in the:
you mentioned that the series involves ."a first place— they figured my "voice" would be
killer who's more in touch with the natural a good fit for the project. To paraphrase Terry
world than he is with his own humanity." Gilliam, "If you cast it right, you don't have to
That's very intriguing. Talk about the themes direct."
that idea allows you to explore in ,
Gamekeeper. Q: Once your story is written, how involved 9
and how much input wilt you have once the art
A: It's all about second chances. A damaged starts coming in?
man who thought he'd lost everything-
including his sense of his own humanity- A: I always like to do a final dialogue rewrite
finds himself at a crossroads. He has become once I've seen the artwork, just to make sure
closed off from the world, shut down word and image marry up as smoothly as ..
emotionally. So, when dark forces from his possible. Beyond that, I guess I'll just have to 1
past resurface in the present, there's a danger wait and see!
he'll go completely over the edge— but there's
also a chance of salvation, a second chance Q: What does your artist, Mukesh Singh, bring
that he never dreamed might be possible. So, to a project like this? Of what you've seen thus
it's about revenge, regret, and the possibility far, what do you think?
of redemption.
A: His work on Devi has been slick and stun­
Q: What is it about Gamekeeper that made ning, and he's loosening up his style for ? '
this project a compelling one for you?I'm Gamekeeper. His design sketches have a
guessing the opportunity to work with Guy is a wonderfully gritty, somewhat European flavor
no-brainer. to them, which suits the tone and subject
matter of the story perfectly. I can't wait to see
A: Right. The chance of working with Guy him start bringing the story pages to life.
Ritchie was the unique selling point for me, no
question. Lock, Stock and Snatch
reinvigorated the British film industry like Excerpted from interview originally published at
nothing else in years. That and the fact that www.comicbookresources.com
they wanted a mainstream contemporary
 IS IT DONE...?

AND DUSTED-STABLE'S
GONE UP LIKE GUY
FAWKES NIGHT. THE
HORSES, THOUGH,
THEY’RE STILL IN THERE..

CHRIST, I NEVER
KNEW THEY COULD MAKE
A SOUND LIKE THAT.

FOCUS. EMERGENCY
SERVICES—WHAT'S
THEIR E.T.A.?

THEY MUST EE AN
HOUR OFF, EASY; IT'S
THE ARSE END OF AND THE MAIN
NOWHERE OUT HERE. HOUSE...?

BURGLAR ALARMS HAVE

ALL GONE DOOLALLY, AND
EVERYONE’S OUTSIDE
FIGHTING THE FIRE.

IN OTHER WORDS,
IT'S WIDE OPEN. GOOD WORK,

ALRIGHT, MEET US AT THE

RENDEZVOUS POINT...
 RELAX. SUNSHINE.
YOU'LL GET WHAT'S
COMING TO YOU.
ALRIGHT, ZVE PONE
IT JUST LIKE YOU SAID
NOW WHEN DO I GET
ME MONEY...?

PAYMENT
IN HILL.
 ATEUR.
BRAVO TEAM, CHARLIE?
SIT REP.

STANDING BY. TAKE THE PRIMARY ALIVE

IP YOU CAN. EVERYONE
READY TO G O IN.
ELSE IS COLLATERAL.

ROGER THAT, ALRIGHT GARRETT,

ALPHA IT'S GAME TIME.

MMNG--/
 IN THE HOUSE.
HOW MANY?

TH-THREE'

HHKK

ALPHA TEAM,
WE’RE IN.

ALPHA, VOU
COPV...?

TO BE CONTINUED IN
ON SALE MARCH 2007/
 ON STANDS APRIL 2007

DEEPAK CHOPRA & SHEKHAR KAPUR PRESENT

IS S U E 8

<DA5GUPTA/ABHISHEK

India 's a n s w e r to The lord of the Rings

- The Times of India
In Memory Of Our Dear Friend

PUCKINFL
August 3 0,1978 - February 21,2 0 07
Be At Peace