A promising start

The Ramayana has always been a story of Good Vs Evil. Grandmothers love Rama and say that he is the epitome of goodness and it was only his dharma as a king that prompted him to banish Sita from Ayodhya.
Personally, I always liked the Mahabharata better. It always felt real. All the characters, including Krishna had shades of grey. It was and still is, in my opinion, the greatest story ever told.

Cover of Issue 1

However, one character that always remained a mystery in the Ramayana is Ravana. The Lord of Lanka was a brilliant man, a scholar, a great king, loved his wife (or wives) and family. Yet, we've all been raised with tales that Ravana was the epitome of evil because he kidnapped Sita and challenged Rama to a fight.
Funnily, Ravana is the only grey character in the Ramayana. Come to think of it, so were Sugreeva and Vali, but then this is more about Ravana, given that I've just finished reading Vijayendra Mohanty's 10-part series, Ravanayan.
I finished the first part yesterday and thought that it was really good. The artwork is superb, as is the narrative. I love the way it opens with Ratnakar (later to become Valmiki), meets Ravana for the first time. The characters look complex and I sincerely hope that Mohanty has the same consistency as the series progresses. For those who want to order their copy, you can buy it here.
Happy reading.