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I was first drawn to this simply for the art, which is gorgeous and wonderfully detailed, in a free sample given away at a con one day.

After getting a hold of the full book I am now very interested in more than just the art. I found the introduction to the characters very well written and intriguing and want to know more and I would love to learn more about the history and religious themes that are being used in this series. ( )

In one of those strange international twists of inspiration, it seems like this comic is inspired by Buffy and some of Indian legends I've heard in places. (Maybe versions of the story of Kali? I'm not sure).. Of course, these seem to have also been an inspiration for later episodes I've seen of Buffy.

I say Buffy probably had and influence given the appearances of demons as vampires, but I could be exaggerating.

Wonderful art, although occasionally it seemed that it was difficult to make out the flow of action, like the panels were drawn really large and details lost when they were shrunk to fit the page.

Decent story so far although it all seemed a bit familiar. The last few pages though were interesting enough I'm going to pick up the second volume,

It does seem the target is a western audience and I have to wonder what comics would be like if the writers were writing primarily for an Indian audience.

Virgin Comics has undertaken a really interesting endeavor -- they are trying to develop a unique South Asian brand in graphic novels. The India Authentic series is one of them (already reviewed) and Devi is another. Shekar Kapur's Devi was actually the first in the series and it does a really nice job of updating the traditional Hindu pantheon to a contemporary audience. I suspect traditional Hindus might find the presentation of Devi a bit unusual, but I think the authors are pretty true to the spirit.

In the past, I've viewed Hindu gods as somewhat remote and almost garish in their popular presentations (I'm talking about popular perceptions, not the deities themselves. I find portrayals of Jesus to be similarly kitschy, so I'm not taking sides here). Kapur's presentation makes them seem much more approachable than I've felt in the past.

Having said that, though, I do think Devi is a bit too Hollywood in its orientation -- everything from the cliche spouting cop to the wise old men. And while the presentation of Hindu gods in this manner is novel, the book is still pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of its style. There's nothing here that Marvel readers haven't seen before.

On the whole, then, I recommend Devi for its innovations in presentation of Indian culture more than its innovation in the graphic novel form. ( )