Indian Mythology based Comics

The Wall Street Journal writes on the new comic books created by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, Deepak Chopra, and Shekhar Kapur

It’s a key scene in “Devi,” a new comic book that’s part of an ambitious effort by a unit of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group Ltd. to develop story lines based on Indian religion and mythology. Others take inspiration from the Sanskrit epic poem Ramayana and traditional legends such as one involving snakes that can take human form.

The company, Virgin Comics LLC, has also teamed to develop other story lines with a broad range of individuals, including John Woo, director of “Mission: Impossible 2,” and Guy Ritchie, the film director. In November actor Nicolas Cage agreed to star in a movie based on one of the new comics, “The Sadhu” — which describes the adventures of a British man who discovers he was a sadhu (Hindu holy man) in a previous life. Deepak Chopra, the author of self-help books, will write the screenplay.

The goal: Capitalize on the current vogue for all things Indian as well as the success of Asian comics in the West in recent years.[Holy Heroes of Indian Lore, Batman!]