Protibashtob: An impeccable comic collection with double-edged stories

Whenever we talk about comic books, the names Mike Mignola, Dave Gibbons, and Frank Miller are probably the first names to pop up in your mind. Bangladeshi comic book lovers have long awaited the day when our country would have a thriving domestic comic book scene with relatable storylines which also showcase the tartistry of local artists.

'Protibastob', the latest graphic novel from Dhaka Comics seems to incorporate all of that in one anthology. The anthology was edited by Mehedi Haque, one of the most prominent cartoonists of our time. 

As the name claims, this comic collection holds stories that represent our reality but with a melancholic and gory twist. Moreover, it was a great way to get introduced to talented young artists of our country.

The collection consists of 22 stories as well as interviews with two renowned comic artists: Dave Gibbons and Sankha Banarjee. The interview with Dave Gibbons was taken by renowned comic artist Ahsan Habib along with established cartoonists Mehedi Haque and Tanmoy in 2013. 

Moreover, it consists of a section describing the history of Bangla comics written by Kaushik Majumder, which is a great way to learn about how doing satirical comics led to the booming industry of today. So, the book doesn't only aim to entertain but also to enlighten you about the roots of comics in Bengal.

When you observe something with your eyes, you tend to delve deeper into that subject. Protibastob's primary focus seemed to be on visuals rather than stories because they wanted the readers to experience the story proactively and it worked for most of the stories. That is not to say there's nothing to the stories themselves. Among the twenty-two stories, most of them were so gripping that it leaves you craving for more.

The fantasy stories maintained a dark tone dabbling in genres ranging from thriller, apocalyptic world, sci-fi and mythology etc. Instead of picking outlandish plot points, the stories are often mixed with a hint of reality to make you feel empathetic towards the protagonists of the stories.

With these heavy themes, there was bleak art which tactfully supported the story. There was Muhammad Zafar Iqbal's sci-fi short 'Octopus er Chokh' where the story beautifully depicted mankind's nature of wanting more to ride them to destruction. The artist Sheikh Jahin Abrar did a commendable job on expressing a philosophical topic through intricate illustrations.

Another favourite story of mine was Omnius, written and illustrated by Romel Barua. The story was based on space and the hill tracts of Bandarban, quite an interesting mashup, right? The story is narrated by an alien and the narration will end up making you sob yet terrified. 

The longest story in this book was 'Kissa' by Mahatab Rashid. The story felt like a therapeutic trip with sombre art perfectly taking you on a ride on Arabian nights. The length of the script and illustration was apt, as it did not feel in any part that it was missing anything. Moreover, the drama it combined was essential to describe a story within a story and the language of an Arabian tale was praiseworthy.

So far it might seem these dark comics are only limited to certain age groups, but for kids, there are plenty of options as well. To lighten readers' moods, the book presented adorable stories time and again., One of my favourites was Chuut by Mahatab again and it was illustrated by Arham Habib.

In my opinion, Chuut's visuals is by far one of the best drawn, most engaging and funniest illustrations as you feel the movement along with the protagonist thief of the story. Summer by Oishik Jawad and Daini by Ayman Aswaf falls into the 'adorable' category as well, which felt appropriate for both kids and adults to enjoy.

As I said, the illustrations of every tale were amazing and it would be sad if we do not recognise this talented bunch of artists who hold the potential to reach global audiences. A few bits of storytelling felt a tad underwhelming, but they are not neglectable as every story had its uniqueness.

In the forthcoming book fair, I would recommend every comic enthusiast and parent to buy  this book. This can be a great handbook for understanding the current condition of our comics industry and for introducing your kids to the artists who have made significant contributions to the flourishing of the industry and have paved the way for many more creative artists.