When satire meets superpowers: Basic Ali Superhero

I can't help but chuckle at how life has a funny way of coming full circle—well, sort of. I think back to more than a decade and a half ago, back when I wasn't even in my teens, and when newspapers only mattered to me for their back pages since I was (and still am) an avid sports fan. 

But amid my routine of flipping straight to post-match analyses, something else in the middle centrefold pages of Prothom Alo caught my eye—the daily Basic Ali comic strip. 

Fast forward to today, and somehow, I've wiggled my way to land a job at the very newspaper that publishes Basic Ali five days a week. 

Just last week, author and cartoonist Sharier Khan handed me a signed copy of the first issue of his latest graphic novel, 'Basic Ali Superhero', which is now available at the Panjeri pavilion at the Ekushey Book Fair. 

There's a fine line between reviewing a book and keeping it spoiler-free, which is why I won't be going deep into the contents and the storyline, but my biggest takeaway from this graphic novel is that 'Basic Ali Superhero' will feel very, very relatable to Bangladeshi readers. Moreover, it carries a sharp sense of satire.

"This is essentially a satire on what's been going on in our society," said Sharier.

Basic, who works at Bangu Bank, is tasked with delivering a legal notice to scientist Nazmul Alam—better known as 'Doctor Na'—for defaulting on a Tk850 crore loan. However, Doctor Na, who is a bit loose in the head, had apparently been working on a mind-controlling machine. 

In a moment of reckless enthusiasm, he impulsively zaps Basic with powerful gamma rays, attempting to show off his latest invention.

The unexpected outcome? Instead of mind control, the rays give Basic immense, almost superhuman strength. Upon discovering this, Doctor Na's peon—who had a history of petty crime—decides to use the same machine on himself, hoping to gain a fraction of Basic's newfound powers. 

However, things don't go as planned. Instead, he transforms into a bizarre version of himself, where different parts of his body can detach, float, and move independently. This accident births the story's first and most sinister villain. Thus, Tauwwa, the peon, fully embraces the menace he had always been beneath the surface, launching a crime spree across Dhaka.

As the story unfolds, Basic—being the heartfelt person he is—wants nothing to do with his superpowers and asks Doctor Na to reverse them. But, in true reckless genius fashion, Doctor Na's attempt backfires. Instead of stripping Basic of his strength, he accidentally alters his bestie, Hillol, and longtime muse, Riya. 

While their newfound abilities aren't villainous, the real chaos begins when a few drops of the experimental liquid spill onto the street. Rodents, dogs, flies, and cockroaches unwittingly ingest it, gaining bizarre powers of their own.

Things escalate when these mutated creatures start infecting other characters in the story, leading to the rise of an entire roster of villains. Among them—GM—Ghush Man, a master of bribery; CPM—Canada Pachar Man, an expert in helping criminals flee safely to Canada; Rat Man, who devours land to illegally occupy it; and Moila Man, who spreads filth across the city, and so on.

What's funny is, if you take a closer look, these characters feel all too familiar—because versions of them exist in real life, all around us.

"The ones with inherently bad traits ultimately turn into criminals. I could include all kinds of villains because these criminals are very much a part of our society," Sharier shared.

It's not hard to see where the satire lies—these villains and their blatant misdeeds have plagued Bangladesh for as long as I can remember. That's precisely why the graphic novel feels so relatable.

Beyond that, the story is packed with slapstick comedy and a generous dose of meta-humour on almost every page of its 90-odd pages.

"The whole idea is actually so stupid that the only way I could make it work was through such humour," Sharier admitted.

The graphic novel doesn't hold back when it comes to poking fun at the way media and television channels operate in the country. During intense showdowns, instead of covering the real issues, reporters are hilariously fixated on how cool the action sequences look—missing the point entirely.

Visually, the panels and blurbs are well-crafted, effectively setting the tone. After all, a silly comedy comic book can't rely solely on dialogue. Much of the meta-humour is cleverly embedded into the illustrations themselves, not just the text, creating a more immersive experience. This layered approach ensures readers not only understand the chaos unfolding but more importantly, get plenty of laughs along the way.

The issue does end on a cliffhanger but that just means the forthcoming issue next year will finally unravel if Basic Ali could save Dhaka from the clutches of Tauwwa and all its villains.