The Rusted Trunk - 01

January 2001

"Rusty... what are you doing?" My mom cried from kitchen. She always have this habit of disturbing me when I am doing something really important, this time checking out the X-Men on Cartoon Network...

"Nothing Mom, there is this show an Discovery..."
"Your Dad's home."

I jumped up with joy, Dad had to go for some work out of station and he promised to bring something for me...

I picked his bag up and asked what was in it.
"Some Comic book" he said calmly...
"Some comic book... some comic book..." I thought "There is nothing in this world better than Comics, Dad"

"You can deal with that idiotic stuff tomorrow" My mom came out with that hanging apron and a spoon...
"But Mom...."
"I said No." These people just don't understand anything.
"You have your Computer Science exam tomorrow and all you want to do is read that stuff" when will she learn to say 'comics' instead of 'stuff'.
"Mom, it's just a grade paper, your marks actually don't count in the final result..."
"Do you know what the meaning of the word No is ? It actually means NO" She screamed and before she could throw that spoon on me I was in my room.
"Why the hell do you want to waste money on that worthless stuff..." I could hear Mom scolding My Dad.

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We are comic book lovers and we always get our way out of almost any situation... I had this long book back then dedicated to Computer Science, I did just what every child of my age would have done at that time... Kept the copy in the register and voila...

Oh What comics... who is that guy in read outfit? I asked myself getting ready for the ride...

Kamino! Bhade ke tattuon! Kashmir ko apna batakar use ujadn ......

"I see... so this is the way you go for it" I mess up at times guys... she caught me Red Handed or should I say Agraj handed... She slapped me thrice on my face and threw the comics on the cupboard...

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What now Mr. Rusty... how to go for it... come'on think... think... thi... got it! 'Things that look tough to do are actually relatively simple,' that's what Dhruva has thought me down the years... Human Psychology - actually is very interesting... My mom beats me up and throws the Comics beyond my reach... Now a good kid that I am, I will never attempt this mistake again... that's what her psyche will convince her... but I will... and I must... Agraj was waiting for me and Dhruva can never go wrong... I got to read the whole comics... Thanks Dhruva - you made me read Nagraj without any troubles...

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What? You wanna know about the Computer Science grade? Huh, we will deal with that later...

For now this is the review of the first part of one of the most entertaining series produced bu Raj Comics...

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AGRAJ


Writer – Jolly Sinha

Penciling – Anupam Sinha

Inking – Vinod Kumar, Naresh Kumar

Calligraphy and Color – Sunil Pandeya

Editor – Manish Gupta

Overall Rating => 4.3

Agraj is a series worth a reading, actually - important if you are into Nagraj. The whole part deals with an import aspect, an important past of the life of Vedacharya. And the impact it will have on Nagraj's life... Agraj introduce us to a villain from Vedacharya's time - Tantrata !

Tantrata who is now getting old needs a new body which will give him more powers... powers that could rule the world. He knows of a body that would help him achieve his desire... that body is of 'Agraj' - Bharti's unknown brother who is in a Tilasma made by Vedacharya to protect Agraj's body... Now, Tantrata has only one way left to achieve what he wants... break the tilasma and get the body... But his weak powers cannot achieve this feat. So, he wakes up Talismaan - a demon who has the power to break any tilasma. Vedacharya comes to know about this and has to let go his long kept secret to Nagraj and Bharti. What follows is a gripping story told by Vedacharya about his past life. The only way to not let the body with Tantrata is to get the body themselves, but Vedacharya cannot join forces with Nagraj due to hiss ill health... The only way now is to get Nagraj break the tilasma... A tilasma made by Vedacharya which is almost unbreakable...

The story is a mix of action and relations that are unrevealed... There is a fight with a chinese Ching-Chang which is gripping and well executed... Another plot shows Naagu trying to hide his 'Mani' because of which he can't get inside Nagraj's body. This proves critical when the story unfolds... The Artwork by Mr. Anupam Sinha is really good... every character is well sketched. The coverpage could have been better though... But, the show-stopper of the stort is the story told by Vedacharya... it's just so well written that you will even forget to blink your eyes. It feels that everything you are reading is happening right in front of your eyes...

At the end of the story the only question that comes in your mind is - 'Will Nagraj do it ?' 'cause the way he is trapped by Talismaan may shake your soul up... Read on...

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What ?
Ok, Ok...
It was A+ !