The Solitary Reaper Writes: Amba

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Amba - A Saga of Revenge

From the Book Blurb:

Amba: A Saga of Revenge, from Amar Chitra Katha tells the compelling story of one who played a crucial role in the final outcome of the epic battle of Kurukshetra.

My two cents:

Amba, the eldest daughter of the King of Kasi, is all set to choose her husband from amongst the suitors who have come to try their luck in a swayamvar organised at her father’s court. But a tyrannical twist of events leaves Amba vying for Bheeshma’s blood. And as the saying goes – hell hath no fury like a woman scorned – an embittered Amba is out to seek revenge, and plans to leave no stone unturned to avenge the wrong done to her.

She knocks at all doors – requesting Princes, Kings and even Gods for help to take on Bheeshma, but no one obliges her, fearing mighty Bheeshma’s wrath. Disgruntled, she sets out to appease Lord Shiva in the hope that her severe penance will please the almighty God to help her. Her fierce determination bears fruit and Lord Shiva appears before her, with a long-term plan to end her woes.

So how does Lord Shiva help Amba in eventually avenging her humiliation? Who is Shikhandi and where does this interesting character figure in this revenge saga? Who brings Bheeshma Pitamaha down with his arrows? Grab your copy of this vividly illustrated comic to find out, for this fascinating tale from the ACK series definitely enlightens the readers about the many lesser known faces from the Mahabharata and the epic battle of Kurukshetra.

Like I mentioned in my post on comics of yore, this was a comic book I read after a really long time, and that too from the iconic Amar Chitra Katha series. The vivid illustrations, bright colour scheme and the crisp narrative, reading this book was like a beautiful walk down memory lane.