Imagine an Earth, very similar to our Earth, yet
different.
Different in many ways, despite being so similar.
Residents of this other earth do not use iPhones – they
can only trust and rely upon their own "eye".
The world wide web means less than a spider’s web to
them.
The only computer they can use, is their own brain.
There are none of the easily
recognizable gadgets and products which we have become so used to that we can’t even
imagine leaving our house without them.
What? Getting mixed up, yet intrigued?
Welcome to the
world of
Retrograde.
A whole new world born from within the folds of
imagination that had found its roots in the brain of Akshay Dhar.
After a few independent stories, Warblade and WereHouse,
we finally get to witness Akshay’s solo work on a series and I must
say it was well worth the wait.
Retrograde is the story of a world without technology, where
modern science no longer has much meaning and humans have to rely on their own mind and
body to survive from day to day.
No, we are not talking about an Amish colony (although
that might have been fun). It is a much darker and bleaker place and the residents'
struggle to stay alive and carry on to the next day is a regular exercise.
It is a black and white book which, as I have previously
stated, is one of my favorite mediums and suits the tone of the story well. Color
might not have looked as effective as the shaded black and white does.
Avik Kumar Maitra is the artist for the series with
inking and coloring by Swapnil Singh and Naval Thanawal respectively.
The artwork is raw and exciting to look at. If it does
not look immediately impressive or striking, that feeling will subside quickly as you
move ahead through the story.
The pencils are executed very finely and Avik seems to
have done a commendable job in giving it exactly the kind of tone that suits
the environment.
