Gutter (King Comics): Beneath the Silent City Lies a Horror That Will Give You Goosebumps

In the golden era of Indian comics, King Comics had created a distinct and special identity for itself. While most comics were dominated by superheroes at the time, King Comics brought stories full of common teenagers, friends, and detective adventures, which readers could easily relate to. ‘Gutter’ is a fantastic example of this tradition. This comic was published under the ‘Thrill Series’, and as its name suggests, the story carries with it mystery, adventure, and a strange fear.

The story is not limited to just fighting a monster, but also tells the story of the courage of five friends, their wisdom, and deep friendship. The pairing of writer Hanif Azhar and painter Pradeep Soni has made a very common theme—a gutter—so scary and mysterious that the reader starts feeling inside that dark world.

Fear Growing Beneath the City

The story takes place in a city where everything seems absolutely normal above, but beneath the ground, a terrible danger is brewing in the drainage system of dirty water. Usually, the gutters serve to shed the city’s filth, but in this story, the same gutters become the path to death.

The story begins with a mysterious incident. A teenager named Harjeet, who is part of the ‘Children Playground’ group of five friends, suddenly disappears. His shoes are found near the gutter, which deepens suspicion that the gutter may have swallowed him. The police—which includes Havildar Lota Singh and Inspector Ala—take this matter very lightly. They try to avoid their responsibility by simply considering it a common disappearance or accident.

It is from here that our little heroes enter the story. This group of five friends—Symbol, Afsana, Johnny, Rustam, and Harjeet—is known for their respective specialties. When the system and administration fail, the remaining four friends decide to take action on their own to save Harjeet and muster the courage to get into that dark, smelly, and dangerous gutter.

The world inside the gutter is completely different from the world outside. There is not just darkness and smell, but a whole army of flesh-eating rats and, finally, a giant, scary octopus-like sea monster waiting for them. This monster has entered the lines of the gutter by sea and is now a threat to the entire city. The story shows the children’s exciting journey of facing this struggle, their encounter with the demon, and finally defeating him on the basis of their scientific understanding and strength.

Character Analysis

The biggest feature of this comic is its characters. The author has given different temperaments and qualities to the five friends, who together form a strong team.

Symbol (The Leader/Scientist): Symbol can be called the brain of the team. He is shown as a promising science student. Throughout the story, he tries to solve every problem with the help of logic and science. In the end, it is his idea to use electric wires to defeat the demon, which proves that not only strength but also the brain is equally important.

Afsana (The Strategist): Afsana is the only girl in the group, but in no case is she less than the boys. She has been called sharp-minded and a ‘moving computer’. Be it handling the allegations against Harjeet’s mother or finding a way to move forward inside the gutter, Afsana’s wisdom and patience come in handy every time. Her character in 1990s comics gives a good glimpse of female empowerment.

Rustam (The Muscle): Rustam is a black belt in karate and is the most physically powerful. Be it lifting the heavy lid of the gutter, driving away dangerous rats, or directly confronting a monster, Rustam appears to be at the forefront every time. He is the real action hero of the team.

Johnny (The Comic Relief): Johnny adds lightness and fun to the story. He is agile and never stops joking. Even in serious situations, his positive attitude boosts the morale of the entire team.

Harjeet (The Victim): Harjeet is shown as a boy immersed in books. Even though he remains missing for most of the story, his disappearance becomes the biggest reason for taking the entire story forward.

Supporting Characters: Characters like Havildar Lota Singh and the Chowkidar are shown in a satirical manner, which takes a dig at the negligence and timid attitude of the police. This makes the bravery and wisdom of the children even more visible.

Drawing and Art

Pradeep Soni’s artwork clearly shows the style that had become the identity of that time. His greatest strength is seen in creating the atmosphere. The views inside the gutter are so effective that darkness, dampness, dirty water, and narrow tunnels create a fear of suffocation and closed spaces in the reader’s mind as soon as they are seen. The reader feels himself trapped in those narrow tunnels. The design of the monster is also quite scary. The main villain, the giant octopus, creates fear through its red glowing eyes and large arms (tentacles). Even though, from a scientific point of view, it seems difficult for such a big creature to fit into the gutter, this is easily accepted in the world of comics. The action scenes are very fast and lively, whether it’s a rat attack or a fight with the octopus in the final bout. Splashes of water, flashes of lightning, and fear and courage visible on the faces of the characters—everything is very well carved. Talking about colors, bright colors have been used in the comic, which suits the printing of that era perfectly. Be it night scenes or scenes inside the gutter, the balance of colors has been maintained well everywhere, making the pictures look clean and impressive.

Writing and Dialogue

Hanif Azhar’s writing style is straightforward, simple, and fast-paced. The story does not stop anywhere unnecessarily and creates an atmosphere of mystery from the beginning about what lies inside the gutter. This suspense forces the reader to keep reading continuously. The dialogues are written according to the age and thinking of the children, so they do not seem artificial. Joking Johnny, arguing Afsana, and the conversations among the other friends seem quite natural. There is also a light but effective social message hidden within the story. When Harjeet disappears, the neighbors start blaming his mother and even call her a witch or a murderer. This shows the narrow thinking and hasty decision-making mentality of society. In this way, the children not only fight the monster but also clash with society for the honor of their friend’s mother.

Key Exciting Moments of the Story (Highlight Moments)

There are many scenes in the story that create thrill while reading. As the children descend into the gutter, they encounter thousands of dangerous rats. This scene really gives goosebumps. The way Rustam and his friends move forward while saving their lives makes the readers’ hearts beat faster. Meanwhile, Afsana’s idea of setting a trap and escaping from the rats with its help shows that the children have not come down just out of excitement, but with complete preparation and understanding. The complete appearance of the octopus for the first time is also a very shocking moment. In front of its huge body, the children appear small, like ants. The final climax is also quite sensible, where Symbol uses his scientific knowledge and puts the exposed electrical wire into the water. This scene not only shows action but also conveys that evil can be overcome with intelligence and understanding.

Logical Analysis

While this comic is extremely fun to read, it may show some logic-related shortcomings if viewed through the eyes of an adult reader. At first, the monster’s size seems a bit incredible, because such a large octopus moving through the city’s gutter pipes and staying there does not seem scientifically feasible. Gutter lines are not that wide. Furthermore, the police are shown to be so ineffective that four children conduct better investigation and rescue work than them. This is a common way of portraying children as protagonists, which is often seen in children’s stories. Additionally, the children enter toxic gutters without any special protective equipment, such as oxygen masks or weapons, which can be very dangerous in real life. But it is also important to note that this comic is written for children and teenagers, and in stories like this, adventure and imagination are placed above logic. Seen from this perspective, the story is completely successful in achieving its objective.

Conclusion
“Gutter” is a memorable offering from King Comics, reminiscent of a time when friends spent time together in fields and alleys, not on mobile phones, and jumped into danger for one another. The biggest strength of this comic is its teamwork, where not just one hero, but the entire team faces trouble together. The real lesson of this story is that children move forward despite fear. The author transformed a dirty and scary place like a gutter into a world full of adventure—this is his biggest achievement. Overall, this comic conveys the message that no matter how big and scary the trouble is, if friends are together and the brain is used properly, it can be overcome. The story is simple and straightforward but offers plenty of entertainment. Pradeep Soni’s brilliant artwork and Hanif Azhar’s effective writing combine to make it a memorable “classic thriller” of the 1990s, which is truly a must-read for old Hindi comics enthusiasts.