In the history of Indian comics, ‘Durga Comics’ has been a name that has made a special place in the hearts of readers on the basis of its powerful stories and different types of characters. The most popular and most liked character of this publication has been ‘Mahabali Langura’. In the previous issue ‘Mahabali Langura–1’, we saw how Langura brought freedom to tribal communities from terror by eliminating the dreaded demon Katila. Taking the same story further, this review is based on the second issue of the series ‘Mahabali Langura and Vampire Dian’, which presents an exciting story of revenge, witchcraft, and a great war.
The expansion of the plot and the flame of vengeance
The story of this issue starts right where the first issue ended. Katila’s death shakes her sister ‘Vampire Dian’ deeply. She is burning with anger and revenge and conspires to eliminate Langura by sitting in her cave with her daughter ‘Poisonous’. Author D.D. Pokhriyal has presented this character of a witch in a very dangerous and stubborn form. She swears not to touch a drop of water until she drinks Langura’s blood.
A new twist in the story occurs when the witch sees Langura’s condition with the help of her magic glass (Magic Mirror). She sees that Langura is celebrating Katila’s death with the tribals. The tribal drums, their dance, and slogans of ‘haiyya h’ further increase the jealousy of the witch. In anger, she uses her dark powers to wake up a very scary ghost named ‘Kalia Masan’.
Kalia Masan vs Mahabali Langura: A Blatant War
The character of Kalia Masan is the biggest attraction of this issue. His green wrinkled body, fast agility, and creepy appearance—everything makes him extremely scary. The witch orders him to capture Langura alive and bring him before her. Kalia Masan wreaks havoc as soon as he reaches the tribal settlement. He creates a terrible storm with his elusive strength and starts the Fire Rain, a rain of fireballs from the sky.
This is where Langura’s yogic power and devotion to God come to the fore. When he sees that the forest and innocent tribals are burning due to the rain of fire, he prays to the forest goddess with full devotion. The forest goddess appears and gives him a divine bow and arrow. As soon as Langura releases that arrow into the sky, heavy rain begins and the fire subsides. This scene very beautifully shows that the power of good and nature always outweighs evil.
After this, there is a fierce wrestling match between Langura and Kalia Masan. Kalia Masan throws a magic rope (Magic Rope), which tightly clamps Langura. But Langura breaks that rope with his immense strength and speed (Momentum). Eventually, he decapitates Kalia Masan with the sword given by the forest goddess.
Mystery and Strategy: The Chopped Head
That’s where pulp-horror’s funny twist comes into the story. Even after being decapitated, Kalia Masan does not die, but his head gets attached to his torso again. He laughs loudly, saying that no one can kill him. On this occasion, Langura shows not only his strength but also his wisdom. He understands that it is a proven vampire that cannot be killed in a simple way.
Langura cuts off his head again and this time does not give the head a chance to connect with the torso. He flies into the sky with the head, goes to the top of the distant mountains, and buries it in a deep pit, placing a heavy rock on top. Without the head, Kalia Masan’s torso becomes completely inactive. This strategy surprises the readers and proves that Langura is not only powerful but also very sharp-minded.
Vampiric witch’s giant form and climax
When the witch discovers that even her strongest warrior has been defeated, she enters the battlefield herself. She assumes her giant form (Giant Form) and becomes a monstrosity as high as a one-eyed mountain, that is, a Cyclops.
The moments of the final battle are full of excitement. The witch releases her fire circles and skeleton army, which Langura counters with his fire arrows. She then strikes thunderbolt lightning (Lightning Bolt) from the sky. Langura cleverly diverts that lightning behind him and leaps into the sea, neutralizing it by falling into the water.
When the witch’s terror starts to grow further, Langura arrives at a nearby Shiva temple. Seeing the trident of Lord Shiva there, he realizes that this is the weapon that can end this demon. He flies with the trident and thrusts it directly into the giant witch’s chest. The witch comes to an end, and her body is engulfed by the waves of the ocean.
Microscopic analysis of characters
Mahabali Langura emerges in this issue not just as a warrior, but as a true protector and angel. The true source of his strength is his humility and unwavering faith in God. He never boasts of his power and gives credit for every victory to Van Devi and Mahadev.
The vampire witch is a living example of hatred and revenge. All her powers rest on black knowledge. Her defeat gives a clear message that the power of unrighteousness and tantra-mantra ultimately does not stand before divine power.
The character of the witch’s daughter Jahooq comes across as a mystery. The mother’s lamentation and vengeance after her death form a strong foundation for the next issue.
Portrayal and art side
The brilliant artwork of Harvindra Mankad is the real lifeline of this comic. Despite the limited printing technology of the 90s, there is a tremendous synergy of colors. The blue body of Langura and the green giant form of the witch immediately attract the eyes. The action scenes are particularly impressive, whether it’s the beheading scene on page 18 or the giant form of the witch on page 30. Sound effects like ‘khachak’ and ‘dhadam’ bring life to the scenes. The cover art also creates excitement from the beginning, where showing the small Langura in front of a giant monster gives the exact feeling of ‘David vs. Goliath’.
Writing and editing
D.D. Pokhriyal’s writing style, despite being simple, is effective. He has seamlessly combined mythological fantasy and superhero elements. The use of Van Devi and Shiva’s trident strongly connects the story to Indian roots. Editor Deepak Jain does not let the pace of the story slow down anywhere and maintains suspense on every page.
Critical analysis: merits and shortcomings
The fast pace of the story makes it extremely entertaining, where not a single page seems useless. Langura’s victory is not just through strength but through his wisdom, which makes it different from common stories. Different environments like forest, cave, mountain, sky, and sea give the story the look of a spectacular adventure.
Talking about shortcomings, the end of the story seems a bit hasty. The discovery of Shiva’s Trishul and the immediate killing of the witch appear to have been resolved too quickly. If the last fight had received a few more pages, the climax could have been even stronger. Also, there seems to be a lack of logic in some places, but being a fantasy comic, it can be ignored.
Cultural and historical importance
Characters like Mahabali Langura remind us of a time when there were no mobile phones or the internet. These comics taught children stories of bravery, morality, and their own culture. Langura shows a brilliant combination of the power of Hanuman ji and modern superheroes, which has been extremely inspiring for Indian children.
Conclusion
‘Mahabali Langura and Vampire Dian’ (Issue-2) is a completely entertainment-filled comic. It beautifully highlights the importance of courage, devotion, and intelligence. The end of the story makes readers excited for the next issue by signaling a new danger in the form of ‘Toxic’. This is one of the best issues of Durga Comics, and every comic lover must read it.
This issue is not just a story, but an artwork that teaches that no matter how great evil is, its end is certain in the face of truth and faith.
