Stop whatever you are doing and go pick up Codename Alpha. This is one of the most exciting things to come out of the Indian comics space in recent years. Read Volume 1, could not stop myself, went straight into Volume 2 the next day. Now I am impatiently waiting for Volume 3.
Set in Mumbai, the heart of Bollywood, the series uses that setting brilliantly. There are incredibly well-written references throughout both volumes that will have you laughing if you know Hindi film culture at all. But the thing that really got me in Volume 1 is the fourth wall breaking. It is supremely funny. The kind of writing that makes you laugh out loud at home alone.
The artwork is outstanding. The characterisation, especially Alpha himself, is topnotch. The team knows exactly what story it wants to tell and how to tell it. Indian comics are finally finding their footing and Codename Alpha is one of the best arguments for why this space is worth your attention.
Essential reading. Volume 1 will have you picking up Volume 2 straight away. Then you will be just as impatient for Volume 3 as I am.
