Draupadi: The Fire-Born Princess ed. by Saraswati Nagpal (review)

This graphic-novel adaption of the Indian epic poem Mahabharata focuses the major events of the myth—a dispute between two gods-blessed sets of cousins that spans generations and eventually culminates in war—through the lens of Draupadi, a princess created from fire for the express purpose of marrying one of the cousins. Far from a subservient wife, however, Draupadi is more like the flames that bore her; her fiery spirit is key to her survival as her husband bets her in a dice game, she endures a thirteen-year-long exile, and she watches her loved ones go to war. The family tree provided at the story's opening is immensely helpful in determining the roles of various characters, particularly as the epic poem introduces many players at once. The color-saturated panels, the muscled men, and Draupadi's lithe form are all classic comic-book hallmarks, but the vibrant art is often overwhelmed by text boxes relaying repetitive information. Indeed, the whole endeavor is somewhat overstuffed, as any one episode from Draupadi's life could have been a graphic novel by itself. This is still a lively introduction to a myth that's an alternative to more common Western fare, though, and the political intrigue, romance, adventure, and certainly the lively heroine may appeal to a broad audience; it could be effectively paired with Arni's Sita's Ramayana (BCCB 12/11) for a treatment of Indian myths.