ISLAMABAD:
We need a superhero of our own. That was the thought in Hassan Sohail Siddiqui’s mind when he came up with the character.
At a short talk on the second issue of his comic book, eponymously named after mustachioed superhero Pakistan Man, Siddiqui discussed the origins of his hero and took in some critique from readers.
He spoke of how, growing up as a comic book fan, it was always odd to see all the heroes fighting for various causes, but nobody was fighting to keep Pakistan safe.
The reason was quite simple — there were no Pakistani superheroes, with the possible exception of Punjabi film ‘superhero’ and Pakistan Man’s ally, Maula Jutt.
On the origins of the character, Siddiqui explained that he started out making various doodles, and along the way, one caught the eye of a friend. Loosely modelled on the design of Captain America, the doodle would end up becoming the raw base for Pakistan Man.
Speaking about the success of the first issue, he said it was entirely designed at home and without a proper publisher or any sponsor on board. “I didn’t know if we would be able to sell one copy, but we ended up selling all 500 [from the first run].”
The success bolstered his belief in the viability of the concept, and the story continued into another issue. The 26-year-old Siddiqui also spoke about future plans to introduce a broader story arc spanning multiple issues, after being asked about the standalone nature of the first two issues.
In response to a question, he said a female superhero or sidekick might join Pakistan Man soon to address the gender disparity in the country. It would also tie in well to his hope to create “a superhero that young people can learn from”.
The overview
After introducing Pakistan Man and his origin in the first issue — an average boy living in rural Pakistan who comes across Maula Jatt, proves his worthiness of hero status (after being motivated by the possibility of having superpowers and that superheroes are “loved by girls”). He later fights the villainous corruptor and his lackeys, the Na Maloom Afraad. Although the corruptor escapes during the fight, Pakistan Man manages to restores some order in Islamabad.
The new issue moves to a new villain, Banner, seemingly a caricature of the Interior minister who shut down YouTube. Along the way, he encounters a new ally — comedian Ali Gul Pir, the Waderay ka Beta. Pakistan Man also crosses paths with other potential allies — 3G and 4G — but has less success recruiting them as the two get into a fistfight with each other over who is better.
After high speed camel chases and rage at Karachi traffic, Pakistan Man manages to fight Banner and restore peace (and YouTube access). This issue features more surreal humour than the previous one, and although the villain in the storyline is not as impressive as the first, the 19-page story, is full of pop culture references that are funny and occasionally enlightening. Though stylistically simple, the comic book is worth its Rs100 price.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2014.
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