Wikipedia

Ram V

Ramnarayan Venkatesan,[1] known professionally as Ram V, is an Indian comics writer who has worked for small press, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics. He has been nominated for Eisner, Harvey, and Ringo Awards.

Ram V
BornRamnarayan Venkatesan
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Area(s)Writer
Notable works
Grafity's Wall, These Savage Shores, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, The Swamp Thing, Justice League Dark, Catwoman, Detective Comics, Carnage
www.ram-v.com

Career

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Ram V began his comics writing career in 2016 by self-publishing Black Mumba.,[1][2] which featured art by Devmalya Pramanik, Kishore Mohan, Rosh and Aditya Bidikar, through Kickstarter.[3] He then went on to publish Grafity's Wall at Unbound in 2018,[1] which went on to be picked up and published by Dark Horse Comics in 2020.[4] These were followed by These Savage Shores (Vault) in 2019 and Blue in Green (Image) in 2020.[5] In 2021, he reunited with Blue in Green artist Anand RK for a new series for Vault Comics, Radio Apocalypse.[6] In 2022, he was nominated for an Eisner and Harvey Award for The Many Deaths of Laila Starr,[7][8] a Boom! Studios comic he did with Felipe Andrade.[9] In 2024, V and Andrade reunited to make another comic, Rare Flavours, for Boom!,[10] which was then nominated for a Ringo Award.[11]

In 2018, he wrote his first story for DC Comics in Batman Secret Files #1, "The Nature of Fear."[12][13] In 2020, in was announced that he and Mike Perkins were going to be doing a new Swamp Thing series,[14] involving a new protagonist named Levi Kamei.[15] Then, V and artist Fernando Blanco took over as the creative team for Catwoman at issue #25.[16]

In 2021, he was announced as the new co-writer of Venom alongside Al Ewing.[17][18] "I think the story interactions between Venom the symbiote, Venom—his father's symbiote, Dylan's own history and his attempt at finding a new equilibrium are all fascinating things to delve into as we tell this drama through an action-packed tense thriller with a hint of sci-fi, horror."[18] In March 2022, he became the writer of a new volume of Carnage.[19]

In 2022, it was announced that Ram V. and Rafael Albuquerque were going to be the new creative team for Detective Comics beginning with issue #1062.[20] Their run ended in 2024 with issue #1089.[21][22] In 2023, he was announced as the writer of The Vigil, a new team book among the "We Are Legends" line of AAPI heroes.[23][24] Additionally, he and artist Christian Ward teamed up for Aquaman: Andromeda, a three-issue mini-series from DC Black Label.[25]

In 2024, it was announced that he would be the writer for The New Gods alongside artist Evan Cagle.[26][27][28][29] "Many of the story elements come from my reading of Hindu mythology. The original work takes a lot from Greco-Roman mythology; the gods are modeled on archetypes. The Hindu gods that I grew up with are more nuanced and complex, often making silly mistakes because they are powerful, not because they are perfect. Their slightest whim has dramatic consequences."[30]

In 2024, he was also announced as the co-writer (alongside Dan Watters) for Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!,[31] one of the Universal Monsters comics put out by Skybound/Image.[32][33][34] In April of 2024, Polygon announced that Dawnrunner, a Dark Horse comic by V and Evan Cable about mechas,[35] was "one of the year's best new comics."[36] In November of 2024, it was announced that Ram V, Garth Ennis, Marguerite Bennett, Joe Pruett, and Adam Glass were forming an imprint of Image Comics called Ninth Circle.[37]

Personal Life

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Ram V was born and raised in Mumbai,[30][7] but has worked and traveled all over the world.[38] Before he was a writer, he worked as a chemical engineer.[38] "I used to travel a lot as a Chemical Engineer. I went to a lot of countries I had never visited before, stayed on my own in obscure industrial towns where tourism is sparse. I discovered cultures and traditions and local stories and legends. And yet through it all, I found that there is commonality of human experience. People fundamentally want similar things, they worry about similar things, the things that bring them joy are similar. If I can communicate this fact through my fiction, it will have been a rewarding experience."[4]

Currently, he lives in London.[12][39]

Bibliography

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DC Comics

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  • Aquaman: Andromeda #1-3 (DC Black Label) (2022)
  • Batman
    • Batman Secret Files #1, short story "The Nature of Fear" (2018)
    • Batman/Catwoman Special #1, short story "Reflections of the Heart" (2022)
    • Batman: Urban Legends #11-13, three-part story "Stigma" (2022)
    • Detective Comics #1062-1089, 2022 Annual (2022–2024)
    • Future State: Gotham #13 (2022)
  • Catwoman
    • Catwoman vol. 5 #9, 14-15, 25-38, 2021 Annual (2019–2022)
    • Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (2020)
    • Future State: Catwoman #1-2 (2021)
  • Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green #1 (2022)
  • DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1, short story "Masks" (2021)
  • DC's Crimes of Passion #1, short story "Reflections of the Heart" (2020)
  • Green Arrow 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, short story "The Arrow and the Song" (2021)
  • Justice League Dark
    • Justice League vol. 4 #59-71, Justice League Dark backup stories (2021–2022)
    • Justice League Dark vol. 2 #20-28, 2021 Annual, Justice League Dark Annual vol. 2 #1 (2020–2021)
    • Future State: Justice League #1-2 (2021)
  • Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1, short story "The Vigil: See No Evil" (2023)
  • New Year's Evil vol. 2 #1, short story "A Coal in My Stocking" (2020)
  • Strange Love Adventures #1, short story "Dinner for Two" (2022)
  • Swamp Thing
    • The Swamp Thing #1-16 (2021–2022)
    • Future State: Swamp Thing #1-2 (2021)
    • Legend of the Swamp Thing: Halloween Spectacular #1 short story "At the Heart of the Trees" (2020)
  • We Are Legends
    • Dawn of DC: We Are Legends Special Edition #1 (2023)
    • The Vigil #1-6 (2023–2024)

Marvel Comics

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  • Carnage
    • Carnage: Black, White & Blood #2 (2021)
    • Carnage Forever #1 (2022)
    • Carnage vol. 3 #1-10 (2022–2023)
    • Web of Carnage #1 (2023)
  • Venom
    • Free Comic Book Day 2021: Spider-Man/Venom #1 (2021)
    • Free Comic Book Day 2022: Spider-Man/Venom #1 (2022)
    • Venom vol. 5 #1-4, 6-7, 11-12, 15 (2021–2023)
  • War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1 (2019)

Image Comics

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Other Publishers

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  • Action Lab
    • Brigands #1-5 (2016–2017)
    • Ruin of Thieves: A Brigands Story #1-4 (2018)
  • Boom! Studios
    • The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1-5 (2021)
    • Rare Flavours #1-6 (2023–2024)
  • Dark Horse Comics
    • Grafity's Wall (2020)
    • Dawnrunner #1-5 (2024)
  • DSLTRY
    • The Devil's Cut #1, short story "Waiting to Die" (2023)
  • Holy Cow Entertainment
    • Aghori Origins #1-4, Annual #1-2 (2012–2013)
  • Rebellion
    • The Action 2020 Special, short story "Kids Rule O.K." (2020)
  • Tiny Onion
    • Razorblades: The Horror Magazine #1-5 (2020–2021)
  • Titan Comics
    • Quake Champions #1-3 (2017)
  • Vault Comics
    • Radio Apocalypse #1-2 (2022)
    • These Savage Shores #1-5 (2019)

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Ah-Sen, Jean Marc (2022-11-28). ""Fun Doesn't Mean It Can't Be Intelligent": A Conversation with Ram V". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  2. ^ Sharp, Kevin (2020-01-08). "Between the Panels: Writer Ram V on Originality, Changing Career Paths, and Good Convention Encounters". Fanbase Press. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  3. ^ Kalo, Tanveer (2018-12-20). "Ram V talks Batman, 'These Savage Shores,' and the future". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  4. ^ a b Silber, Gregory Paul (2020-08-13). "INTERVIEW: Ram V on GRAFITY'S WALL and the weight of circumstance". The Beat. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  5. ^ Horne, Karama (2020-10-16). "Indie Comics Spotlight: Blue in Green is a gorgeous exercise in improvisational jazz and horror". SYFY Official Site. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  6. ^ McMillan, Graeme (2021-01-18). "How 'Radio Apocalypse' Combines Music and Comics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  7. ^ a b Babu, Ritesh (2022-07-22). "Ram V Is Changing the Face of Comics with Laila Starr, Grafity's Wall, and Batman". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  8. ^ "Harvey Awards Unveil 2022 Nominees". www.harveyawards.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  9. ^ Powell, Nancy (2021-05-18). "INTERVIEW: Ram V and Filipe Andrade on Death's rude awakening in THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR". The Beat. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  10. ^ McMillan, Graeme (2023-06-20). "Rare Flavours: Inside Ram V and Filipe Andrade's reunion after the hit comic The Many Deaths of Laila Starr". Popverse. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  11. ^ Simons, Dean (2024-09-22). "The winners of the RINGO AWARDS 2024". The Beat. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  12. ^ a b Paul, Sharmindrila (2019-01-28). "Ram Venkatesan on Batman Secret Files #1". animationxpress.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  13. ^ Foxe, Steve (October 26, 2018). "Ram V Reveals "The Nature of Fear" in Batman Secret Files #1". Paste Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Jennings, Collier (2020-12-05). "Swamp Thing Returns in New Ongoing DC Series". CBR. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  15. ^ Stone, Sam (2022-08-25). "Tangled up in green: How Ram V and Mike Perkins reinvented DC's Swamp Thing". Popverse. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  16. ^ Dominguez, Noah (2020-05-29). "DC Comics Announces New Catwoman Creative Team for September". CBR. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  17. ^ Lovett, Jamie (2021-06-02). "Marvel Announces New Venom Series". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  18. ^ a b "Al Ewing and Ram V Push Eddie and Dylan Brock to Their Limits in New 'Venom' Series". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  19. ^ "Ram V and Francesco Manna Deliver a Bloodcurdling New Carnage Series". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  20. ^ Brooke, David (2022-04-13). "Ram V takes over 'Detective Comics' #1062 this July". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  21. ^ Arrant, Chris (2024-05-17). "DC confirms Ram V's Detective Comics run will end in September, with the writer promising "the metaphorical death and rebirth" of Batman". Popverse. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  22. ^ Burdette, Chad (2024-09-20). "Ram V's Symphony Of Gotham Reaches It's Coda in Detective Comics #1089". Comic Watch. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  23. ^ Coplan, Chris (2023-05-16). "Ram V unleashes 'The Vigil' onto the DCU". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  24. ^ Coplan, Chris (2023-11-14). "Ram V travels to the heart of 'The Vigil'". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  25. ^ Holland, Dustin (2022-02-17). "Ram V & Christian Ward Discuss Aquaman Andromeda's Cosmic Horror". CBR. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  26. ^ Salmon, William (2024-11-19). "DC's The New Gods will crossover Jack Kirby's iconic creations with Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Green Lantern Corps". gamesradar. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  27. ^ Salmon, Will (2024-07-29). "A "cosmic imbalance" will lead to the return of Jack Kirby's New Gods in a new series from Ram V and Evan Cagle". gamesradar. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  28. ^ Aguilar, Matthew (2024-11-24). "Ram V's All In New Gods are Epic, Relatable, and Incredibly Messy". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  29. ^ Wood, Robert (2024-07-27). "Darkseid's Pantheon of NEW GODS Get Their Own Series, As DC Goes All In on Jack Kirby's Fourth World". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  30. ^ a b Salkowitz, Rob. "Ram V Lays Out His Cosmic Vision For DC's New Gods". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  31. ^ Kit, Borys (2024-01-12). "'Creature from the Black Lagoon' Comic Book Coming from Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  32. ^ Brooke, David (2024-04-23). "Submerged in story: Dan Watters and Ram V revive a legend in 'Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!'". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  33. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (2024-01-16). "Creature rises from Black Lagoon and Skybound with Watters, Ram V and Roberts". The Beat. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  34. ^ Tardive, Ambrose (2024-01-13). "Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment Will Reinvent CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON Next". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  35. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2023-12-21). "Dawnrunner: Preview the Epic Mech vs. Kaiju Series From Dark Horse". IGN. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  36. ^ Egan, Toussaint (2024-04-24). "Dawnrunner is a mecha-kaiju comic about the 'Bandai-ification' of the military-industrial complex". Polygon. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  37. ^ Brooke, David (2024-09-23). "New Image Comics imprint Ninth Circle launching December 11". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  38. ^ a b "Ram V Brings Myths and Magic to DC's Most Misunderstood Heroes". DC. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  39. ^ "About". Ram V. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
Preceded by
Blake Northcott and Sean Murphy
 Catwoman writer
2020-2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Detective Comics writer
2022-2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Venom writer
2021-2023
(co-written with Al Ewing) 		Succeeded by
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