Super Sikh

Super Sikh #1-4

by Eileen Kaur Alden, Supreet Singh Manchanda, Amit Tayal (Artist)

Meet Deep Singh. He loves Elvis and hates the Taliban. By day he works at a tech company and lives with his parents. But that's just a front. For Deep Singh is really a top secret agent for the United Nations, fighting terrorism all around the world. But right now, he really needs a vacation. And there's only one place to go...Graceland!
Co-creators Eileen Kaur Alden and Supreet Singh Manchanda, together with award-winning artist Amit Tayal (Steve Genius by Design, The Jungle Book, Alibaba and Forty Reloaded), launched Super Sikh® Comics with a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015 and continue to bring the adventures of Secret Agent Deep Singh to fans all over the world.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

108 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2018

Reviews

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I never review this graphic novel? It’s so fun! Deep Singh is *trying* to take a vacation from his job as a secret agent fighting terrorism. (His cousin is his tech & gadget specialist, she’s so great.) His destination is Graceland, since he’s a huge Elvis fan, but those dang terrorists just won’t take a day off.

It’s silly, it’s campy, it’s also just so wholesome, and I hope there will be another volume someday. If you’re showing up to read a graphic novel about a secret agent fighting incompetent terrorists thinking you’ll learn all about the Sikh religion, I gather from some reviews that you will be disappointed, but since I was there to read about secret agent shenanigans I was a 100% satisfied customer.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep Singh is on vacation from his busy job for the U.N. dealing with terrorists, so, he goes to Graceland because he's a huge Elvis fan. Deep naturally encounters terrorist actions wherever he goes, hitch he deals with by punching and kicking the crap out of the perpetrators. Naturally, he comes under suspicion by authorities and news outlets since he's a brown man, and the authors show the ridiculousness of people's perceptions and the potential danger of being a brown man.
With a choppy and implausible story, this comic still has some humour and a little charm. I don't know if I'll continue this series, but I will say that Super Sikh is super corny and super silly.

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can see that the creators were trying to hit that campy Roger Moore-era James Bond vibe, but this secret agent send-up was just not any fun at all. And while I thought it would at least be a cool way to learn more about Sikhism, I find myself just as ignorant as when I started.

My takeaway on Sikhs from this comic: We wear turbans, but we're not terrorists, though we get accused of that a lot, and that sucks.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very attractive, very wholesome hero whose greatest weapon may be his faithful optimism. Plenty of silly 007-type gadgets, ridiculous fight scenes, but none of the misogynist crap--lots of capable, admirable ladies, here. (although our hero never speaks of his mother, so maybe tragic backstory?) Clever segues between books help readers keep track of the storyline. I loved the talking rats and those in the lab who wordlessly kick ass. I'd definitely read volume 2!

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super Sikh is a delightful comic. I thoroughly enjoyed volume one; it made a very long and tedious wait for an appointment go much faster. I just had to remember not to laugh out loud in the middle of the waiting room. Deep Singh is the handsome exceedingly muscular protagonist in this wink-wink nudge-nudge send up of James Bond secret operatives mashed up fondly with elements of Sikh culture and a whole lot of campy humor. There's plenty of action starring Deep, and, in America, a bad-ass African American waitress. But in this Bond-esque story, Q is Deep's genius cousin Preeti, and the lab is located deep below an IT company where Deep works as cover for his real job, as a top secret agent for the United Nations, fighting global terrorism. There are the obligatory (incompetent) terrorist villains, a la the Taliban, but there's also a lot of American racism Deep has to deal with on his way to his own dream vacation, touring Graceland. Because Deep loves Elvis, a lot, the way his dearly departed but mysterious father did. Instead of a martini, Deep prefers water, but he's still a gentleman who will intervene if he believes a woman is in need of help. He's also a devout Sikh who loves his uncle and auntie and cousin.
I just found this entire comic charming. The little bits of information about Sikhism were interesting. So were the constant gratuitous scenes showing off Deep's spectacular muscles. Deep Singh is the international man of mystery I never knew I wanted, and I can't wait for the next volume to be released.

[Carla A]

Considering that not even the bad guys had a nationality it really bothered me that the hijackers were Mexican. Seriously when is the last time there have been Mexican hijackers? WTF I ask ya. For that I can not give this title a rating. Though I did read the whole thing and enjoy it but that issue was on my mind the whole time... Might have been cheeky but that was lost on me.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I knocked it down a half star because knife-gun and belt-rocket were a little too....
Story was fun!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is nothing too deep (pun intended since the main character's name is Deep) or wow'ing. The writing and art are satisfactory, and this is a fun, over-the-top story with some groaner puns and humor. Though this isn't superlative, I enjoyed that a book like this, with a Sikh hero can even exist as a run-of-the-mill fun action comic.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really know what happened, but I loved every minute of this. Also, I have a totally crush on him. Oh my.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up as a gift for a colleague with teenage boys and gave it a quick read-through first. While I completely appreciate the representation involved, the story and art isn't super compelling. "Deep" Singh is a secret agent who battles Islamist terrorists at the start and then tries to take a vacation to visit Graceland. Unfortunately the Islamists are seeking revenge and on his tail and wacky antics ensure. I say wacky antics because this action-adventure story is also filled with a kind of campy humor that keeps the tone very light -- the terrorists are pretty bumbling, and there are lots of jokes referencing pop culture, along with some truly terrible puns. There are attempts to work in the ethos and symbols of the Sikh faith, but that generally feels a bit forced and never gets that deep. All in all, a very basic action comic that at least gives space to a culture that's not well known or understood in most of the West.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is over the top which is typical for graphic novels. I totally support a non-white good guy who loves Elvis and hates bad guys. That's possibly the best 'mission statement' ever. He fights terrorism around the world with some powerful technology support. Unfortunately, Super Sikh gets a big dose of racial profiling when he tries to do something as simple as to go the US for a short vacation to see Graceland. Needless to say, it's a wild journey. This is thoroughly enjoyable and I'll have to keep an eye out for more.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw it in an indie Seattle book store and have to say the cover grabbed me - a buff, handsome hero with explosions in the background. And the subtitle “Loves Elvis, Hates Bad Guys.” Beautifully drawn and colored, exciting and campy story of a top-secret agent saving the world ala James Bond (but more Connery/Moore than Craig).

[Damandeep · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this fictional tale would somehow lay down the foundation in understanding Sikh religion and it might all add up in the end. But it seems to be just a replica of a known folklore. I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy it but it didn't match my interests

[Aimster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book, I really enjoyed how the author incorporated bits of Sikh religion and beliefs into the comic.

[Lindsay Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was all over the place.

[Edmund · Rating 3 out of 5]

A refreshing, entertaining graphic novel that turns typical prejudice on its head.

[Aleta Fera · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty engagingly obvious and silly, but it's absolutely the book we need right now.

[J Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I both loved this. Great characters, art, and a story with some serious substance to it, as well as plenty of fun. We'll be looking for more!

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! Super cheesy, super hammy, way over the top, tongue in cheek, hokey, silly, and a little meta. Dont think this is a guide on sikhism, this is just a fun comic about a badass hero kicking all the ass and making all the commentary. This did exactly what it set out to do.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was already in the middle of eight books when I spied this at the library, but not only did I check it out anyway but I also spurned them all to immediately devour this one when I got home.

This was delightful. As filled with earnest wholesomeness as you would expect from a title with that tagline, but also a surprising amount of goofiness (Princess Bride quotes, sight gags, etc.) that kept me laughing out loud. Some gentle Sikh education/proselytizing, as well as some commentary on profiling/xenophobia that doesn't get too heavy handed. This slim little book manages to fit in plenty of tropes, gags, character introductions, culture introductions and still execute a tight plot. An admirable feat.

I hope there is more of this coming.