Ramnarayan Venkatesan, known professionally as Ram V, is an Indian

comics writer A script is a document describing the narrative and dialogue of a comic book in detail. It is the comic book equivalent of a television program teleplay or a film screenplay. In comics, a script may be preceded by a plot outline, and is almost al ...

and

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

who has worked for

independent comics Alternative comics or independent comics cover a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to mainstream su ...

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

, and

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. He has been nominated for Eisner, Harvey, and

Ringo Awards The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Ringo Awards, are prizes given for achievement in comic books. They are named in honor of artist Mike Wieringo and they were founded by the Reisterstown, Maryland–based C ...

Career

Ram V began his comics writing career in 2016 by self-publishing ''Black Mumba'', which featured art by Devmalya Pramanik, Kishore Mohan, Rosh and Aditya Bidikar, through

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

. He then went on to publish ''Grafity's Wall'' at Unbound in 2018, which went on to be picked up and published by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...

in 2020. These were followed by ''These Savage Shores'' ( Vault) in 2019 and ''Blue in Green'' (

Image An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be di ...

) in 2020. In 2021, he reunited with ''Blue in Green'' artist Anand RK for a new series for

Vault Comics Vault Comics is an American publisher of comic books. The company is known for its horror, fantasy, and science fiction titles, with a focus on diversity and cross-media properties. A private family-owned company, Vault Comics is based in Missoul ...

, ''Radio Apocalypse.'' In 2022, he was nominated for an Eisner and

Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be a successor to the Kirby Awards, which were ...

for ''The Many Deaths of Laila Starr'', a

Boom! Studios Boom! Studios (stylized as BOOM! Studios), is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher. They are headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The company is a subsidiary of Random House division of Penguin Random House sin ...

comic he did with Felipe Andrade. In 2024, V and Andrade reunited to make another comic, ''Rare Flavours'', for Boom!, which was then nominated for a

Ringo Award The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Ringo Awards, are prizes given for achievement in comic books. They are named in honor of artist Mike Wieringo and they were founded by the Reisterstown, Maryland–based C ...

. In 2018, he wrote his first story for DC Comics in '' Batman Secret Files'' #1, "The Nature of Fear." In 2020, it was announced that he and

Mike Perkins Michael Perkins (born 20 November 1969) is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as Ed Brubaker's List of Captain America titles#Captain America (Brubaker era), run on ''Captain America ( ...

were going to be doing a new

Swamp Thing Swamp Thing is a superhero and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several different incarnations throughout his publication. The ch ...

series, involving a new protagonist named Levi Kamei. Then, V and artist Fernando Blanco took over as the creative team for ''

Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...

'' at issue #25. In 2021, he was announced as the new co-writer of ''

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

'' alongside

Al Ewing Al Ewing ( ; born 12 August 1977) is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press, for '' 2000 AD'', and for Marvel Comics. Career Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the four-page '' Future Shocks'' format for '' ...

. He stated: "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." In March 2022, he became the writer of a new volume of '' Carnage''. In 2022, it was announced that Ram V and

Rafael Albuquerque Rafael Albuquerque (born April 12, 1981) is a Brazilian comic book creator primarily for his artwork on titles such as DC Comics' '' Blue Beetle'' and as illustrator and co-creator of ''American Vampire''. Though primarily a penciler and inker o ...

were going to be the new creative team for ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...

'' beginning with issue #1062. Their run ended in 2024 with issue #1089. In 2023, he was announced as the writer of ''The Vigil'', a new team book among the "We Are Legends" line of AAPI heroes. Additionally, he and artist Christian Ward teamed up for ''

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...

: Andromeda'', a three-issue mini-series from

DC Black Label DC Black Label (also referred to simply as Black Label) is an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics consisting of original miniseries and reprints of books previously published under other imprints. The imprint intends to present t ...

. In 2024, it was announced that he would be the writer for '' The New Gods'' alongside artist Evan Cagle. "Many of the story elements come from my reading of

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

. The original work takes a lot from

Greco-Roman mythology Classical mythology, also known as Greco-Roman mythology or Greek and Roman mythology, is the collective body and study of myths from the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans. Mythology, along with philosophy and political thought, is one of the ...

; 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." In 2024, he was also announced as the co-writer (alongside

Dan Watters Dan Watters is an English people, English Script (comics), comics writer who has written for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Alternative comics, independent comics. He is best known for his creator-owned comics ''Coffin Bound'' and ''Home Sick Pilot ...

) for '' Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!'', one of the ''

Universal Monsters The Universal Monsters (also known as Universal Classic Monsters and Universal Studios Monsters) is a media franchise comprising various horror film series distributed by Universal Pictures. It consists of different horror creature characters o ...

'' comics put out by

Skybound Skybound may refer to: Brands, companies, organizations, groups * Skybound Entertainment, U.S. entertainment company founded by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert * Skybound Games, a videogames subsidiary of Skybound Entertainment * Skybound Comics, ...

. In April 2024,

Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...

announced that ''Dawnrunner'', a

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...

comic by V and Evan Cable about

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...

s, was "one of the year's best new comics." In November 2024, it was announced that Ram V,

Garth Ennis Garth Ennis (born 16 January 1970) is a Northern Irish-American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' ''Punisher'' franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...

Marguerite Bennett Marguerite Bennett (born 1988) is an American comic book writer. She has worked on '' Bombshells'', '' Angela'', ''Josie and the Pussycats'', and her creator-owned books ''InSeXts'' and ''Animosity''. Her work has been recognized for her depict ...

Joe Pruett Joe Pruett (January 8, 1966) is an People of the United States, American comic book writer, editor, and publisher, and the co-founder of Desperado Publishing and AfterShock Comics. Biography Pruett broke into the industry during the year of 1989 ...

, and

Adam Glass Adam Glass is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on the TV series ''Supernatural,'' ''Cold Case'' and ''Criminal Minds''. As a comic writer, he wrote such titles as '' Deadpool'' and '' L ...

were forming an imprint of Image Comics called Ninth Circle.

Personal life

Ram V was born and raised in Mumbai, but has worked and traveled worldwide. Before he was a writer, he worked as a chemical engineer. "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." Currently, he lives in London.

Bibliography

DC Comics

* ''

: Andromeda'' #1-3 (

) (2022) *

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

** ''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) ** ''

'' #1062-1089, 2022 Annual (2022–2024) ** ''

Future State "Future State" is a comic book storyline published by DC Comics in January and February 2021, consisting of multiple limited series released in place of DC's regular ongoing series during those months. The event is set in the aftermath of the " ...

: Gotham'' #13 (2022) *

** ''Catwoman'' vol. 5 #9, 14-15, 25-38, 2021 Annual (2019–2022) ** ''Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular'' #1 (2020) ** ''

: Catwoman'' #1-2 (2021) * ''

Dark Crisis "Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths", originally "Dark Crisis", is a 2022 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, comprising an eponymous central 7 issue mini-series by writer Joshua Williamson and artist Daniel Sampere, and a number of tie-in bo ...

: 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 Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...

80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular'' #1, short story "The Arrow and the Song" (2021) *

Justice League Dark Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team made their debut in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The team features some of the more supernatural characters in t ...

** ''

Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...

'' 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) ** ''

: Justice League'' #1-2 (2021) * ''

Lazarus Planet "Lazarus Planet" is a 2023 American comic book crossover storyline written by Mark Waid and Gene Luen Yang, with art by Ricardo Federici and Billy Tan published by DC Comics. The event involves Chinese deities-turned demons Nezha and King Fire B ...

: Next Evolution'' #1, short story "The Vigil: See No Evil" (2023) * ''

New Gods The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...

'' (vol. 5) #1-present (2024–present) * ''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) *

** ''The Swamp Thing'' #1-16 (2021–2022) ** ''

: 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 Dawn of DC is a 2023 publishing initiative by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Following the events of the 2022 crossover events ''Dark Crisis, Dark Crisi ...

: We Are Legends Special Edition'' #1 (2023) ** ''The Vigil'' #1-6 (2023–2024)

Marvel Comics

* Carnage ** ''Carnage: Black, White & Blood'' #2 (2021) ** ''Carnage Forever'' #1 (2022) ** ''Carnage'' Vol. 3 #1-10 (2022–2023) ** ''Web of Carnage'' #1 (2023) *

** ''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 is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

: War Scrolls'' #1 (2019)

Image Comics

* ''Blue in Green'' (2020) * ''The One Hand'' #1-5 (2024) * ''Paradiso'' #1-8 (2017–2018) * ''Silver Coin'' #7 (2021) * ''

: Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives!'' #1-4 (2024)

Other publishers

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 Press

* ''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

{{DEFAULTSORT:V, Ram Living people 21st-century Indian male writers DC Comics people Image Comics writers Indian comics artists Indian comics writers Indian male writers Marvel Comics writers Writers from Mumbai Year of birth missing (living people)