The world of Indian comics and graphic novels has been coming into its own over the last few years, even reaching a tipping point according to some. There’s no dearth of comicons, supportive publishing houses (read: Manta Ray Comics and Studio Kokaachi) and most importantly, no dearth of creative talent. Hence, we’re not choosing to focus on the best Indian graphic novelists through a magnifying glass. Instead, we decided to narrow down our search by handpicking an eclectic and thrilling bunch of novels to have emerged from this subcontinent that seem to share a common subtext—a conscience. Politically, societally, and generally motivated by the darker sides of the human psyche, they choose to depict it in their artistic works, perhaps in an effort to bring it to the world’s attention, if not make it a better place.