Comic book readership is growing rapidly with the surge in followers of megahit adaptations of Marvel and DC Comics into feature films. Not only has Pakistan put itself on the map as a market hungry for fiction and illustration, but several comic book makers of Pakistani origins are making waves all across the globe!

Now coming to Pakistan is the Musim world’s latest sensation – 'Buraaq, the story of the world’s first ever Muslim superhero!' The comic book will be featured on the free CFx Comics app, where it will become accessible to all ranges of Android and iOS devices.

Joining the ranks of illustrious graphic novel makers rising out of the country, are the creators of Buraaq - Kamil and Adil Imtiaz. The two brothers migrated to USA in 1990; between their emigration, and the self-funding and publishing of Buraaq’s first five issues, they became veterans of the IT industry.

Narrating the history behind Buraaq, Adil says that inspiration struck after he and Kamil became fathers and felt that the entertainment industry lacked positive characters whom young Muslims could look up to. He said, “The growing trend in indecent and immoral content became a cause for concern. We were worried about the type of shows our kids would be exposed to.”

Thus came about the story of Buraaq’s protagonist Yusuf Abdullah – an ordinary “nice guy” who works for a charity in the day and flies around using his superpowers to fight evil at night! The catch? He’s a practicing Muslim and the actions of both of his alter egos are subject to the teachings of Islam. That’s not all – Buraaq is packed with non-stop action layered with sci-fi, as it is set in the futuristic Nova City!

With Buraaq, the Imtiaz brothers do not only intend to create positive role models for the international young Muslim community, but to reach out to non-Muslim audiences and introduce them to the true face of Islam, dispelling the suspicions and misunderstanding associated with it.

Adil Imtiaz, speaking about the protagonist said, “Seeing Buraaq, the superhero, fight against evil, or Yusuf Abdullah, the regular guy, serve the needy; while knowing all along that he is a practicing Muslim, creates a strong psychological impact on the audience. We hope this will help break stereotypes across all communities.”

Further elaborating upon their mission, Adil said “Our goal is not to preach or give sermons, rather our aim is to provide entertainment with a clean, inspirational message.”

Buraaq has gained appreciation from both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences. With a following of over 141,000 followers on Facebook and with their story being conducted by media-houses all across the globe, Buraaq is undoubtedly the newest hype in the realm of comic book universes.

Bringing Buraaq to Pakistan is CFx Comics, the team behind the internationally acclaimed ‘Paasban – the Guardian’ series. As their debut graphic novel Paasban focused on developing counter-extremist narratives, CFx Comics and the makers of Buraaq share a common intention of bringing out the peaceful and true image of Islam, immunizing the vulnerable Muslim youth to being misguided about their religion by hateful influences.

On launching their comics in Pakistan, the Imtiaz Brothers say “Buraaq is a story about self-discovery, spiritual growth, and the fight against injustice and evil. We believe this will strike a chord with any young Pakistani or the youth in any country for that matter. Our message is universal and is based on Islamic values.”

After publishing Zindaan, and bringing comic giant Valiant Entertainment to their app, Gauher Aftab, CEO of CFx Comics, considers this another step towards establishing the CFx Comics app as a one-stop for every Pakistani reader’s comic book fix. “We’re glad to be a destination for comic content in Pakistan, as studios around the world are coming to us to connect with their audience in the country. We’re also very proud to be laying the ground for local content producers to be discovered and for their work to get the recognition and reward it deserves’.

The rise in popularity of illustrated entertainment in Pakistan, be it in the form of comic books or their movie adaptations, is paralleled by the country’s ever-increasing digital footprint, and in turn, a rise in both comic book readership and production.

To channel this scattered industry and to bring them on to a unified platform, the CFx Comics app aims to bring together both the readers and writers. From the looks of things, a lot of entertainment is in store for Pakistan’s young audiences, as artistic gems featuring themes Pakistanis have an affinity for are increasingly turning their attention towards our market!