In Your Skin #1 – Killer obsessions in Bollywood

Gorgeous, erotic, and horrific…In Your Skin #1 by Aditya Bidikar, Somnath Pal & Francesco Segala from Image Comics

This review article was made possible with the combined efforts of Yancy Arce & Eda

SOLICITATION:

“Priyanka is a Bollywood uber-fan who has been obsessed with film star Ayesha Sen since she was a kid — she’s watched her movies over and over, and knows her dances beat for beat. But after a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet her idol goes awry, and Ayesha announces her impending retirement from movies, Priyanka decides that if Ayesha isn’t going to live the life she’s supposed to, Priyanka would be more than happy to take over for her…” – Image Comics

*SPOILERS FOR ISSUE #1*

PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Yancy: While usually harmless, these relationships exist on a spectrum. They range from the casual to the deeply invested and all the way to the delusional. Here is where In Your Skin #1 finds its lane. Because Priyanka’s life is consumed by her fixation on Ayesha Sen, to the point where she knows everything about the life of this person. Or at least Priyanka thinks so. Highlighting her obsession is the lengths she goes to for the slightest opportunity of meeting her idol in person. Eventually, when idols don’t live up to their fans’ expectations, they are let down. But in Ayesha Sen’s case, that wasn’t even an option. At least not one that her biggest “fan” would allow.

THE ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL

“McCutcheon (2002) proposed the Absorption-Addiction Model to explain parasocial relationships. She suggests that people engage in celebrity worship to compensate for some deficiencies in their life, such as difficulty forming intimate relationships, poor psychological adjustment, and lack of identity”(1). Which, in all fairness, explains a lot of Priyanka’s character. For there was nothing of consequence about her life. If anything, one could say she had a sad existence. From her home living situation, to her relationship with her mother, I could not help but feel sorry for her.

*(1) “Parasocial Relationships”, CGS Psychology Blog: Mrs Harris https://mrsharrispsychology.school.blog/parasocial-relationships/

THE WRITING

Eda: I’ll be completely honest, I chose this based on sense and feeling, and I’m so happy that I did. “Sense” and “feeling” are also arguably great words to describe this masterpiece from debut writer Aditya Bidikar. Blending body horror with sensual desires, one could swear Bidikar was a veteran of the industry. This especially shows in several instances throughout, where you can clearly tell he trusted his artist & colorist, Som & Francesco Segala. To further prove himself, Bidikar seamlessly blends several messages. From celebrity idolization to body image, these messages are represented brilliantly in ways I won’t describe here. Just know that if you’re a fan of horror with something to say, you’ll love this.

HOW ABOUT THE ART?

Yancy: Although Somnath Pal has a handful of credits in comic books, his work here is quite remarkable. The cinematic camera angles, the deliberate paneling, and the emotional heaviness of the characters were palpable. This is the work of someone who has already mastered the craft of comic book storytelling. Let alone the actual body horror depicted.

Eda: Artist Som and colorist Francesco Segala both gave superb and unsettling work. Their combined effort made me feel a wide mix of emotions, with disgust, anxiety, and loneliness being the ones that came through the most. A lot of this is thanks to the level of detail and use of color. Every muscle and stretch of skin is expertly drawn while hues of red, blue, and brown create this sense of crazed mixed emotion. Absolutely genius.

Yancy: 10/10

Eda: 10/10

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

FINAL THOUGHTS

Yancy: Aditya Bidikar managed to share the one thing that makes art invaluable: perspective. In his letter at the end of issue #1, he shared some of his thoughts about celebrity culture. Specifically, his view on celebrity culture in Bollywood and the god-like treatment actors got from their fans. Bidikar is bringing together the flair and style of Bollywood films with the body horror genre. Also merged with parasocial relationships in an erotic style of storytelling. As a result, we get a thriller of a comic book series that will have you on the edge of your seat. 

Eda: In his writing debut, Aditya Bidikar proves that he has something to say and knows how to say it. At the level of the best horror writers. He created something truly lasting that’ll stick with you for a long, long time.

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT IN YOUR SKIN #1 IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW