The beginning of In Your Skin #2 contains a quotation from The Divan of Hafez, which reads: “O Hafez, you complain, but if you desire union with your love, you must put up with pain.” It’s a rather prophetic statement, as the issue shifts gears to focus on actress Ayesha Sen and the ways in which her career has been a source of both pain and joy. When she was once the biggest star in Bollywood, Ayesha is considering walking away from the limelight and even from her arranged marriage to her husband Riyaan. But her encounter with her biggest fan Priyanka took a terrifying turn…and that terror is about to infect everyone connected to Priyanka and Ayesha.
While the first issue of In Your Skin was a pure shot of body horror, issue #2 takes a more psychological approach, exploring Ayesha’s last day in her own skin. Bidikar opens up a door into Ayesha’s mind, showing how fed up she is with the artifice of fame. And yet, she can’t completely turn away from the limelight. Alone in her home, she turns on one of her own movies and mutters to herself that she used to be a star. She also shows complete disdain when running into one of her younger, extremely attractive co-stars. These moments are a great snapshot into the ups and downs of fame; one minute, you’re on top of the world, and the next, you’re cast aside for whoever’s star is burning brightest.
That doesn’t mean Som has entirely left the body-horror angle behind. The back half of In Your Skin #2 is packed with disturbing imagery, including a sequence where Priyanka-as-Ayesha repeatedly slaps herself to get into character for a scene. Each slap sends ripples across her skin, shifting the shape of her face like an ill-fitting Halloween mask and hinting at the horror underneath. An intimate moment between Ayesha and Riyaan goes horribly wrong. In the most disturbing sequence, Priyanka emerges bloodied and feral from the mass that was Ayesha’s skin, while the blood-red image of an insect takes form behind her.
Image
Such vibrant, violent imagery comes courtesy of Francesco Segala, who brings a variety of hues to the table. Anything that takes place in front of a camera has a vibrant, almost jubilant hue. Flashbacks grow more sepia-toned, as does a scene in which Ayesha mimics the dance from a film she was in when she was younger. It’s when things shift to red that In Your Skin #2 grows more and more disturbing, as that’s when the horror elements truly kick in. Segala also works with Bidikar to shape the captions running throughout the book, using a black-and-white color scheme that stands out against the blood and shock value.
Perhaps the most surprising part of In Your Skin #2 is the fact that the creative team took the time to mock up a full in-universe interview with Ayesha. While this gives more insight into her state of mind, it’s also filled with the kind of backhanded compliments you’d expect from a celebrity-themed magazine, including the classic “she looks young for her age.” It’s another glimpse into how the world of movies can build up its stars and tear them down with relative ease.
In Your Skin #2 highlights the pitfalls of fame and continues to deliver disturbingly gripping imagery. If nothing else, it might make some readers think twice about getting into the movie business.
You must be logged in to post a comment.