So far, In Your Skin has been a story centered on two women: Ayesha Sen, the Bollywood superstar in the twilight of her career, and Priyanka, her biggest fan, who would give anything to meet her idol. True to its title, it’s also a story of how the lines between these women’s identities have become increasingly blurred after Priyanka literally climbs into Ayesha’s skin and assumes her identity. It’s this conflict that In Your Skin #3 homes in on, as Priyanka’s struggle to figure out who she is leads to some disturbing actions and even more disturbing visuals.
That’s evident in the opening pages, where Priyanka asks her best friend to tell her who she is. It’s juxtaposed with some supremely disturbing imagery courtesy of Som, as whole panels are dedicated to Priyanka either pulling at her flesh to reveal the blood and muscle underneath or constantly scratching at her arms, leaving bloody scrapes in the process. But that’s nothing compared to the final pages, which will sear themselves into readers’ minds with how utterly horrifying they are. I thought there was no envelope Som was willing to push, but I was wrong.
Som’s art wouldn’t look nearly as terrifying as it does without Francesco Segala’s color art. Segala has a gift for utilizing bold shades to set the background, whether it’s the sunny streets or the cold blue interiors of a room. He also makes sure the mutilation of flesh feels appropriately disturbing thanks to a mix of red and white, revealing the muscles, blood, and bone underneath Ayesha/Priyanka’s skin. The old adage “beauty is skin deep” comes to mind, but in Som and Segala’s case, they capture the deep self-loathing and confusion surrounding Priyanka.
In addition to the literal search for identity, Aditya Bidikar also shows how our identity can be warped by the very concept of fame. A key moment features Ayesha/Priyanka being hounded by a fan for a selfie, and when she ignores him, he resorts to insulting her – at which point she immediately snaps back at him. Anyone in their right mind would understand her frustration, but not the producer of her movie, who’s more concerned with getting audiences into seats than with the well-being of his stars. It’s a story that sadly feels all too real, especially in a day and age where social media has torn down the barriers between fans and creators, but also seemingly ripped away any sense of decency or social filters in the process.
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Bidikar also hammers home the point about fame warping someone in a sequence where Ayesha violently attacks her producer, with a large series of “Whumps” leaping out in bold, unsettling white against a spray of blood red. Not only does this highlight the carnage, but it’s also a visual showing how lost Priyanka is becoming in Ayesha and the lengths she’ll go to in order to hold on to that identity. We’ve all dreamt of being something more than we are, though In Your Skin #3 showcases how dangerous that path can be.
In Your Skin #3 explores the corrupting influence of fame and how it shapes someone’s identity as the horror series races toward its end. The creators of this comic have crafted a gruesome yet compelling tale, and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
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