STRAIT JACKET #1 (of 4)
“” (22 pages)
Created by: El Torres & Guillermo Sanna
Written by: El Torres
Art by: Guillermo Sanna
Lettering by: Malaka Studio
Cover by: Guillermo Sanna
Back Cover by: Jaime Martínez
Publisher: Amigo Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
What’s black and white and red all over? The first issue of this horrific new mini-series! This book is ultra-hot!! Sold out the same day due to a very low print run of 1,000 copies. If that’s not newsworthy, how about this: copies are going for $90-100 U.S.!!! Do I have your attention?!?
Alexandra Wagner scares her parents s***less by murdering her twelve-year-old twin brother. That’s an automatic one-way ticket to the funny farm with no hope in hell of ever being released. After fifteen years at Westwood Villa, the tougher-than-nails violent-prone Alex is transferred to McLaine Hospital – an affiliate of Harvard University. It also houses patients with enormously deep pockets. Ms. Wagner has no health insurance but her case is so distinct that she gains a place in this dressed-up looney bin free of charge.
Dr. Thomas Hayes is the fresh new face nominated to psychoanalyze the razor-sharp young woman. He already employs an unorthodox method by meeting her among all the other cuckoos instead of the privacy of his own office. He breaks the ice with Alex. Firstly, he starts on a first-name basis. Secondly, he tells her she’ll be off her meds. She inquires about the lack of a straitjacket. He tells her that the upper body restraint is archaic, counter-productive, and most importantly: inhumane. Alex warms up to the newly-appointed shrink simply because her dead brother approves.
Thomas is shaken by a towering bearded individual. One of the nurses informs him that it is former comedian Raoul Cimas. Thirteen people literally killed themselves at his stand-up routine. Tough crowd indeed!! Alex has her brand-new doctor pegged. She believes that he himself is a bit nutty. He displays a professional veneer but he definitely has issues. Hayes may be off because he is a paraplegic or possibly due to a case of PTSD. The point is that he’s ripe for the picking. Here’s where the oddness emerges – he wheels through a playground. Three silhouetted dead girls are sitting on swings. When he passes them, it rouses them. My question is this: can he see them? Is he aware of their presence? Why is he a target?
Alex has a doozy of a confrontation with one of the nurses. Refusing to be administered her meds, the friendly female is a demon in disguise!! Alex is saved by her deceased sib. He is quite frightening in appearance as well. He decapitates the menace. Alex realizes that even in her recent domicile, there are soul-eaters. Being committed to an insane asylum never has a positive outcome. It’s a thousand times worse when things that go bump in the night turn out to be real. Illusion and reality intersect. Once again, I’m scratching my head. The nurse comes out bloodied but remains intact!! She asks catatonic Raoul for help. He props her and bashes her head against the wall. Alex witnesses the scene and realizes there is no one she can trust.
Thomas writes his introductory report. He’s racking his brain over this new case study. Alex loved her twin bro to no end. His name was also Alex, a lame decision made by their father. All reports negate schizophrenia. If she is one who claims to have contact with otherworldly entities, she is not perturbed in the least. In fact, her comfort and ease in accepting this raises more questions. Thomas believes himself safely locked in his apartment. Three pairs of shadowy hands are ready to trespass!!
Take two and call me in the morning:
- Risperidone – Treats schizophrenia and certain problems caused by bipolar disorder. Brand name: Risperdal.
- Amisulpride – An atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and mania caused by bipolar disorder. Market names: Amazeo, Amipride, Amival, Solian, Soltus, Sulpitac, Sulprix.
- Clozapine – Guess what? It treats schizophrenia. It also lowers the risk of suicidal behaviour in patients that have schizoaffective disorder. Also used for borderline personality disorder. Trade name: Clozaril.
- Benzodiazepine – Psychoactive drugs. Most common form: Diazepam (Valium).
Distubria:
- Schizophrenia – ‘A brain disorder in which people interpret reality differently’.
- Polythemic delusional systems – Shared psychosis. From the French “folie à deux” which means ‘madness shared by two’ and implies delusions and hallucinations are passed from one person to another. How does this apply to both Alex and Alex if no one can see the boy??
- Monothemic delusional system – Only one obsession. Take your pick!!
- Luna Syndrome – The belief that one has contact with ghosts, ghouls, goblins, etc.
Big word: perdurable – ‘very durable’; ‘permanent’; ‘imperishable’. The word used to describe Alex according to Dr. Hayes’ diagnosis.
It’s extremely hard to predict what books will fly off the shelves in a frenzy due to some insane (no pun intended!) absurd little thing. In this case, it was the extremely small amount of printed copies distributed in North America. My local comic shop had five copies. I saw them and actually debated whether I should pick it up for this week’s review but decided against it. Then, earlier today (Saturday), one of the employees texted me and told me to snag a copy. I called that store and no dice. Luckily, I didn’t have to go far to find ONE SINGLE COPY at a ‘rival store’ that I also frequent ;-P On top of that, I got it at cover price and kept my mouth shut. Lady Luck was with me J
Amigo Comics is an indie publisher. Duh!! What’s super-cool about this company is that it is based in Magala, Spain!! A twist to all this is that all the books are published in the U.S. Amigo has fantasy, horror, and sci-fi on its menu. Those are its preferences.
Juan “El” Torres is a massive mono-machine! He is the founder as well as head writer. He helms seven of the ten on-goings. An editor in another time as well as storyteller for Image and IDW, Señor Torres has his own website spotlighting his multi-talents.
Alex Wagner is a puzzler. Her lucidity and sharpness is baffling even under the meds. Her craftiness has her observers weary. They are more in awe of the various disappearing acts that remain unexplained and contribute them to some form of trickery. It’s deliciously dark that Alex delights in an 18th-century French invention. She definitely sees it as a fashion statement. Also, her taste is horror movies is not that far-fetched since she is all too familiar with the routine in her day-by-day. Mystery hovers about her and the relationship with her fraternal twin still needs to be explored.
For the uninitiated like you or me, how many of the general population are attuned to the eerie and creepy? Dr. Thomas Hayes has skeletons in his closet too. He may rise in status by meticulously examining McLaine’s latest special resident. If he can’t see the natives from the nether-realm, he can sure sense them. His empathy and caring may undo him.
Guillermo Sanna twists and turns the pencils from solid lines to heavy strokes. The dancing between light and shadow, thin with thick, is a tennis match for the eyes. The half-facial features remind me of Rorschach’s inkblots. The eclipsing of Raoul’s and Thomas’ faces have a photo-realistic look, similar to the technique used in fotonovelas or fumetti.
Red is the only colour needed to splash up the dual drabs. The colour in itself is so primal and intense!! The fire in Alex’ eyes as she is about to confront the fake nurse; the blood dripping all over the real nurse, the loud noises emanating from Raoul’s brute behaviour. Every minute detail is beyond impressive. I will laud the keyboard on Tom’s computer as an assiduous endeavour!!
Horror is hit-or-miss for me, more so the cinematic kind. The absolute best depictions are the ones that play with your mind, have you delve deep into your psyche, so much so that you question reality as we know it after viewing.
I’m in awe at how prolific El Torres is!! I espied ROMAN RITUAL #1 last year and was semi-intrigued but decided against picking it up. The first entry to this four-part tale deserves an 8.5 out of 10 on the crazy scale!
Extra! Extra!!
Preview of ROMAN RITUAL #1 (4 pages)
Story by: El Torres
Art by: Jaime Martínez
What a kwinkydink!! Didn’t I just mention this in the aforementioned paragraph?? This is most likely a re-release or for an upcoming trade paperback. Maybe it’s meant to whet your appetite.
