Sicko #1
Creative Team
writer: TINI HOWARD
artist: AMILCAR PINNA
colourist: AMANDA GRAZINI
letterer: ARIANA MAHER
publisher: IGNITION PRESS
Those suffering from chronic illness also suffer from the apathetic natures of those who surround them. Whether it be medical staff or bootstrappers—they are told, in no uncertain terms, that the pain is simply something they must confront and push through. Well, what if you had the choice to make those around you experience that pain too?
Writer Tini Howard (Catwoman, Harley Quinn) joins artist Amilcar Pinna (Galatic) alongside colourist Amanda Grazini (The Cryos) and letterer Ariana Maher (Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina) to bring us Sicko, a comic book about the chronically sick Valentine Virago. Valentine is used to the cold shoulder, but now that she’s able to attack people using her own immune system, she’s not going to be ignored for much longer.
IV drips, caterwailing children, cold and hard beds, shit fashion, there’s really very little to love about being stuck in hospital: and nobody is more aware of this than Valentine. Being described offhandidly as a “frequent flyer” by one of the doctors looking after her, Valentine has got to get out. But this is no mere breakout story, instead Howard delivers a blunt reality of the treatment those suffering from chronic illnesses are subject to on a daily basis.
The world seems to treat the chronically suffering Valentine as little more than a burden. Howard, through Valentine, shows us callously blunt medical practitioners who seem to have almost entirely given up on actually treating Valentine's terminal illness and instead are ushering her towards end of life pallative care, charging her unknown sums of money all the while. The university she was attending is planning on evicting her due to “truancy”. All the while her own body is trying to kill her.
Unlike most comic book heroes, Valentine's body and brain are inimical to one another. Her immune system is trying to kill her, but her legs are breaking for the border. It’s just a matter of which one succeeds and which one fails. But her body is both the lock and the key when it comes to her own freedom.This push and pull dynamic lends itself to the tension Sicko is trying to build and adds extra layers of conflict Valentine must contend with, not to mention the mysterious organisation pursuing her.
It can’t just be coincidence that Sicko shares its name with Michael Moores critically acclaimed documentary from 2007, showing that, tragically, little has changed nearly twenty years later. Folks are still forced to break the law just to get medical care. And the only time people start really paying attention is when you take something from them. Yes, Valentine is taking her ability to use her own immune system to attack others. But, perhaps underneath it all, what’s really pissed off the powers that be, is the idea she’s taking back her autonomy.
Pinna’s artwork is beautifully gross, suitably so for a Valentines power set. Often using a distorted fisheye lens framing Pinna creates a world that feels compeletly three dimensional, almost as though the characters could simply take a step through the panels and into the real world. No panel feels reused, every single one is unique in some form. Backed up by Grazini’s colours the art takes on a sometimes psychedelic nature, like you’ve swallowed just as many pills as Valentine. Not to mention Maher’s great work here, the sound effects really bring out the over-stimulation hospitals can induce.
Final Verdict
Bright and brash, Sicko rips through you like a burning fever. The virulent Valentine kicks ass and is reason enough to pick up the comic book. If you’re sick of melodramatic medical dramas and want them with a little more spice, Sicko should be on your pull list.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing | 8 |
| Story/Plot | 8 |
| Art/Line Work | 9 |
| Colors | 9 |
| Final Score | 8.5/10 |
