Gail Simone never seems to disappoint, and once again, she demonstrates why her creative star continues to rise in the comic-book industry with this latest effort. Using a somewhat obscure DC character as a foundation, she crafts a story of psychological horror that's fascinating and chilling. This isn't a super-hero origin story, but a tale of human cruelty. The art is strong as well -- especially the visual representation of the title character's (characters'...?) -- but there is one aspect that took me out of the story briefly. Overall, this is a nice revival of one of DC's more unusual and edgier super-hero concepts.
Noted psychiatrist Dr. Warren Chritlow visits a colleague who manages a youth care facility, but it's certainly more than a social call. His objective: to recruit a troubled young soul for an unusual experiment. he finds exactly what he's looking for in Rhosyn Forrest. Orphaned by the mob murder of her cop father, she's lashing out at those around her, upset that no justice has been done for her dad. Chrtilow shows a young woman how to bury her anger, how to be the angelic teenage girl everyone wants her to be, but in the process, he quite intentionally creates something else... something dangerous.
Melo's artwork here is quite strong. She captures Rhosyn's vulnerability and anger vividly, and if this story revolves around anything, it's emotion. I was particularly impressed with the dark, gritty portrayal of "the Hallway," the ugly corner of the title character's mind in which she would imprison a part of herself. Dan Green's inks clearly play a strong part in that element, as so Bleyaert's deep colors. What didn't sit well with me in terms of the art, though, was Melo's initial portrayal of Rhosyn. We're .told that Chritlow needs someone younger than 15 years old, but then we are presented with this vision of a woman who appears to be in her 20s. It creates an inconsistency between the script and the art that was a little jarring.
The plot element that was the most striking here is Dr. Chritlow's intentional creation of a split personality in a girl that's already been victimized by the world around her. It's a shocking, cruel act that really says a great deal about Chritlow's character. He's a wonderful villain because he represents a universalfear: a doctor who doesn't have a patient's best interest at heart, who sees those around him as fodder rather than those he's trusted to heal and protect. The casual reference to his book tour early on in the issue makes it easy to imagine how he lost his way.
Simone strikes a nice balance between the Thorn's history in the DC Universe and a more modern, mature and intelligent approach to storytelling. The character's unique psychological affliction has always been there, but Simone really explores the notion and how it could arise. It's not a simple trauma that triggers the fractured psyche. Instead, she sets out a slow, methodical progression toward a circumstance in which a pleasant young woman could have what is essentially a monster lying within. That more intense take on the Thorn persona really caught my attention at the end of this issue, and I love the promise that she could be as much a villain in her own story as a heroine.
