Psychosis: A New Brand of Hero (review)

Psychosis
writer- Adam Atkinson
artist- David Coates

Psychosis is about a new brand of hero. You take a man who puts the weight of the world on his shoulders and you train him how to use that weight to his advantage. Now, split that man into two separate psyches. One knows how to kill and has the confidence to do it, and the other is less confident and doesn't have the taste for hurting others. This is Psychosis.

Written and drawn by a couple of guys from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada- Psychosis is a bloody thrill ride with action, excitement, lots of heart and a touch of mental illness. And surprisingly, the mental illness is a conscious part of the story.

Throughout the comics of DC, Marvel, Image, and Darkhorse there are good and bad guys who aren't quite right. One of my favorites is the Badger: a psycho hero with multiple personalities and the supposed ability to talk to animals. Then there's Deadpool who is nothing more than a lunatic with an extraordinary healing factor and a knack for killing But Psychosis is different. In each case of those characters, their mental illness is part of a schtick. It's a gimmick or a prop. Most characters have them. Batman has the Batmobile, Superman has the “S” on his chest and the heat vision, and Deadpool is screaming crazy. Psychosis however, his illness can be seen as part of the problem or part of the solution, depending how you look at it. For those other characters, their psychosis is what drives the comedy of their books. This is not a comedy. Psychosis takes the killing and the mentally ill very serious.

The book comes to us via Outpouring Comics, an independent company out of New Jersey. Atkinson and Coates, Psychosis' creators, have put much of their blood sweat and tears into this project and feel that even though it's kind of a super hero comic, it contains interesting material that's relevant to many Canadians these days. I can top that one: I've read Psychosis and feel like it's relevant to much of the world these days.

The Story: Psychosis is written by Adam Atkinson. The book takes place in the nearish future and is about a guy named Victor. Abandoned by his parents as a baby, Victor was raised in a harsh world where most people took care of themselves and ignored the needs of others. But Victor wasn't like that. Throughout the book, we get flashbacks of his life. We see the hardships and the trauma that ultimately make him a victim and partner to the character Psychosis.

Psychosis is Vic's other personality. The very skilled,very strong killer who does what he has to in order to protect those who can't help themselves. Psychosis likes what he does. He thrives on it and Victor doesn't approve.

What we get within all of this, is a combination of action and adventure with a smattering of psychological drama. Besides the timely eviscerations, we get the practical therapy sessions and concern for Victor's mental well-being. It's both exhilarating and touching.

The Art: It's easy to see that David Coates is an equal partner in this venture. The detail in each panel and the dedication to creating this intensely dynamic motion on every page, shows all the hard work he's putting into Psychosis. Coates has an eye for perspective and keeps his style and the detail very consistent through out. Within the four issues I've read, Coates not only shows his true talent from issue one, he shows that he loves doing what he's doing. I find it impressive and refreshing and am giving Psychosis all my thumbs up.

So do yourself a favor and check out Psychosis on Facebook. Tell them Eblison sent you. It's a cool little indie book. Graphic and violent, but well put together and well worth the read.