As a seasoned gamer and comic book enthusiast with a background in psychology, I can honestly say that It Happened on Hyde Street: Devour #1 is a chilling tale that resonates deeply. Having navigated my own body image issues throughout my life, I found this story to be an unsettling yet enlightening exploration of societal pressures and the fixation on thinness.
The most powerful horror stories are often grounded in real-life experiences, even if they aren’t based on true events themselves. This is the kind of horror story that ‘It Happened on Hyde Street: Devour’ #1 delivers – a tale rooted in reality, especially when it comes to exploring the human condition and the themes of body image and the fixation on being thin. In this one-shot comic set within Geoff Johns’ new ‘Hyde Street’ series, readers will find themselves drawn into the lives of some unfortunate individuals who find themselves trapped by the nefarious characters on Hyde Street.
As I, a gamer, delve into the gripping narrative of “Devour” #1, penned by Maytal Zchut and illustrated by Leila Leiz, I find myself immersed in a tale spanning three generations – a mother, daughter, and granddaughter. The heart of this story is Lily, my granddaughter, who’s on the brink of her wedding day but struggles to fit into her dream dress. A challenge shared by many brides, yet for Lily, it’s an uphill battle made tougher by her mother and grandmother, both remarkably slim.
The standout aspect of “Devour #1″ lies not so much in the chilling truth about Devour itself, which is indeed disturbing, but rather in the unsettling portrayal of societal expectations around body image and beauty. For instance, the protagonist’s grandmother, despite being praised for her beauty by her family in 1983, struggles with self-doubt about her body. This insecurity spills over onto her daughter, Patricia, who is shamed for desiring cookies and warned against gaining weight. Although we don’t witness Patricia’s journey, it becomes evident that she too succumbs to the temptation of Devour. Despite initially encouraging Lily to embrace her body positively, the pressure proves overwhelming, and the vicious cycle continues, taking on a more frightening form as Lily matures into a mother herself.
In a different rendition: Movie #1, Devour, offers a horrifying revelation about the secret component of the Devour product (implicating Miss Goodbody’s true intentions when peddling her “miracle” solution to people). On the other hand, Zchut skillfully flips this conventional horror genre on its head, making the true terror not the diet pill itself, but the unrelenting societal and familial pressure placed upon women to be thin. This theme, though evergreen, has gained renewed relevance in today’s discussions due to the emergence of weight-loss medications. Lily’s struggle to shed pounds naturally, despite doing everything right, powerfully underscores this issue as we witness her internal battle between accepting herself and succumbing to external expectations. The most poignant and unsettling critique can arguably be found in the juxtaposition of Lily appearing content with her identity and the efforts of those around her to mold her into someone else. The story’s shocking twist at the end—Lily and her newborn child—becomes the horror that surpasses anything Miss Goodbody does, making it all the more haunting and heart-wrenching.
[RELATED: Hyde Street #1 Review: An Enticing Introduction Down a Dark Path]
In an artistic sense, Leiz skillfully portrays the “ordinary” figures of Lily and her grandmother before the Devouring, showcasing them with dignity and attractiveness. These images are among the most beautiful in the entire book, standing in stark contrast to the skeletal representations of the post-Devour grandmother and Patricia, who, despite fitting the societal thin ideal, appear distorted and unattractive. Moreover, Leiz cleverly includes several Easter eggs related to Hyde Street throughout the artwork, seamlessly integrating characters while maintaining a chilling, understated suspense on each page.
In the initial stages of exploring the wider universe of Hyde Street as depicted in the comic series It Happened on Hyde Street: Devour #1, we are captivated by a gripping and compelling introduction to this world’s allure. By tackling an issue that resonates deeply with many – the struggle with body image and weight loss – Devour #1 serves as a stark reminder of how effortlessly one can fall prey to the temptation of quick solutions, often without considering the potential repercussions. Consequently, this horror story may not be filled with traditional jump scares or graphic violence, but rather, it delves into the mind and leaves readers feeling uneasy, not so much because of the narrative’s setting, but due to the uncomfortable parallels it draws with our own reality.
Published by Image Comics
On October 30, 2024
Written by Maytal Zchut
Art by Leila Leiz
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Letters by Rob Leigh
Cover by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, and Brad Anderson
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2024-10-30 16:12