In Your Skin #1 is Bollywood Meets The Substance With an Obsessive Twist (Early Review)

by

Horror often explores the theme of obsession. The 2024 film The Substance powerfully showcased this with a story of a celebrity desperate to regain her youth, leading her to a dangerous black-market drug with frightening consequences. This theme also drives the new comic series In Your Skin from Image Comics. Written by Aditya Bidikar and illustrated by Jon Sommariva and Taki Soma, the series takes obsession to a new level, focusing on a woman’s intense devotion to a Bollywood star and the unsettling actions she takes when he announces his retirement.

The first issue of In Your Skin blends body horror, suggestive themes, and intense fandom to create a disturbing story about identity and celebrity. It introduces Priyanka, a devoted fan, and her unsettling fixation on actress Ayesha Sen. While occasionally confusing or a bit slow-paced, it’s a compelling and intriguing beginning to a genuinely haunting narrative.

PROS CONS
Fascinating premise A few small details feel unexplained
Incredible art

Rating 4 out of 5

In Your Skin #1 Makes Fandom Unsettling

I’m completely hooked on this new comic, In Your Skin! It starts with Priyanka, a huge Bollywood fan – seriously, she lives for Ayesha Sen, her favorite actress. It’s more than just liking her movies; Priyanka knows every dance, every line, and even refuses to change her routines at work (which gets her fired!). This obsession is really affecting her life, especially her relationship with her mom. Then, she finally gets a chance to meet Ayesha, but it doesn’t go how she imagined. And when Ayesha announces she’s retiring, Priyanka does something… well, it’s honestly terrifying and shocking. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

We won’t give away the details – the way things happen is best discovered through the book’s incredible artwork. It feels like the story is still developing. Although a lot is shown or hinted at in this first issue, the most compelling part of ‘In Your Skin’ isn’t just Priyanka’s unsettling behavior, but how she manages to become part of Ayesha’s life. While her actions are disturbing, the issue leaves you wondering how she does it and what will happen next.

The story is compelling in how it depicts Priyanka’s fandom. Initially, she appears as a typical, enthusiastic fan of Ayesha. However, the narrative subtly reveals that Priyanka’s life revolves entirely around her idol, creating a growing sense of unease. Bidikar skillfully crafts this transition, so you don’t pinpoint the exact moment Priyanka becomes unsettling—you simply find yourself feeling disturbed by her obsession.

Even at first glance, a few parts of the book could use more explanation. It took a couple of reads to fully understand the connection between the main character and Nachiket, and one conversation with her mother feels rushed and confusing. Despite these minor issues, In Your Skin quickly builds momentum and promises to be a truly disturbing and psychologically complex body horror comic – one of the best we’ve seen in a long time.

In Your Skin #1 goes on sale from Image Comics on April 22nd.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/comics/list/the-7-biggest-spider-man-events-that-totally-changed-the-marvel-universe-why-fans-hate-4/embed/#

Read More

2026-03-17 18:13