THE SICKNESS #2, by Uncivilized Comics on 9/1/23, escalates Daniel’s disturbing visions as George continues digging into Mrs. Goodson’s psychotic break.
The Details
- Written by: Lonnie Nadler, Jenna Cha
- Art by: Jenna Cha
- Letters by: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover art by: Jenna Cha
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $6.00
- Release date: September 21, 2023
Is THE SICKNESS #2 Good?
THE SICKNESS #2 slowly turns up the heat on Daniel’s grotesque visions of bubbling, oozing, distorted anatomies in this disturbing second issue. Lonnie Nadler and Jenna Cha bring Daniel’s madness slowly into focus as his friends and family twist and distort into nightmare monstrosities.
When last we left Daniel, his friends began to worry about his increasing aloofness and disconnection from their social circle. What nobody understood was that Daniel kept seeing a shadowy figure who watched him from the shadows. Now, everyone and everything around Daniel takes on increasingly grotesque forms as a sickly voice urges him to seek out the shadowy man. Ten years later, George continues researching Mrs. Goodson’s murderous snap, leading him down a dark path of research about the appalling medical procedures performed on the mentally ill.
This issue dives into the medical records and the disturbing outcomes of patients who underwent (typically without consent) procedures to treat their mental disturbances. The issue doesn’t lean heavily into gore, but Jenna Cha’s richly detailed artwork will make you feel disturbingly uncomfortable.
What’s great about THE SICKNESS #2? If you’re into horror along the lines of Junji Ito’s famously disturbing works (e.g. Uzumaki), you’re in for a treat. Daniel’s slow progression into madness feels like a slow-paced simmer, but every vision escalates his disquiet, and you are disquieted right along with him. The issue is slow but effective.
What’s not so great about THE SICKNESS #2? The same criticism we leveled at issue #1 continues to hold here. The story follows two plots ten years apart, but there’s no obvious connection between the plots. It feels like you’re reading two stories that have a disturbing nature without a way to connect the dots. Presumably, the stories will dovetail into each other, but for now, the story feels oddly disjointed.
How’s the art? Jenna Cha’s art is the clear selling point of this issue. Daniel’s visions grow increasingly grotesque as the story progresses, and you can almost hear the gory wetness of the viscera as it slithers and plops.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s THE SICKNESS #2 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our THE SICKNESS #1 review to learn what happened to Mrs. Goodson when she snapped.
We begin with Daniel meeting with Olsen before heading to the movies to meet with a pair of girls from school. Before the boys leave Olsen’s house, the radio broadcast is interrupted by a speech from the President announcing the bombing of Hiroshima. New so f the bomb becomes the talk of the town.
Later, Daniel has trouble focusing on his double date when he sees movie posters melt and slither away. The actors on screen lose their flesh and muscles. When Daniel returns home from dinner, a quiet meal turns into a horror show when Daniel’s parents’ heads twist and extend in impossible directions.
Ten years later, George can’t stop the nagging feeling Mrs. Goodson’s psychotic break was caused by something specific, possibly contagious. We conclude the issue with eyeballs, extreme measures, and an unusual tree.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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THE SICKNESS #2 slowly cranks up the heat with a simmering tale of madness or grotesque visions. Nadler and Cha’s tale parallels the disturbing imagery and atmosphere of Junji Ito while crafting an intriguing, albeit disjointed, mystery.
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