Writer/Artist: David Hine
Publisher: Active Images
"They're in love. Isn't that pathetic?"
Every few years of my life, a certain work of the arts (be it film, television, or comic book) makes such an impact on me that I relive the very aura of it time and time again. Strange Embrace came to me rather unexpectedly, by post from Active Images, a certain work that could be immediately classified as cold and peculiar just from its cover---a perhaps horrifying image of a formless face punctured by nails. And even in its terminus; perhaps the most unsatisfying yet complete climax I have ever encountered, the book remains a cold touch, disturbing but brilliant. In time, it will consume you too.
There is no one paragraph that could justly summarize the plot of this work, for it lies in complex structures containing different perspectives and ingenious motifs. It is the story of Alex, a villainous wrongdoer, who uses his psychic powers to destroy his victims. It is the story of Anthony Corbeau, a tragic victim of both sexual perversion and the intricacies of Victorian Society. It is also the story of Sarah Windsor, another victim, yet in the most unlikely way. Finally, it is through Sukumar that we learn this tale, a young boy who acts as a mere toy for Alex.
So much is at work in Strange Embrace that this tale will mean something different to everyone. To me, it is a tale of false love, and how the very abuses of sexuality and commitment can be disgustingly fatal. Others may be lured into the suspense and mystery as I was, in which no conclusion can be reached until the final page. David Hine takes the reader through every misleading path imaginable, yet still making it worthwhile in the end as you reread this time and time again, searching for the clues. There are so many "What Ifs" here, that subsequent reads will prove more difficult than the first.
And it could be the darkest vehicle of psychological mayhem and tension to enter your mind. A black and white print in which the only welcoming thing is the freshness of the paper, David Hine also draws this tale, in which he uses heavy, clean inks and a rather unique depiction of the human structure. At first, the figures may not seem consistent, shifting in their form and somewhat similar, but the abstract impact of them works wonders for the tale. Mr. Hine imparts the later images of the story throughout the exposition, leaving the reader's eye on the page from front to back.
Originally a low print by a now-defunct company in 1994, Active Images marks the 10th anniversary of Strange Embrace with this reprint, sure to breathe new life to its legacy. An astounding portrayal of sexual perversion, the dark corridors of the human experience, and themes rarely explored in any medium, it will be one to hold onto for a very long time. The characters transcend the medium to bring you into their world, if only by your sympathetic emotion. It will consume you.
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