Review: I.D. by Emma Rios

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About the Book

A dystopian tale that analyzes the conflict between perception and identity through the struggle of three people who consider a 'body transplant' as a solution to their lives.

Review

This short graphic novel spoke to our very tumultuous time when it comes to society's understanding of identity, especially in regard to the larger amount of visibility transgender rights are getting now. It was not in any way conflated or pretentious, and really gave for a genuine reflection on how touchy overall this subject is, in relation to what is identity and what is "right." There was a moment that reflected upon the nature of humans desiring change, which really raised the question of whether or not this whole process of transmigration into new bodies would be ethical or just a choice humans should be given.

 Three strangers find themselves in a board room being told about how their consciousnesses will be transferred into another body and this story tells of how they cope with this choice. Although voluntary in nature, this procedure is risky and obviously life-altering to the extreme. It is not to be taken lightly and Rios does an incredibly good job at providing the necessary gravity of the situation through panel composition, writing, and expressive drawings. One detail I especially enjoyed was the choice to draw the comic in red, which I haven't come across too many times, but which I thought fit perfectly, as I consider red a very visceral color, one deeply connected with life and the body. 

The beginning was a little bit clunky, but once we were given the full dish of what was going on, I was enthralled. The story is vitally reverent and introspective, one that could bring up a great deal of discussion if you wanted to corral an unsuspecting reading club. Overall, I thought it was an excellent read, although short, and I would certainly love to see what Emma Rios does in the future.