I love comics that deal with real-life problems because many people can relate to them. Candice Crow is a teenage girl growing up poverty-stricken and dealing with a drunken dad, a confused little sister, and the death of her mother, who committed suicide. She’s growing up in a bad neighborhood, trying to get through school with a part-time job, and trying to make her rock band become noticed by record labels. That’s a lot on a plate for a teenager, and Candice comes off as a very mature and responsible girl who any parent would be proud of. She also has a secret: a skin condition that requires her to step into a crazy suit for 15 minutes or she will start looking like the living dead. She also has supernatural powers that are unexplained (literally).

The comic itself flows very well, and I never put it down until the end. The writing is punchy and grabs your attention; it forgoes all the constant backtracking, flashbacks, and filler. What keeps you reading is what Candice goes through every day of her life while trying to battle this skin condition. While there aren’t too many huge twists, I finished this comic with more questions than when I began. What is this skin condition called? Was she born with it? Is it genetic? What are these supernatural powers? We know she can read people’s minds when she kisses them; where did it come from? I hate being left in the dark like that, but you end up forgiving it thanks to the entertainment value Crow brings.

There are a few fight scenes, and they are pretty tense. They are very realistic, feel pretty crunchy, and make you cringe. You end up feeling really sorry for Candice for dealing with the murder of her best friend, bailing her dad out of jail every week, and having to tell her little sister white lies to continue on with life. Even if there weren’t any superpowers, this comic would be very entertaining due to that. It feels like the writer went through similar experiences himself. I highly recommend this comic to anyone who likes very surreal reads with a touch of superhuman stuff.