By Si Spencer

This is a new(ish) program on Netflix, which looks both intriguing and confusing. The graphic novel it is based on turns out to also be intriguing and confusing. It is set in London but over four different years: 1890, 1940, 2014, and 2050. Investigators of each time period are faced with the mysterious appearance a brutally murdered corpse with no identification. The thing is that it is the same corpse for all of them.

I don’t have great facial recognition in general, so was impressed that I was vaguely able to recognize the reoccurring corpse, even across the different art styles. Each year has its own artist, all significantly distinct and all quite good. The art complements the writing in capturing the cultural changes of each time period as well. All that to say, it is a beautifully done graphic novel, and I still have only the vaguest sense of what it is all about.

I think it is probably very British? It reminded me a bit of Watchmen and V For Vendetta in overall style, though Bodies is generally more optimistic. Each year is a time of upheaval for England, highlighting different threats, both internal and external, that England has faced. It ends in a very English-centric declaration that I assume might resonate more if I were English.

… I decided I should probably at least watch the first episode of the show so that I can give my two cents on that, fully expecting to be unenthusiastic, but the show is actually really good! It takes significant divergences from the source, but they mostly improve the suspense and pacing to my mind, as well as making the characters a little more nuanced, though I’m still only halfway through the series. Rebecca pointed out that the cinematography is so good that it surpassed the illustration for her.

The show also made a theme more explicit that I’d initially missed from the comic: that all four investigators from the various time periods are various degrees of acab, exerting their power over vulnerable characters, but they are also each from a discriminated population themselves, possibly using their borrowed authority to balance.