Surgeon X is a comic that fuses the manga Black Jack and the graphic novel V for Vendetta. It is set in futuristic London as a medical crisis is unfolding. The comic focuses on Rosa Scott, a genius surgeon, who disagrees with how the government is handling the current medical crisis by limiting antibiotics. Rather than do nothing she has decided to open her own clinic as a way to save lives and circumvent the government’s choice to choose which citizens live and die. The plot attempts to establish a new concept by fusing medical concerns and freedom issues into one comic.
The Good:
Surgeon X captures your attention as it takes the concepts of government, suppression, and rogue doctors and blends them into a new concept. In particular, the comic has 2 concepts feeding into one another as the government introduced regulations for distribution of antibiotics. As a result, it has forced Rosa to quit her job and become a rogue doctors. Yet the government had no choice in many aspects as doctors have been subscribing antibiotics to treat infections for decades, which has led to natural resistance over time. The comic establishes that both parties are responsible for these circumstances. It makes it hard to separate the 2 concepts as they are intertwined with one another. In many ways it sets forth a new way to look at these concepts that have been around for decades. Furthermore, the comic utilizes an interesting structure that helps to show the strong characterization of Rosa. At the start of the issue Rosa is driving around the streets in an armored ambulance as a riot is occurring in London. We understand she is doing this illegally but we don’t know the reasons for her actions. Now as events unfold and the riot gets worse Rosa has a flashback to 2 weeks before the riots. We learn that she is a surgeon, who saved a girl’s life, but ultimately doomed her as the government is rationing antibiotics and this girl will most likely not get any. Rosa feels the government has no right to control medicine and she quits. She deceivingly forms her own clinic as a means to treat the people so that they won’t get an infection. The final part of this comic is back in modern times. Rosa, realizes a bomb went off at a political debate and goes to save one of the candidates. When she arrives she decides to let the other candidate die who is for limiting medication. Due to the structure of the comic we see Rosa’s character change in a matter of 2 weeks from wanting to save all lives to prioritizing certain lives, as she has become very similar to the government despite opposing it. This comic truly sets forth a new way to look at the concept of governmental suppression and rogue doctors along with how people’s actions and attitudes change in situations.
The Bad:
The comic’s major concern is developing a connection with the reader. In particular, the comic doesn’t connect with the reader until the middle of the comic as we learn that Rosa was a surgeon and she left the hospital and the government’s policy. This is important as it connects the character to the reader, but this was told in the middle of the comic rather than at the start. As a result, it is not as effective as it could have been. Furthermore, the flashback feels forced, rather than natural, as it seems like a means to provide Rosa’s backstory. The comic has major issues connecting to the audience in structure and in placement of information about the characters and why we should care about them.
The Verdict:
The concept for this comic is a wonderful idea of fusing the elements of rogue doctors and suppressive governments during a medical crisis. As a result, the comic has developed an interesting character in Rosa. But at the same time, the comic does struggle to connect with the reader as the first issue was confusing and had a difficult time of making the reader care about what was occurring until the middle of the first issue. I want to love Surgeon X, as the concept is a likable concept, yet the comic’s first issue was confusing and required me to read half way through to pique my interest. Due to the interesting concept I am willing to give this comic another issue to redeem its self as this issue was very rough around the edges.
You can pick up a copy of Surgeon X here.
