Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliant dystopian tale set in a future where infertility is rife and a black market in clone babies sprung up as a result. Unfortunately some of the babies grow up into psychotic killing machines, leading the government to create a task force (the skin police) to control them.

Told in a vibrant art style with a bold use of colour this is a tale that weaves family drama, intrigue and corruption into a fast paced, action packed story with a good cast of characters.

A mixture of Judge Dredd, Minority Report, and The Island, Skin Police is a dystopian graphic novel that features a world where fertility is at an all time low and cloning is seen as an alternative… until it isn’t. Because the clones grow up and have something called the “pop” that makes their brain go a little wonky. These “dupes” start to try to kill people. So a task force was created to hunt down and arrest any dupes or suspected ones to keep the peace.

This goes exactly as you’d suspect it would. Hunting, Arresting, Killing, Resistance.

I enjoyed it, yes, but I really need to know more so I can decide if it’s something I would read indefinitely.

This definitely grabs your attention and made me instantly want to read the next volume! Action packed and an interesting story, I would definitely recommend this.

My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this graphic novel that tells of a future where child birth is stagnating and the solutions has led to a new threat, one that only a militarized police force can fight, though many including one officer are starting to wonder what the truth really is.

When I was young we looked forward to the future. Our arts, our entertainment, with a few exceptions were mostly positive, Star Trek seemed possible. Slowly this changed, and now people spend more time looking to the past, returning to an age of nostalgia that never existed, as we speed towards a future that seems to get dumber and darker than any out of fiction. Well maybe the film Idiocracy. As a person who will never have children, I feel a sense of relief. As an uncle, I have fear of what will come. After reading this comic, I see a lot of this happening, much sooner than the comic posits. Skin Police Vol. 1: Crimes Against Nature is written by Jordan Thomas and illustrated by Daniel Gete and tells of a future where children are scare, the replacements are going mad, the police are hiding far more than people know, and things are starting to go bad.

In the year 2142 birth rates began to collapse, leaving people both childless and worried about the future. To fill this gap, a black market was introduced to provide clones to families, based on their DNA, which should have made everyone happy. Except something was in the clones, something that made them go POP, and enter a murderous rage that killed many, many people. These clones, called Dupes became a threat to the public, and a new United Nation force was started to stop and contain this threat. Called the Duplicate Identification and Capture Division, they are better known to the populace as the Skin Police, and are not highly thought of. One of their best agents is Brisson Eckis, a supercop without a conscience, risking life, limb and property damage to contain these Dupes and their murder sprees. Eckis is starting to fear that something else is going on. There seems to be a group that is defending Dupes, a group that is well armed, and well informed of what the Skip Police are up too.

There is a lot here. A police force telling others what to do with their bodies, declaring a certain part of society not human, and not worthy of rights. Declining birth rates causing fear, clones, a bleak future. Except for the fact this book seems to be one hundred years in the future, it really speaks of now in many ways. This might bother some people, but the comic is drawing from a lot of differnt things, Judge Dredd, Blade Runner, Demolition Man, and much more. The world seems real, very close to the world we live in, with people sure they are doing right, without really questioning orders. There are a lot of surprises, and a lot of twists. The art is a mix of Heavy Metal, with a lot of European influence, and Geof Darrow, both in backgrounds, tech and ultraviolence.

Again some might wonder who the Dupes stand for, immigrants, trans people, enemies of the current state that can be anybody right now. Some might not like the reflection from both sides of the political spectrum. I found it interesting and want to see where the story is going. And if the darkness in the comic gets as dark as the world is getting today.

Very interesting premise. I'm interested to see where it goes. I feel like I've read a lot of futuristic dystopian sci-fi that involves clones. This one is tied directly to infertility, leading to the cause of the increase in cloning. I find this interesting, especially since it plays upon the very real fears that a lot of us are having today about low birth rates and the increasing incidence of fertility troubles. The story definitely plays upon several "othering" tropes. The art style isn't my favorite, but I think that's more of a preference.

In the future, a decline in fertility leaves people turning to the black market for babies. However, these babies are clones and once they reach a certain age they POP. Basically translated as. they go absolutely fucking insane and start killing people. A specialized government force is created to ‘take care’ of these clones, aka The Skin Police. Meanwhile an underground rebellion is blooming, along with the possibility of a cure. But does the government want a cure for these clones or do they just want to terminate them?

An interesting premise that was executed with perfection. There is a lot to unpack in this little graphic novel. Much more than just some top notch artwork and clever writing (although these were both highlights) and that ending... let's just say I can't wait to get my hands on the next volume.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Oni Press via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

SF with a trashy cover and a good twist at the end!

Reading this comic shortly after reading Huxley's Brave New World makes you slightly pessimistic about the future.

The story of this dystopia is catchy. Between fertility crises, cloning, denunciation, violent law enforcement and inaccessible drug treatments...
We follow two characters who are at odds with each other. It's really intense when the clones "pop" and become killers.

I'm curious to see where the story will lead.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

First things first and always ACAB.

Right away the cover grabbed me and the title gave me some concerns...

Essentially, this is the combination of Bladerunner and Judge Dredd with The Incal aesthetics, just more bloody and less weird and with replicants being replaced with 'dupes', illegal clones that eventually 'pop' and suffer murderous delusions...

I'll be honest, when I saw "fertility epidemic" and "mass immigration" in the intro I had serious concerns for the politics of this comic, which...while they aren't great, are at least a little more centrist than I initially expected.

The title of this volume is "Crimes Against Nature" and the duplicants are portrayed as both a relatively egalitarian resistance of persecuted minorities and kooky spooky 'psycho killers' that the vast majority of the action and flashy, bloody art is either of the results of their killing sprees or their brutal executions of the DIC 'Skin Police'.

The main POV is our Dredd stand in, complete with visor helmet and a new partner he calls Rook. He has to empathy for dupes and murders them with abandon and is made to look cool, while doing so. We also follow a newly escaped and rescued dupe as well as the leader of the resistance who is [Dredd]'s opposite who is focused on trying to kill his nemesis.

The resistance have a medication that helps dupes keep their minds after they 'pop' and there are rumours that the government suppressed a treatment themselves. Dupes also have no human rights.

There's a lot to unpack and I don't know how inclined I am to spend too much more time thinking about this comic, especially when it seems the creators didn't think that much about what it says themselves.

I feel like we are firmly in the Last of Us 2 and The Substance have your cake and eat it buffet. Dupes are quite literally a serious danger to themselves and each other. When they pop they are given all the thoughtful handling of mental health and marginalisation as an Arkham Asylum 'correctional officer' and it looks cool and bloody when Dredd blows them away as if they are nothing but zombies, but also the government stripped their rights, suppressed their medication, and they can peacefully organise and take care of their own? It's giving Druckmann telling me to be sad about this one dog dying or person dying when he made it incredibly fun to do that a million times before those moments or Fargeat telling me to consider the awful way women, especially aging women are treated while casting the youngest-looking 60-odd year old on the planet and doing no less than three 'old hag' jumpscares in the movie!

I know killing people and dogs is bad and the patriarchal bullshit women, male-gazedly sexualised when young and when thrown away or made freak shows of when they are old, but that's not the ludonarrative and story of this works. Likewise, when you make a marginalised group actual monsters, entirely deranged and murderous, unless they can be imprisoned until the can be safely treated...that's really fucking fucked up.

It's 2025 and fascism is in the rise all over the world. ICE, which very much needs to be abolished, works under the assumption of the above. I have no room left in my Queer trans disabled heart for people who want to fuck around with these massive political allusions without thinking it through and taking in the world around us.

Maybe in further volumes things are fleshed out and less gross, but right now this pseudo-intellectual dystopia and resistance and aesthetic can fuck off along with Pierce Brown's Red Riding bullshit.


ACAB.

It was an exclent idea I'm just not sure I love the excution. The art work for the most part worked for me. The story had one to many holes, and to be honest was voilent enough for the premise. Just let down in the end. Would recommend.

Writer Jordan Thomas and artist Daniel Gete grabbed my attention instantly with the unique title of their latest comic, Skin Police. With a title such as that and a truly unique plot, how could I not dive into this new Oni Press series?

In the year 2142, fertility levels around the globe plummeted, and a black market for illegal clone babies emerged. Millions of parents used their own genetic material to welcome these new children, only realizing the horrific consequences far too late. At some point in their life cycle, three in four of these genetic duplicates transform into psychologically unstable killing machines known as "Dupes." Fortunately, the United Nations of Europe has decided to take an active role in containing the growing threat. Their specialized task force has taken up the unenviable task of hunting Dupes before their violence can spread. To the government, they're the Duplicate Identification and Capture Division. To everyone else, they're the "Skin Police."

Skin Police immediately pulls you in with its unique and intriguing premise. The concept of illegal clone babies evolving into violent criminals is great blend of horror and science-fiction that makes for a great reading experience. While the pacing felt a bit rushed, the story kept me hooked, leaving no real room for any dull moments in its action packed series. The tale has the vibe of an amazing episode of one of my favorite tv series, The X-Files, delivering a thrilling mix of suspense and mystery.

Daniel Gete's gritty artwork complements Jordan Thomas' script perfectly, setting a dark tone for the series. The illustrations give us a vivid picture of a futuristic world revolving around the Skin Police. Gete's style captures the essence of each scene with tension and drama unfolding in each panel. The pairing of Thomas' writing and Gete's artwork creates a visually intense reading experience.

Skin Police is a fantastic horror sci-fi series that had me hooked from the opening panel. While the pacing was a bit rushed to start, I felt the artwork, overall story and outstanding title were so much fun. Thomas' writing and Gete's artwork are the ingredients needed to create a fun comic and I am eagerly awaiting more from these creators.

Quite honestly I didn't like this. The concept was really cool but they just used the same idea every clone movie ever has. Nothing felt original honestly this just wasn't for me.

First, the final twist reveal makes it worthwhile reading - I really want to read the next vol. Set in a future where having children is almost impossible. Cloning is possible, but for some reason most clones eventually lose it and become bersek killers. Why isn’t explained. There is a test, too expensive, yet, instead of testing, the carnage and clean-up are accepted? Weird! We have cops out dealing with this, a second strand story line in a rebellion by the ‘dupes (those affected) and the feeling of a conspiracy in the background. This reminded me of Blade Runner. Sci-fi, set in the future, cops hunting down individuals and exterminating those that have gone wrong. Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Skin Police drops you into a dark future, 2142, where not enough babies are being born. This leads to a shady business in making clone babies. But things go horribly wrong when many of these clones turn into crazy killers called "Dupes." So, the UN creates a tough group called the Skin Police to hunt them down. This setup makes for a really bloody story with lots of action.

Beyond just the violence, the story touches on some serious stuff. The desperation of people wanting kids so badly they go to illegal means, and then the awful results, makes you think about our own worries about having children and the risks of new technologies. The fact that there's a special UN police force also suggests bigger issues about how society deals with fear and control. However, the story gets a bit tangled up and hard to follow at points.

While you might expect a cool, futuristic look, the art doesn't fully deliver on that. Still, Skin Police sounds like a decent read if you're into dark, action-packed stories that make you think a bit, even if it's not perfect and the future world doesn't look as sharp as you'd hope. A 3 out of 5 solid read overall.

I picked up Skin Police because, frankly, with a title like that, how could I not?

Set in a future where people started cloning themselves to get around a fertility crisis, it turns out three out of four of these clones eventually snap and turn into hallucinating, bloodthirsty killers. Oops. Now the world needs a special task force to hunt them down, and that’s where our grim-faced protagonist, Agent Eckis, comes in - part Judge Dredd, part grumpy man who’s seen too much. He’s teamed up with a rookie, and together they shoot their way through conspiracies, moral dilemmas, and some very bad days at the office.

It’s stylish, chaotic, and smarter than it first appears. The art is gorgeous and gritty, the colors pop, and when the clones start “popping” too, it’s intense.

A wild, worthwhile ride.

Prepare to POP out of your seats for great science fiction!

Oni Press knows that their readers love disturbing and disastrous science fiction! Skin Police proves that they are giving their readers exactly what they want. Set in the future where genetic offspring are both a political tool and outlawed, this story is a blood-fueled fever dream that I could not put down!

Jordan Thomas & Daniel Gete are absolutely artists on the rise, this is a terrifying story that doesn’t honestly feel too far off from where we are headed as a society. It’s the perfect encapsulation of science fiction and this duo are exceptionally talented! I cannot wait to see where this series goes! Check it out!