A Scanner Darkly

Plot
The graphic novel "A Scanner Darkly," is based on the movie adaptation of the novel by Philip K. Dick. Set in a dystopian Orange County not too far in the future, protagonist Bob Arctor is an undercover cop who goes by "Fred" while investigating the drug scene of the highly addictive Substance D. Substance D is known for its potent psychoactive effects; continued use of it will eventually lead to the user's brain splitting into two competing halves. With the majority of the population addicted, Arctor goes undercover as a junkie and becomes addicted himself. Amongst the police force, Arctor's identity and others' is concealed by a "scramble suit." This measure actually leads to Arctor having to spy on himself; that is, officer Fred has to spy on Substance D junkie Bob Arctor. This crisis is amplified by the effects of addiction on Arctor's cognitive ability. Finally, Arctor is admitted to New Path (a rehabilitation center guarded from government surveillance) and discovers the source of Substance D within New Path's garden-commune. Arctor was chosen by the police force to enter New Path as an actual addict in order to confirm it as the distributor of Substance D.

Main Issues:

• Drug addiction and paranoia
  
• Identity; the psychological, physical, and emotional aspects of it-performative identity
  
• Government surveillance and conspiracy
• Criminal - Cop relationship

Visual Style:
The graphic novel images for "A Scanner Darkly" were stills taken from the film version that was released in 2006. The film was done in a unique style known as rotoscope, which includes the preliminary digital filming of real actors (you might recognize Keanu Reeves, Winona Rider, and Robert Downey Jr.) followed by animating over. This produces an interesting effect; here's a link to view the movie trailer if you're curious as to what it looks like.