A Scanner Darkly

Summary:

A Scanner Darkly is a novel written by Philip K. Dick, which eventually turns into a film and then back into a graphic novel.  Using still shots from the film, the graphic novel is created with actual scenes from the movie.  The graphic novel is essentially about a character who is an undercover cop, by the name of Bob Arctor.  Bob gets caught up in drug usage and an identity crisis while trying to investigate on the drug known as Substance D.  Substance D is a highly addictive drug which is known to cause the two halves of the brain to work independently.  Bob plays the role of "Fred", the undercover drug addict investigating Substance D, which he eventually becomes an actual addict and confuses himself; leaving Bob to spy on himself as "Fred".  Ultimately, Bob is checked into a rehab center called New Path and takes on a different identity, Bruce.  Bruce finds outs that New Path is actually the supplier and distributor of Substance D -- ending the novel with a sort of twist on the drug issue occurring in the community.

Main Issues, Themes or ideas:

- Identity crisis

- Drug addition and persecution

- Morality

Visual Style:

The visual style was definitely unique in the sense of using still shots from the movie created out of the novel and developing a graphic novel from the actual scenes in the film.  A program, rotoscope, was used to create this sort of animated look that made the style even more riveting and distinctive.