Polite Dissent

JSA Classified #19 “Skin Trade, part one: Spare Parts”
Scott Beatty, writer
Rags Morales, penciller

An enjoyable and well-drawn comic starring Dr. Mid-Nite that begins by relating the urban legend of the businessman who had his kidney stolen, and then playing “could this really happen?” by setting the scenario in the super-hero world.

Short answer: It’s unlikely, but possible if one allows for “super-science.”

Longer answer: My concerns are two-fold:

1.Compatability. Organ donor and recipient need to have compatible tissue types — for some organs this requires nothing more than identical blood types, but for most organs this requires an extensive list of matching genes. There’s no point in just stealing the organs of random people and hoping they’ll work, because even the strongest anti-rejection medicine can’t make this happen. Unless you already know the victim’s blood type and genotype (an expensive and time consuming process) — and that specific tissue type is required by the recipient — there’s no point in stealing the organs. This pretty much rules out “kidney-napping” in the real world. [Admittedly, in the comic world, super science may have found a way around this. Maybe an instant non-invasive scanner to detect genotype.]

2. Structure. Take the model with the transplanted wings. Her body structure is not set up to support wings, either musculature, nerves, or blood supply. Similarly, size is important. Loose Cannon is huge, and his heart is going to be way too big for anyone who’s not as massive as him. (Speaking of Loose Cannon, as I recall he has a night/day power — he’s Loose Cannon at night, and a scrawny guy during the day. So does that mean his heart reverts back during the day as well?). [Repeated disclaimer about super-science finding a way around these restrictions].

• cover: It’s a nice action shot of Dr. Mid-Nite, overlaying a classic anatomical drawing from Gray’s Anatomy (the book, not the TV show). The images is Fig. 324 – Veins of the head and neck.
• page 1:
  “In addition to being acutely susceptible to the soporific effects of a rare and non-prescription schedule four opiate.”
  Schedule IV drugs are some of the least addictive and least restricted of the controlled substances. By definition, they are all prescription. I suspect Beatty actually means Schedule I drugs which are substances that have a high abuse potential but cannot be prescribed because thery have no accepted medical use. I expanded on this more in an earlier post on Dr. Mid-Nite and his use of controlled substances.
• page 8:
  “A few c.c.’s of Ver-Sed to dull Peregrine’s pain and wipe her short term memory…”
  First, It’s Versed, not “ver-sed” — I don’t know why comic books always spell it this way. A “few c.c’s” — let’s say 3 — is equal to 15mg and that’s quite a hefty dose, though not an impossible one, particularly for a super-powered individual. Versed does have amnestic properties like he says; however, it won’t really wipe her memory as much as make her recollection of events fuzzy and imprecise.
• page 10: Meares-Irlen Syndrome (also known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome) is a real condition and involves problems with visual contrast, like the good doctor says.
• page 18: Injecting medication between the toes is a common way to avoid detection. It’s really a moot point though as most anti-rejection medications can be taken in pill form, so there’s no need for injections. Plus she seems to be using cyclophosphamide which is an anti-cancer drug, not an anti-rejection one.
  page 19: Dr. Mid-Nite is right: immunosupressant medication will make her more susceptible to illnesses such as the common cold.