In the opening scene of Twister, Piedro lies in a hospital bed with a wheelchair at his side. Casting a shadow from the doorway, his caretaker remarks on Ohow quickly one gets used to this kind of thing,O as she goes on to empty his catheter bag and help him into his wheelchair. These pages set the scene for Piedros new life as a quadriplegic, following injuries he sustained during a swimming accident.
Flashing back and forth between his accident and his rehabilitation, Piedros first-person narrative is candid and to the point. He describes a growing mix of fear and powerlessness that surges within him as he realizes that he will be paralyzed forever; it explodes forth like a twister, Oover and over again,O until he resigns himself to it. In time, Piedros feelings of hopelessness are offset by the realization that he can find both love and a degree of independence. With the support of his family and friends, he makes his way through rehab and finally gets back to the business of living.
Written and illustrated by Roland Burkart, Twister is more than just a work of fiction. The author himself suffered an accident that resulted in quadriplegia, which is what gives this narrative its fundamental authenticity. Illustrated with sketchy lines of black ink that flow beyond the traditional restrictions of the comic-panel layout, a result of the authors limited range of motion, Twister is a realistic and uplifting narrative that will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced or borne witness to a life upended by calamity.
