"Thirty years I've been alone. I don't suppose anyone cares. Not that I expect them to. I'm dying." --Charlie Everett, Cura Te Ipsum
In the webcomic Cura Te Ipsum, written by Neal Bailey and illustrated by Dexter Wee, we meet Charlie Everett, a desperate and suicidal man who finds a new lease on life after he is saved by an alternate universe version of himself. This other Charlie introduces our protagonist to his alternate universe selves that make up the organization Cura Te Ipsum.
Cura Te Ipsum, from the Latin phrase meaning "heal thyself," takes on the mission of traveling across multiple universes to prevent the different Charlies from killing themselves. Through Cura Te Ipsum, Charlie finds a new family among the members of his team, each given a nickname to avoid confusion. Charlie's team includes Leo, who saved his life and serves as the team's leader; Nerd, the version of Charlie who became obsessed with science; Charlene, a female version of Charlie with weapons expertise; and Squirt, a younger version of Charlie.
Charlie and his team must also face the Dark Everett, a version of Charlie that represents all of his bitterness and self-hatred. The Dark Everett and his team have made it their goal to track down and kill every Charlie, believing that they are meant to die. Immediately after joining Cura Te Ipsum, an attack by the Dark Everett thrusts Charlie headlong into an epic battle between hope and nihilism.
Neal Bailey and Dexter Wee bring the story to life through whip-smart storytelling and fluid artwork, proving to be an incredible creative team. What's most impressive is their ability to make all the different versions of Charlie Everett into distinct characters yet still believable as different aspects of the same person. Bailey always seems to be ten steps ahead of the reader, with plenty of twists and surprises to throw our way, and Wee makes drawing seem as easy as breathing, as seen in one of the behind-the-scenes videos posted to the website.
I enjoy Cura Te Ipsum not only for the intense action and unique take on the idea of alternate universes; I enjoy Cura Te Ipsum because I can relate to Charlie's quest for healing. Because I have also struggled with depression, I feel attached to Charlie and want to cheer him on as he begins to confront Dark Everett and deal with his own bitterness.
I must admit, though, that I want to bring more attention to Cura Te Ipsum mainly because, as a huge comic book nerd, I believe that half the fun of reading a comic comes from geeking out about it with other fans. More people reading Cura Te Ipsum means more people with whom I can speculate about future plot twists, analyze the characters' motives, and celebrate when something truly epic happens in the story. Cura Te Ipsum is one of the most exciting comics around, so take a chance and crawl through the portal into Charlie Everett's world.
Cura Te Ipsum updates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at CharlieEverett.com.
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