Cold Spots is published by Image Comics. It is written by Cullen Bunn with art by Mark Torres.
I’m a fan of Cullen Bunn. I have always enjoyed his writing, particularly his creator-owned content. Seriously, his psychological horror stuff is fantastic and Cold Spots #1 seems like it will be no exception.
Its hinted at in this debut issue, but you don’t fully understand the plot unless you read the synopsis for it on either the Image website or ComiXology or the like. So allow me to sum it up for you: 10 years prior to the start of this comic, Dan Kerr abandoned his wife, Alyssa, and their unborn daughter, who has since been born and is named Grace, resulting in Alyssa moving back in with her (very rich) father. However, Alyssa and Grace have gone missing. So her father has decided to hire Dan to find them. Unbeknownst to Dan, he is about to face terrors like he has never seen because wherever Grace is, the restless souls of the dead begin to stir.
I really like the character of Dan. Because I feel like I’m going to hate him. He’s the protagonist and I’m going to be rooting for him, but I’m probably also going to think he’s an asshole. I also liked the interaction between Dan and Mr. Warren and the way the conversation felt natural while also giving us information, which I much prefer over narration explaining all over the place. While those two were solid, the butler felt like more of a plot device than a character. He wasn’t very interesting and mostly seemed to exist as a way for Dan to figure out where Alyssa and Grace might be, but I feel like he could have just found something written down and that dialogue could have been replaced with…something more productive? I guess?
What I’m most intrigued by are ghosts and what exactly they are. Do they really belong to the owner they resemble? Or are they perhaps a more sinister being that is just hijacking a form? Are they inherently bad? I have so many questions and I’m excited for the answers. I’m reminded again that Cullen Bunn has a great understanding of horror. This story isn’t full of jumps and blood, but it’s chilling.
There’s something about the blended, water-color style art that Mark Torres brings that truly turns this into a haunting tale. From Grace’s drawings to the otherworldly-beings themselves, Torres makes them feel genuinely unsettling. It’s not just the chilling aspect of his art that’s impressive, but even in the way the background colors and overall tint change depending on the scene and what’s happening – it ranges from intense purple to soft gray. Really, there is quite the plethora of colors going on, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. For instance, when Dan is in Mr. Warren’s office, everything is shrouded in green at first, but shifts to other colors as the conversation changes. It’s truly beautiful work.
Cold Spots #1 from your local comic shop!
Happy reading!
