Colder #4 (Dark Horse)
With issue #4, we find Declan desperate to find his former caregiver, and possible love interest, Reece. She was kidnapped by hands, which somehow grabbed her, and lifted her through a taxi. Such is the world of Colder. A universe of mind-fuckery and dropping body temperature, all wrapped up in a desperate search for the meaning behind the insanity spilling forth from the cup of life. Also, neither here nor there, but I just realized Declan looks like a blue version of Chris Hemsworth.
Paul Tobin weaves the thread of narrative into a tapestry of madness, which consists of a blue guy walking around Boston. Begs the question on the state of his b…you know what, no, that joke is too stupid. We travel back to the hungry world, with another crazy. This dude thinks dogs talk to him. Son of Sam anyone?
Now, I’m not sure of the process involved in the creature design for this series. Whether or not Tobin dictates what Juan Ferreyra draws, or if it’s mainly just Ferreyra doing his thing. Either way, the baddies in this comic are my favorite of any comic.
His art reminds me of Clive Barker at his best. Things which disturb you on a deep, psychological level. Beasts which have too many eyes or hands. It always warms my black heart to see new monsters, and Ferreyra draws the best I’ve seen in many moons.
Is It Good?
Final Score: 8
- Incredible creature design
- Cool alternate universe
- Characters and their relationships seem forced
- Underwhelming plot trumped by art often in this issue
So, is it good? Yes, it is. Evocative imagery, and an interesting little world where insanity reigns. However, Declan randomly hanging out with a crazy dude for most of the issue takes a lot of the gravitas away from the affair. We’ve never met broseph before, and yet we’re expected to care about him. But why? We’ve never met him before. What makes this crazy dude more meaningful than the slew of other crazies Declan has dealt with in past issues?
Also, the resolution of the issue is a bit underwhelming. It’s a case of the art trumping the story, and while the world building is unique, when we leave the “Hungry World,” things are fairly unremarkable.
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