Dark Spaces: Dungeon is quickly becoming one of my favorite serial killer capers of all time. It blends the detective stylings of Se7en with the twisted yet original practices of a different kind of serial killer—a killer who tortures with a very specific kind of trap or dungeon. With issue #3 out on February 7th, I got a chance to review the next issue early, and it is a satisfying chapter in the five-issue series.
As the cover of this issue hints at, the main character, detective Bohdi, and the father of the latest victim of the kidnapper come closer to learning more about the killer. Previous issues did a fantastic job capturing the utter horror of what this killer does to his kidnapped victims, while this issue delivers interesting clues to keep track of. If you like detective tales, this issue keeps you fed with plenty to chew on and think about and allows you to come to some of your conclusions.
With a young boy recently kidnapped, the pressure is on to find the serial killer who also captured Bohdi many years ago. As the only survivor who escaped his clutches, Snyder adds new wrinkles to what it means to be so special in the eyes of the killer.
The utter horror of losing a child is captured well in different ways in this issue. Not only from the father’s perspective, but getting new insights from the victim pried from one of the killer’s dungeons in the last issue. The psychological pain is evident, and it’s interesting to see how it affects Bohdi, who clearly isn’t healed from his own traumatic experience.
The issue opens with high emotions. His kid was kidnapped!
Credit: IDW
The only weakness of this issue is Bohdi, who reacts in ways that convey his personality, but he’s still quite an enigma. How has he become so well-adjusted after being trapped for so long? He’s more of a vessel of a detective on the hunt, more than anything else.
Meanwhile, artist Hayden Sherman continues to be excited with interesting compositions. A page with Bohdi walking down a hospital hallway slants across the page, drawing your eye with plenty of detail in the environment. There’s a flow to the story that’s unmistakable. A solitary tiny panel over two others reveals Bohdi’s expression, expertly moving the story along between the panels it sits atop. There are unconventional choices made that enhance the horror and intensity of scenes.
Andworld Design does great work with lettering, with a handwritten look that makes captions feel more like journals. A hard-hitting “kathunk kathunk kathunk” adds a lot to a book that’s mostly without sound effects.
Dark Spaces: Dungeon continues to be edge-of-your-seat psychological horror with fantastic visual storytelling. The third issue is an absorbing serial killer mystery.
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