You don’t often see the characters’ eyes in Cold Spots by Cullen Bunn and Mark Torres, but when you do, there’s something that needs to be seen: the thing that they’re looking at and also a glimpse of their humanity. Otherwise, these characters are stepping out of a hard-boiled noir and right smack dab into the middle of a gothic ghost story.

Dan has been hired as a private detective by his old, wealthy boss who is also his father-in-law (They don’t get along.), but his ex has gone missing and taken Dan’s daughter with her. That’s enough convincing for Dan . . . plus the large sum of money to get him, on the trail.

In the first issue, Dan caught the trail almost immediately, and by the end of the first issue, he was witnessing strange paranormal activity: people freezing into blocks of ice within minutes. Bunn and Torres don’t hide the supernatural elements from the reader, even if Dan has no clue what he’s getting into. It makes the game more fun for the reader. Ultimately, Dan heads out to a secluded island where his daughter and ex are supposed to be, and the story comes more into focus.

I felt the first issue got off to a slightly bumpy start, but this second issue found its rhythm. Torres’ very rich, but incredibly stylized, artwork felt a little out of place, as the story hadn’t really found the need for it yet, but in this second issue, the story and the artwork have attained synchronicity. I figured it might, but I can only review one issue at a time, folks! It’s a very different look from a lot of books out there. At certain times, it almost feels like Dave McKean which is a great thing. Only McKean never indulged so furiously in so many different colors. Torres’ palette is extensive but never feels out of place.

Bunn’s hard-boiled dialogue hits all of the right notes, inducing laughs and chuckles. Everyone is a badass, only so that they can step in a pile of it, just so we can see that they aren’t.

The lore being built here is really wonderful. Cold Spots is well worth the read if you love genre fare. It’s a creepy book, yes, but it’s also a heck of a time.

Creative Team: Cullen Bunn (creator, story), Mark Torres (creator, art, design), Simon Bowland (letters)
Publisher: Image Comics
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