Advance Review: Cullen Bunn’s Chilling New Horror Series Cold Spots
by Brendan M. Allen
Psychological terror, the undead, and a supernaturally bitter cold come together in this spine-tingling new series from Cullen Bunn (Regression, Harrow County) and Mark Torres (Zombies vs. Robots: Undercity).
Ten years ago, Dan Kerr turned his back on his wife and unborn daughter. Now, both mother and child have gone missing, and Dan must face cosmic terrors to find them again. He soon finds that ghosts stir when his estranged daughter is near. And as the dead grow restless, the cold deepens…
Ghost hunters refer to a localized area of sudden decreased ambient temperature as a cold spot, and they associate the anomaly with paranormal activity. Cullen Bunn has taken the mystic phenomenon and thrown his dark noir flair at it in Cold Spots #1.
Bunn says,
The idea of a sudden drop in temperature accompanying the manifestation of spirits has always fascinated me. With Cold Spots, I couple that idea with a tale of very personal loss and dread. As the dead surround Dan and his missing child, the cold takes on a deadly, terrifying ‘life’ of its own.
Every once in a while, I get an unfinished comic in my inbox. The first copy I read of Cold Spots hadn’t been lettered yet. I didn’t realize until I was halfway through the book. That’s how good the art is. Mark Torres was telling me a silent story, and I was sucked in, tracking right along for a good twelve pages before it dawned on me there should probably be a few words on a couple of these panels.
This first chapter is a brilliant example of occult noir. The first sequence sets the tone for this five part miniseries. Hauntings are disturbing in and of themselves. Throw missing children and bereaved parents into the mix, and it dials up the creepiness factor. The paranormal and mystery elements integrate ridiculously well in this genre-bending series opener.
Cold Spots #1, published by Image Comics, releases on 22 August 2018. Written by Cullen Bunn, art and color by Mark Torres, letters by Simon Bowland.
Final order cutoff for retailers is Monday 30 July 2018, so order today! Seriously, call your LCS. They know what to do.
