Colder: Toss The Bones #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Paul Tobin
Art by Juan Ferreyra
Colors Assisted by Eduardo Ferreyra
Letters by Nate Piekos
Dark Horse is no stranger to the strange, and that certainly doesn’t change in the start of this third volume in the Colder series. For readers who aren’t familiar, the series follows a character named Declan who has been on quite the mental roller coaster ride in the first couple of volumes. This twisted tale of insanity, between Boston and the Hungry World, does bring back a familiar foe for previous readers, and that’s Nimble Jack.
Nimble Jack strikes me as a more goth and mysterious version of The Joker. It’s almost how I would imagine Johnny Depp portraying The Joker. As someone who didn’t read a lot of the previous series, I didn’t find it hard to pick up on what was going on. We see Declan and Reece trying to deal with the aftermath of their battle with Swivel, but this issue centers more around Nimble Jack and his plan to regroup. Problem is…I’m not sure we really get there. It’s truly like watching a psychopath with ADHD go from sadistic idea to idea, before finally saying the hell with it.
I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I actually think the way Tobin weaves Jack’s frantic mind is quite admirable. Tobin’s use of hunger as a metaphor on both worlds is also nothing short of brilliant. One thing I will say is the art is very striking. Even the subtle details from Juan Ferreyra fly off the page like a runaway pigeon (if you read it, you’ll know what I mean there.) The shift in colors between worlds by the other Ferreyra. So visually, it’s definitely worth the price of admission. I’m not saying I don’t like the writing. What I’m saying is, it might be hard for new readers to jump right in with an appreciation of these characters right away and where the story is going. It definitely makes you feel uneasy, and it’s supposed to. If you’re a fan of creepy horror, led by a truly mad antagonist, you’ll enjoy this.
Rating: PICK UP