Colder #2 Review

By Diego Chi
December 6, 2012 - 17:28

Paul Tobin's Colder continues this month with another fantastic installment of this horror-thriller. The second chapter in the five part mini-series gives us a look into the "hungry world" of insanity. The hero, Declan, wakes from his comatose state and begins to explain the complexities of his past to his caretaker, Reece. Instead of simply telling her, he decides to show her by diving into the mind of an insane homeless man.

While the first issue was centered around the female lead, Reece Tobin, this chapter brings Declan into the spotlight. Declan himself does not have explanations to why or how he came to have a body temperature of forty-seven degrees, or why he came out of his comatose state now with Reece instead of earlier. As Declan and Reece stumble upon an insane homeless man, Declan somehow transports them into the mind of the madman. Tobin makes clever use of closing Reece's eyes for a transition from the normal world she sees to the "hungry world" of insanity Declan sees. Here, Reece functions as an ambassador to the audience-- the readers learn to understand the "hungry world" as Declan explains what he can to her. The dialogue Tobin writes for those plagued with insanity is perfectly creepy (and makes me wonder if Tobin himself is mentally stable). He ends this issue much like the first: with a simple yet effective reveal. Perhaps other creators should take note that not all comic books require cliché cliffhangers to keep their readers dying to see what happens next.

Juan Ferreyra hits another home run this issue with his amazing pencils. Colder #2 has Ferreyra flexing his artistic muscles-- from picturesque architecture to horrific monsters. There is a moment where Declan parallels the normal world of Reece with the "hungry world" of Declan. Ferreyra shines as he draws classic east coast architecture on one page, then on the next he switches to dilapidated buildings stacked on top of each other, all on the verge of collapse. The monsters he creates to fill the "hungry world" are fantastically unpleasant (I would try to describe them but each one is so varied from the next it would be impossible to do them justice). Ferreyra has yet to settle for anything less than stunning.

Tobin is weaving a dense plot into this five part mini-series. With how many questions have been posed so far, I'm not sure how he could wrap it all up in the three remaining issues. My doubts aside, the wealth of characters Tobin has created and the captivating world Ferreyra has drawn are more than enough to make this comic book an extremely enjoyable read. I will be with them until this creepy ride is over.

Rating: 8.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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