I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of Colder so that fact that it’s returned as a limited ongoing is a cause of excitement for me. That said I did wonder what the lay of the land would be like diving into this second volume. To sum the issue up we find Declan and Reece living together as a happy couple. They’ve put the mess with Nimble Jack behind them and now Declan seeks out insane people to cure. We see several scenes of this and at times it’s funny and other times kind of sad. Eventually Reece brings Declan to meet her co-workers and also wander around and cure people while they’re distracted and asking about their relationship. You’re seeing Declan being extremely helpful and it’s actually kind of nice.
Then we meet Swivel.
And you thought Nimble Jack was fucked up. He starts off by chopping off people’s fingers and honestly it only gets worse from there. I don’t want to spoil anything else, but every time he’s on the page it’s easily the best part of the comic. He's an amazing antagonist.
If it wasn’t for Swivel this issue would be pretty dull, but that’s actually why it works so well. It’s that balance between normal and insanity represented through the storytelling. Declan and Reece have settled into a comfortable life and they’re a cute couple. There is one ridiculous line in which Reece tells Declan to “never cure how insanely good you are in bed.” Which seemed to be more male fantasy driven than anything else. Without that line it would have been an intimate and romantic scene, with it… its corny.
The stuff with Swivel though is crazy. It’s a book about insanity so of course that’s welcomed, but really its stuff I’ve never seen in a comic book or anywhere else for that matter. Juan Ferreyra continues to be one of my favorite artistic talents in the industry. The thing that makes Swivel creepy and the actions he performs creepy, is the way Ferreyra illustrates them. He keeps everything realistic and when you see the stuff I’m talking about you’ll instantly understand why that makes this book creepy and grotesque at the same time. The only other thing I’ll point out about the art is Swivel’s face and how masterfully Ferreyra illustrates the movement on it. It’s gorgeous and disgusting.
It’s not a perfect first issue, but it’s a hell of a return to a series that caught me by surprise last year. It’s definitely a welcomed debut for Halloween and hands down the creepiest things I’ve read in a while. If it wasn’t for those down moments with Declan and Reece I might have needed a shower after reading this issue.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Paul Tobin Artist: Juan Ferreyra Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/22/14 Format: Ongong; Print/Digital