Colder: The Bad Seed #4
Dark Horse
Words: Paul Tobin
Pictures: Juan Ferreyra

When I get sick and run a fever, I don’t mess around.  It’s not uncommon for me to run a fever of 101 to 102 on average.  Anything below that is no big deal.  But man, when I do run those higher fevers, my dreams are completely messed up.  Oh, sure, they start out pretty normal; like I’ll be walking through my house to go to the kitchen… The suddenly it’s not my house any more, and I can’t find the kitchen.  Then I’m being followed, and now I’m outside, so I start running, but I have no idea where I’m going and I’m not sure exactly why I’m running but I just can’t seem to stop and I’m not sure how long I’m going to be running but dammit I better keep running because something is back there, and I know I don’t like it but I’m not sure I’m going to like what’s just beyond this next turn either… and then I wake up.  That’s what reading Colder is like; a fever dream on the page.

Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra continue to put together one of the most “WTF?” filled books I’ve read in a long time, and I just can’t get enough.  I’m not sure who is running the higher fever here, Paul or Juan.  I mean finger birds?  Dammit those things are creepy!  And then Swivel just sends them off to splat themselves?  Guys, make sure you’re getting enough liquids.

The bulk of the book is Reece’s, well, fever dream come to life.  She’s running through one pocket of crazy to another trying to find Declan.  And the things she see there are truly bizarre and disturbing.

OK, quick aside.  I’m asking both Paul and Juan here.  That giant-shirtless-eight armed-eyeball nippled-hat wearing-twister thing…  Is its head made out of little breasts?  What the Hell?!  Dudes!  Whose idea was that?  Because… wow.  I mean, wow.

Through all of my ramblings and carrying on, the bottom line is this: Paul and Juan are crafting a tale that takes you into a very believable world of insanity.  The sense of urgency and helplessness Reece is forced to face this insanity on her own without the buffer of Declan and his ability to nullify the crazy is palpable.  This really is like reading a fevered dream.  This may be my favorite issue yet.

5 out of 5 Finger Birds