Specs #1, from BOOM! Studios will interest Silver Age comic fans, as well as today’s new readers.
Written by David M. Booher, it’s a fun ‘What If’ scenario that’s come to be: What If you found a back issue comic book, and wanted to have something advertised in it, say, Magic Specs? And What If the Magic Specs magically arrived at your doorstep, without you even ordering them? What then?
Booher plays with the comic nerd tropes and the painful coming of age of two teen boys. The sexual urges, the urges to kill the school bully, that sort of thing. The characters are well-fleshed out, their hopes and dreams well characterized. Most of us comic readers can relate to the angst.
Artist Chris Sheehan brings a nice balance of realism and comic fantasy to the visuals. The panels are tilted, the viewpoint shifts effectively, overlapping dramatically, with well-placed captions (letters by Jim Campbell) floating carefully within reach. Roman Stevens colours with primary colours, subtly greyed down to suggest retro-aged memories.
A good start to the series, with plenty of dramatic moments to keep the restless satisfied.
BOOM! Studios, Specs #1, $3.99 for 22 pages of content
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