Specter Inspectors #3
Recap
True believer Noa, her cynical little sibling Gus, credulous camera man Ko, and skeptical Astrid head to one of the most haunted towns in America to prove that ghosts exist, for all the social media likes! The investigations of hauntings uncover something more devilish than just a couple of ghosts, something that will put Noa and Astrid's relationship to the test... and reveal the centuries-old sinister secrets of the town itself.
Review
The art in this issue is fantastic. The design of the museum gives a spooky feel. I like the detail of the lights in the windows letting the reader know where the action is occurring. The change in the lettering is very effective in conveying the speech of the demon versus Astrid. It is easy to tell which character is speaking from the same body. I did miss the two sets of eyes effect on Astrid when the demon was coming out. It could mean that the demon is getting a stronger foothold on Astrid. I feel that the use of color again in this issue is appropriate. It is not bright except fort the window lights and is muted which matches the affect the story is supposed to generate.
To the story. We get more characterizations in this issue which includes some motivation especially with Astrid and Ko. Astrid admits her feelings for Noa to Noa’s brother, Gus. Gus is surprising supportive of a relationship. In previous issues he was antagonistic to Astrid. In this issue, he explains that he feels Astrid is toying with her sister which Astrid insists that she is not. Astrid even explains that she does not believe or understand Noa’s pull to the supernatural but now she is seeing the truth in it. Ko on the other hand believes Noa. He is in fact terrified of the ghosts and spooks that they uncover but what started as a way to hang with his friends now becomes a means of helping others despite his own feelings of safety. These reveals help make the characters even more relatable and not just humorous foils of each other.
The progression of the story is a little slow with two more issues remaining. We do learn about the druid like towns people and their motivation is to rid the town of the demon, they just think that Noa is housing the demon. I did not see any real reason for that except for what I add in that she is the leader of the group so obviously, she must have the demon. To create the concept that Astrid and Gus are seeing the museum layout from different time perspectives is interesting; especially giving Astrid the ability to see the rooms in the past even when the demon is not depicted as being in the forefront. The demon appears to be more in control.
Final Thoughts
This issue appears to be a slow burn which makes me concerned that the pacing may increase too rapidly for the remaining issues. This is an enjoyable read with more character moments that that I find very satisfying.
Specter Inspectors #3: A Night at the Museum
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
