Spencer & Locke 2 #3: On Thin Ice

This was a strange and exciting issue, largely taking place in a nightmarish dreamscape as Locke clings to life. Meanwhile, outside of Locke’s fantasy Melinda uses her talents as a reporter to get to the bottom of Roach’s rampage, while Locke’s daughter faces the crazed killer head on.

Creating a superhero persona for Hero (Locke’s daughter) was an interesting addition to this series. I feel like childhood innocence worked as a perfect metaphor for the often black and white tales of superhero comics. Hero is the embodiment of good and innocence as she attempts to foil the plot of Roach, whom she views as a force of pure evil. This made for an interesting change of pace compared to the series’ tragically flawed hero, Locke. I felt that Hero’s story was the highlight if the issue whereas Locke’s fantasy felt more of a jumbled mess. Tho, it seems likely that was to convey the fact that the character was barely clinging to life in the real world.

The art for this issue was good overall but did have a few panels that seemed a bit rushed. The splash pages were filled with great detail, panel layouts added a level of excitement to the issue, and the nazi snowmen were endlessly creepy but the art style felt a bit static compared to other issues in the series and a few panels felt hastily done and without attention to minor details.

Overall, this was a fun and exciting issue with great plot and character development and imaginative page layouts.