Digital-CAPtionS – “Cold Blooded Chillers #3″

January 30, 2009 by Jaymes Reed
Filed under Columns

Digital-CAPtionS – “Cold Blooded Chillers #3″
by Jaymes Reed, Columnist

I’ve been away for over a month (no, I have not been in jail), and now I’m back to offer my unsolicited opinions and other such know-it-all-type stuff.

For my not-so-long-awaited eleventh installment of “CAPtionS,” I’m returning to a new series I reviewed once already: Cold-Blooded Chillers. The third issue of this horror anthology series was released this month, so that’s going to be my next -and LAST- comic book review. Reason being, I’m a WORKING comic book letterer. And since I want to stay that way, I’ve decided to no longer write reviews, good or bad, to comics created by one or a few who could be future prospective clients. “Why didn’t you think of that already, Jimbo?” Says you. It wouldn’t be the first time I put my cart before the horse. Poor horse.

So my next articles forward will center around comic-related topics of some kind or another, but not specific comic book reviews, ‘k? Truth be told, I love writing for this site, so I’m going to search high and low for topics other than that to write about if it kills me.

Speaking of killing…

Robert Heske returns with another issue of “Cold-Blooded Chillers.” In the two previous issues, he told tales of serial killings in themed situations. This time is no different, telling three stories themed around the supernatural.

The first story, “Shadow,” is about a little boy who has to go off with his mother’s boyfriend every now and then. Why she let’s him is unclear. However, this Daddy-wannabe isn’t taking Junior to the amusement park for a ride on a Ferris wheel. Oh no. This “Father of the Year” candidate stops at a filthy truck stop restroom to trade for some drugs. What’s he trading away? The boy, of course! Temporarily, that is. Thirty minutes in the scumbags 18-wheeler, I think.

OK, Bob. You definitely got my attention this time.

I won’t give away the whole thing, but suffice it to say they are being watched –from the shadows– by someone dark; someone representing some sort of karma or justice. Adam Swiecki did an outstanding job conveying the horror of it all in his black and white artwork. I re-read the story without looking at the letters and it tells the same story. Just awesome.

“Transcendence” was about a nightwatchman at an aquarium who seems at first to be a suicidal drunk. He suffers from extreme guilt over having not watched his daughter at the beach, instead falling asleep as the tides came in. He sees her ghostly form on a number of occasions while making his rounds.

This wasn’t a bad story and the art of Rene Maniquis was super cool, especially the panel in which we view the watchman from inside the tank looking out- great effect! My only question: if I’m feeling suicidal guilt over the drowning death of a daughter, would I really arm myself and get a job at an aquarium? Maybe you wouldn’t think so, but perhaps this guy suffers from such wretched guilt, he chooses to torture himself rather than go on with life in any normal fashion.

I personally came close to having something similar happen to me once- this story is as chilling as the real-life thought of it is. To be responsible for the accidental death of a child is likely a horror all its own. Truly terrible.

“Synchronicity” was about life and death and how it can all come full circle. Someone who wants to kill herself one day finds a reason to live. The years pass until we find her happy on December 21, 2012- and as promised before, I won’t spoil the rest.

Dirk Shearer did an adequate job on the art, though I felt some panels shared varying degrees of skill. Some were well done while others appeared to me to have been rushed through a little. I didn’t care for the letters much, but then, when do I?

Overall, I’d give Bob’s third attempt at chilling us to the bone a 7 out of 10, and I have to promise you “Shadow” carries the weight of that. THAT one story IS CBC#3. Very, very well done. It should be nominated for something for crying out loud.

To purchase your copy, visit the web site: http://www.coldbloodedchillers.com

Keep The Vision,
Jaymes Reed

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