Kenny and Ted’s normal teenage lives are spiraling out of control thanks to a pair of x-ray glasses that makes their wishes a reality — whether they like it or not. Written by David M. Booher and drawn by Chris Shehan, with colors by Roman Stevens and Jim Campbell on letters, Specs #2 continues to weave an eerie supernatural tale.
Specs #2 picks up immediately where the first issue leaves off, with the protagonists dealing with the consequences of a wish gone awry. With a school bully missing from the face of the Earth, Kenny and Ted are left to tread water, waiting to see what the fallout will be. As small-town Ohio trundles on, anxieties bloom, and scrutiny begins to tighten on the boys; until Kenny cracks and makes another wish that will dictate Ted’s fate.
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Booher manages to take a narrative practically as old as language itself (hello, Monkey’s Paw, how do you do?) and make it feel fresh and invigorated, through a combination of brilliant character building and a carefully developed plot. Booher excels at dialogue, capturing the central characters of Specs #2 and their relationship in a way that feels profoundly organic. Furthermore, the writing does not shy away from addressing the inherent tensions of an interracial friendship in rural America during the late ’80s, without letting those themes smother the light-hearted chemistry between Ted and Kenny. Ted is confronted with the realities of small-town racism daily, and Kenny is sympathetic but unable to truly understand the dehumanization and unfairness his best friend faces every day. Conversely, Kenny is too afraid to confide in Ted about his romantic feelings for him, forming a unique dynamic that makes both characters feel authentic, flawed, and lovable.
Shehan’s art shines in the expressive low-fidelity style of Specs #2, cranking up the nostalgia of the ’80s period piece with wonderfully coarse lines and sketch-like shading. The art of Specs #2 channels an unexpectedly noir vision of traditional American aesthetics, simultaneously appealing and foreboding. Shehan’s depictions of the characters are emotive in subtle and impressive ways, conveying complex feelings with impressive deftness. The overall sparseness of the illustration feels characteristic and stylized, creating a fantastically unique visual flavor.
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Stevens’s mastery of color imbues the entire comic with an incredible sense of atmosphere, allowing the illustration of Specs #2 to realize its potential as a gothic exploration of Americana. Stevens sticks to a predominantly cool color palette to great effect: starting green-washed, almost aquatic, with stabs of red that punctuate the palette — blood, the specs themselves — just as they punctuate the lives of Kenny and Ted. This beautiful, almost poetic, use of contrast appears throughout the comic and transforms Specs #2 into a genuine spectacle. Campbell’s letters are solid throughout, deftly transitioning between external dialogue and internal monologue. His letters are slightly heavier and more compact than standard in mainstream comics, giving Specs #2 its own tone and personality that particularly shines in its dialogue.
Specs #2 expands the supernatural drama of the series, creating an arc of escalation that is undeniably intriguing, despite the well-worn themes of magical wish fulfillment. However, the real emotional stakes of the series do not lie in the paranormal powers of the specs but in the relationship between Ted and Kenny and how it will inevitably change over the course of the series. Keenly aware of its strengths and sensitivities, this issue builds the narrative’s momentum and leaves enough crucial questions up in the air to leave readers anxious for the next issue.
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