The penultimate issue of writer David M. Booher and artist Chris Shehan’s miniseries is here with Specs #3, featuring colors by Roman Stevens and letters from Jim Campbell. After accidentally causing their bully to vanish, Kenny and Ted’s magical wish-granting specs have thrown them a second inadvertent set of problems. Kenny’s well-meaning wish that Ted could leave their small town in Ohio behind indirectly causes Ted to get hauled off the baseball field in cuffs by the local PD, leaving both of their futures hanging in an uncertain balance.
Specs #3 picks up less than an hour after the previous issue, with Ted Reynolds under arrest for the murder of the missing bully, Skunk, and most of the small town whipped up into a vengeful frenzy. Kenny’s desperate attempts to help him eventually lead to the manufacturing address of the specs. There, Kenny makes some horrifying discoveries about the nature of the specs and the people who wore them before him. Despite learning of their terrible legacy, Kenny uses the glasses to help Ted.
Booher’s writing is impressive throughout Specs #3, helping the miniseries distinguish itself from the many Monkey’s Paw stories of juvenile wish fulfillment that have come before it. Even more rooted in the supernatural than previous issues, Specs #3 has an amazing gothic turn at its center, which provides some excellent and compelling world-building. Booher also does a great job finally breaking down Kenny’s naïveté concerning the racism his best friend Ted faces in their small town, bringing that thematic thread to a small resolution. This issue also does brilliant work deepening a reader’s empathy and affection for Ted and Kenny and reinforces their bond as a “them against the world” kind of friendship that makes it easy to root for the pair.
Shehan’s art shines more than ever in Specs #3. Their beautifully grainy and expressive line work lends itself perfectly to the increasingly macabre story. Shehan’s illustration really finds its stride in this issue, finding a niche between nostalgic Americana and something unmistakably gothic to create a disconcerting atmosphere that is simultaneously familiar and alienating to the reader. This issue also packs in some really creative choices in terms of page design and some very dramatic and affecting full-page spreads that highlight the unique aesthetics of Specs.
Stevens’ colors continue to stand out, utilizing his trademark of stunning contrasting pallets and creative accent colors. Graduating from blue tones with notes of orange and yellow, the colors mimic the story as they become darker and more dramatic. Red dominates the final pages of the issue to make the conclusion feel especially menacing. Campbell’s letters are terrific. He uses a slightly squat font for most of the dialogue, which feels very unique and slightly dated in a way that amplifies the nostalgic charm of Specs #3. The font he uses for the previous holder of the specs is fantastically disconcerting and really helps to channel the supernatural threat that weaves through the issue.
Specs #3 represents the beginning of the end of this miniseries. It’s a credit to the writing and stunning illustration that, despite Ted and Kenny’s seemingly doomed fate, the reader still feels compelled to see the heroes succeed and thrive together. Despite the revelations and macabre flair of this issue, much still remains tantalizingly obscure, expertly teeing up the upcoming series finale to be a genuinely unmissable conclusion.
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