Cold Spots

by Cullen Bunn, Mark Torres (Artist)

A tale of spine-tingling horror, psychological fright, the undead, and the bitter cold of a supernatural winter come together in this account of unexpected twists and mounting dread. Dan Kerr turned his back on his wife and unborn daughter 10 years ago. Now, both mother and child have gone missing, and Dan must embark on a weird tale of cosmic terror in order to find them again! Ghosts stir when Dan's estranged daughter is near, and as the dead grow restless, the cold deepens.

Collects COLD SPOTS #1 - 5

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Ghosts, Comic Book

120 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2019

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Little girl controls ice ghosts because horror. Them ghosts is up to no good because durrr. Her deadbeat dad suddenly cares about her despite having never seen her before because plot. Somewhere in that mess is a “story” that’ll make you wish you were an ice ghost so you wouldn’t feel boredom on this scale!

Is Cold Spots yet another pile of complete and utter shit from a man who seems determined to have his own sub-genre of staggeringly terrible horror comics, Cullen “How Do I Keep Getting Paid For This Rubbish lulz???” Bunn? You betcha sweet bunn-hole!

Paper thin characters meet an even thinner plot in a landfill of unimaginative horror genre cliches: scary mansion, cults, Lovecraft monsters, ghosts, ghouls, the fucking Crypt Keeper, leering smiles, dead people. Mark Torres’ art is whatever. God this was stupid. And corny.

I’ve taken scarier, more compelling dumps than this - give Cold Spots the cold shoulder!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a creepy little ghost story just before Christmas and this hit the spot! (Groannn...)

The plot's a little... I don't want to say 'thin' but I can't think of a better word, but it's extremely atmospheric. I'm looking forward to Cullen and co. delving deeper into this story in the future.

P.S. - each issue of this book comes with a link to a free download of a soundtrack for that issue written and recorded by the artist. Pretty neat.

[Bon Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes the plot's a bit generic, and characters lack depth, background and context, but it's still very atmospheric. That pervasive cold, I mean, does it get any more cosy while you're all comfy in your chair sipping that warm beer or whatever? And visual side of the book is a real treat, especially coloring. I found myself just staring and enjoying the psychedelia. I suspect all the missings were in the comings in continuation of the story, but readership and critiques buried it before it got chance.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clichéd story, without a satisfying ending.

And I'm afraid I don't like the art at all.

[RG · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really dissapointing. A horror thriller story without any horror, thrills or plot. Just didnt seem like it was going anywhere.

[Václav · Rating 2 out of 5]

(3,3 of 5 for a horror story with one gifted girl, powerful ghosts and deadly cold)
First thing on this comics is the art, somehow reminding me Ben Templesmith. It dirty, chaotic, dark but atmospheric and plastic, working surprisingly well for the unease note of the story. The story itself is also interesting, but it gets very stereotypical towards the end. Well, it is interesting (first issue-two are quite good) but it makes less and less sense and things happen just for sake of them happening. Superpower magical girl! But she can't control it. But she can! And now she can't and now she definitely can. She does not speak, but somehow sometimes does. And so on. This is the biggest but not an only weak point of this story. At the last issue, Cullen Bunn comments this is just the beginning, the intro to the whole world of this. Well, I guess this rather hit the dead end, on the end. But I would be gladly surprised if CB will turn this the right way.
Edit: I accidentaly read this second time and it didn't get better.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters weren't very well-developed to be anything more than cliches, and the story all the more unclear for that. The artwork also isn't very good here. Bunn has done much better work elsewhere. Cold Spots isn't really worth a revisit.

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 4 out of 5]

Docela uspechany atmosfericky horor, ktery je takovy love letter Japonskym plizivym hororum ve stylu Silent Hill. Hlavni hrdina je poslan najit malou holcicku a jeji matku, ktera utekla od sveho otce. Mr Karr, se tedy vydava na ostrov o kterem se siri ruzna tajmestvi. Cele je to uzasne napinave a podivne, diky kresbe a coloringu divne veci opravdu vypadaji divne a davaji vam picit nejistoty. Sice to obcas selhava v ramci kresby obliceju ale hororove vyjevy Torresovi neskutecne sednou.

Co se tyce pribehu tak funguje bohuzel od tretiho sesitu to slapne na plyn a vse se deje az moc rychle, jakoby tu pomalou plizivost z prvnich dvou sesitu museli rychle nahnat. Postavy jsou sympaticke ale chtelp by to o dva sesity vice. Nastesti Bunn planuje tento svet rozsirit do mensiho Horor univerza, jsem zvedavy.

PS: Kazdy sesit ma QR Kod na soundtrack primo pro Cold Spots, pustte si to k tomu.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

Cullen Bunn tends to be a hit and miss writer for me but Cold Spots was a pleasant surprise. I had planned on getting the issues but I couldn't commit to another short mini series run. This feels more like the first volume of a bigger arc but nothing has been announced since. This is another book that has low ratings on Goodreads but carries a better critical score.

Why the 4?

Self contained and carries amazing artwork. Image Comics do some good horror storylines and this is definitely one of better books by Bunn. It won't convert many to his work and if you compare it to Harrow County, don't even try. Cold Spots was a well structured book that is light on the character's and overall purpose of the villains. I still enjoyed the journey but it needed more issues.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this. I felt like the premise was interesting and had so much potential but could have been executed better. The characters seemed somewhat one-dimensional and I was hoping for more fleshed out motives and backgrounds. I felt the art style suited the tone of the story but it just felt like there could have been more story.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two out of five because that’s how many issues the atmospheric deep-freeze creepiness lasts before all is revealed and the plot becomes a runaround. More is promised, but not (IMO) required.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
There were some wonderfully creepy images in this graphic novel, but the plot was incredibly thin. Very disappointing.

[Duncan Vicat-Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

And that was when I stopped reading horror graphic novels blind!! Flashy but completely dysfunctional art, less-than-worthless writing, barely enough story for a ten minute episode of TV and you've seen it all before. Ban grown men from writing protagonists that they think are cool, have some self respect.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an easy reading, if uninspiring, horror comic. The characters weren't very well developed, and the plot was simple, but it kept me entertained for an hour while I read it.

I wasn't a huge fan of the art, but there was some nice use of colour throughout.

[David Cordero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icy ghosts. Literally.

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, great art by Mark Torres - I hope to write a full review shortly

[Diana-christie Biancardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It was great. I could read a thousand pages of this!! I need more :D

[Annalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was pretty spooky and really well done. I liked the images and enjoyed the story a lot.

[Lel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this. Not sure if I would carry on with it. I liked the art work but didn’t love it. The premise however was greT.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn because I really enjoyed the story here. I just wasn’t a fan of the art. Considering that’s half the fun (or more) in a comic or graphic novel...

[Alex Sarll]

Urban legend says that you're never more than six months from a new Cullen Bunn horror comic, and inevitably they can't all be winners. The plot here is slight, rushed and packed with over-familiar elements (the estranged parents of the creepy little kid, the unwelcoming rural community, the place of refuge revealed as a front for a sinister cult). But oh my, it's worth it for Mark Torres' art. Even before things start getting properly spooky, the slightly off-centre look of it all and the unhealthy colours induce a mounting sense of unease. And as soon as you see the look he's come up with for the ghosts, you know it's going to stay with you. You probably wouldn't miss much if you read this translated into a language you didn't speak, and it would still be well worth it for those sinister shades, the creepy island, the sudden touches of frost.

(Edelweiss ARC)

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very, very good ghost comic – only spoilt in a minor way by too much of a Cthulhu influence in some artwork near the end. When token rich bloke asks bloke-he-dislikes to find his daughter and granddaughter, b-h-d doesn't mention the fact that he only need ask the butler where they are, nor that the younger female is his daughter by the older. But even with that knowledge there is a steep learning curve for disliked-bloke, as he encounters no end of dark and chilling goings-on on an isolated island. Mood and setting are perfectly evoked by limited palettes and a fine way of portraying the spectral – until cliché takes over. Characters are a bit thin, as my depiction of them alluded. But still, for the convincing attempt at something new in the world of ghost comics, and for doing it in a mature, sound-FX-less manner, this is well worth a look.

[Alex E · Rating 1 out of 5]

This feels like half a story.

Its basically about a girl who can summon ghosts with "cold power". Her dad, who up until this point, didn't interact with her at all, is hired to find her and the mom, who are now with a cult who are trying to exploit the girls ghost powers.

Why, how, and what are never explained. I have been reading a couple of Bunn works recently and I have to say they are always solid and entertaining. But this is... this is like he wanted to get a quick graphic novel out there, and he worked purely from the outline. He said, screw the details, we got enough here to go on. ...'cept you don't.

The art is pretty good. There are some parts that are a bit hard to discern what exactly is going on, but at that point, its a battle between bad art and bad story.

I would recommend Bunn normally, but I think you will be ok skipping this one.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

Total review score: 2.2

[Nikita Angeles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Kerr, a PI, is hired and sent to find wealthy Arthur warren’s missing daughter and grandchild. He finds his way to a remote town where paranormal ghosty things ensue.

To be blunt – the story overall doesn’t deliver on its promise of “unexpected twists and mounting dread”.

The first issue starts strong with creepy lingering unease in every frame. Everything is mysterious and dark and shadowy. It feels like there is something big to discover. A possibility of there being more to it than your standard ghost story. A possibility of digging further into characters who seem to have complicated histories and depth. The setup is great. It delivers.

But the whole story ends up rushed through and light on detail. The characters are mostly underwhelming, and the development and scale of the story didn’t go where I’d hoped it would.

There was a lot of potential within. Issues 1-5 are atmospheric and filled with horror tropes that I enjoyed, and I think it’s possible the story could have become something unique and intriguing. The art is gloomy with a surprising amount and use of color that is quite well suited for the whole vibe of the story. The characters had potential to be interesting with further development had they not been left mostly as face value figures.

I always find this to be the problem with miniseries. It’s just not enough. Nothing is given enough time and space to develop. I’m not sure if there are more issues to come (it seems as though there aren’t) but if there were, I think this would be something I could really enjoy.

-2/5 A dark and eerie miniseries that could have been more.

I have received a copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Quick Review - https://nikitaangeleswrites.com/2019/...

[47Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediocre dialogue and an unimpressive horror element make this an average story. The cold part should stand out more, somehow, but fails to do so. Maybe it's the artwork that brings it down. In true horror fashion, the ending is barely there. It probably wants to have a sequel, but not with this score.

Arthur Warren's daughter Alyssa and grand-daughter Grace have gone missing. Arthur asks Kerr to find them. Kerr gets his first lead from Arthur's butler who knows about Alyssa's secret dealings with people she met online. The butler directs Kerr to Quarrels Island. Kerr is forced to spend the night in a motel before a boat can take him to tge island. Out of the blue, he finds the owner frozen solid even though it's summer time.

Kerr is Grace's father. He confronts Henrietta Quarrels who has taken Alyssa and Grace, Kerr's daughter, in her home to heal her from a supernatural affliction. She child seems catatonic. When Kerr approches Grace, ghosts appear around her. They have an icy touch that leaves marks on Kerr's arm. He tries to take the child away, but is stopped by Henrietta who believes she is the only one who can help the child. She has her guards throw Kerr out. When they try to kill him, they get killed by the ice ghosts.

He returns to the house armed with a shovel. He and Alyssa find that Henrietta just used Grace's power over ghosts to resurrect a long-dead creature. It attacks Kerr. Grace is more assertive now and stops it. During their flight, Alyssa is frozen and broken apart, but Kerr and Grace escape. At least, for now.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby, It's Cold Outside, (and In Here, Too)

I admire Cullen Bunn, although I enjoyed some series, ("The Sixth Gun"), more than others, ("Harrow County"). This is just the first issue of his new series, but it has all the hallmarks of an immersive creepfest.

The hero, Dan, is deadpan and edgy, and a bit broken, but he's quite accomplished at banter. Darkness creeps in from the edges of each panel, (and is sometimes front and center). A continuing theme of "unnatural cold" adds a creepy element that is almost palpable. It's hard to tell where the plot will go, but when a guilty and tormented failed husband/father like our hero goes to look for his missing wife and child, on an isolated island, where everyone seems to be hiding something, well that's all moving in the right direction. And the blurb promises cosmic dread and restless dead, which can only be good.

Issue #1 just gets Dan to a ferry landing that looks out to the island, but by then we have the set up, a few ghosts, and a few bodies, so this isn't a slow starter. Most panels are heavily inked, colored in browns and rusty reds, and then washed with green, blue, or orange. The effect is that the panels feel fully colored, but the colors are really just highlights and tones, which give the pages a gloomy feel, full of portent and hints of dread. Ghosts are smudges, sometimes over incomplete white ink outlines of some basic form, and this is effective and fits with the overall artistic approach. All of this feels very promising.

Although I've just seen Issue #1 I've put this here where the collected Volume 1 will eventually go because Goodreads doesn't have a listing for just Issue #1 and I wanted to get my general good feeling about this project out there now so people can keep an eye out for it.

(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

The supernatural child: a staple in horror content, and a powerful tool in the hands of master spooky yarn-teller Cullen Bunn.

Dan Kerr gets a mysterious job from a powerful man he thought had spurned him forever. In the envelope of money, there is a picture of a familiar face. A lover from Dan’s past - the powerful man’s daughter, and her child. He is to find them both and this takes him to Quarrel Island, a place where the unseasonable cold isn’t the only thing making outsiders and residents alike uneasy.

FOR FANS OF: Infidel and Stephen King books, as well as Bunn’s other spooky works. The Sixth Sense, The Exorcist, and Firestarter movies.

ART: Abstracted faces and weaponized greys. The whole book looks like a blurry memory that makes you shiver as it passes through your mind.

SELL IT: To adults who want to get that Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark feeling from a comic.

[Lenore · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is good, the writing left something to be desired. Was I supposed to feel a connection or like any of the characters? I didn't. The child could have been replaced with a spooky lamp and I wouldn't have known the difference- in fact if somebody claimed a right to own a lamp they'd designed but never physically seen before, I think they'd have more right to it than the father in this story:
Kerr- I have never once seen this child in my life, but I have realized I am biologically related to her. You - who have raised her on your own for ten years with none of my input- are a bad parent!
Alyssa- You weren't here, she's spooky, she had to live on a spooky island!
Kerr- Don't try to explain things to me! I'm a man and need no explanations ( nether does the reader) because I know what's best! I will return her to the care of someone I neither like nor trust!

I think I'll skip the follow-up

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read Bunn’s series Harrow County so I was excited to dig into another spooky story by him. Cold Spots is hard to summarize without spoiling anything. It holds its secrets tightly and only reveals a few small morsels at a time.

A young man abandoned his pregnant significant other (girlfriend? wife?) years ago. Now, that woman’s father has hired him to track his ex and their child down because they’ve been missing for a month. He’s told that they are living on an isolated island. At the same time this happening, there is an extreme cold snap and several ghost sightings.

I really enjoyed this story but it’s another one of those that ended too soon. It really just felt like the beginning of something much larger. Bunn indicates in the back he plans to expand the story in the future. Let’s hope so!