Specs #4 is published by BOOM! Studios and created by David M. Booher and Chris Shehan. Booher writes issue #4 alongside artwork by Shehan. Colours are by Roman Stevens and letters by Jim Campbell. Main cover art (left) is by Skylar Patridge.
Specs #4 is available now in print and on digital where all good comics are sold.
Synopsis
In the midst of Ted still being a suspect for murder with the town against him, a sequence of events following Skunk’s disappearance could change things forever. But what consequences will one final wish have for Ted and Kenny’s present?
Review
We’ve reached the end of the road. The final issue of Specs… and oh what an ending it is! Fans of this series are no doubt already expecting an exquisite mix of horror and deep emotion. But with only one issue to go, none of the creative team is leaving anything behind.
There’s a fair amount of ground to cover. The final issue picks up right where issue #3 left off, with Kenny and Ted on the run from the police. Following Ted’s arrest and Kenny’s supernatural experience with the glasses, the two have reached breaking point. Something has to give, physically and emotionally.
The final chapter in Booher’s story starts out by tackling the titular specs. It feels right that the series (mostly) ties up its supernatural elements before moving on to more emotional ones. There’s some levity to proceedings as the two boys try to destroy the object which has brought them so much anguish. Shehan’s visuals communicate an 80’s style montage as the boys throw everything they can at the problem, failing in every attempt. But it doesn’t distract from the underlying desperation to take back events of the last three issues.
Kenny’s narrations help maintain the pace of the issue. There’s an air of finality as he begins to take us through events which fill in the gaps between then and now. Again, Booher injects events with a perceptible sense of desperation. Those unspoken romantic feelings which Kenny harbours sit so near the surface, influencing many of his decisions. It’s not hard to imagine how tempted he was to make more wishes as he watched Ted go to trial.
But in the end it all becomes secondary to what comes next. The ultimate punch in the gut to the reader. As a consequence of everything the specs put in motion, Ted’s family are leaving town. Understandable given those subtle, yet powerful, racial undertones in how Booher has portrayed their home town. Ted, of course, is oblivious to how heartbreaking this is for Kenny. But we, sadly, have to run the emotional gamut alongside him.
It’s here that Specs final chapter transitions in to something all the more introspective. There’s a wonderful coming out scene for Kenny as he finally speaks his truth to Ted. It’s a scene I had wished for but understandably it doesn’t go perhaps the way fans will hope. Kenny’s words feel pitch perfect for a fumbling teenager trying to make sense of his emotions. Likewise, Ted’s reaction is organic to who he is as a person and how he perceives their relationship. It’s give the right amount of time within the story with plenty of room to breathe on the page.
I don’t want to spoil the eventual ending. It’s hugely emotional and unexpected. It brilliantly ties us the story of both leads, leaving no ground uncovered. Ultimately this is where we say goodbye to both Kenny and Ted and whilst I’m sad to see them go, I’m satisfied with how much of their journey I was able to go on.
Does anybody really believe the specs are gone though…
Verdict
The stakes were high coming in to the final issue of Specs, but Booher, Shehan and team absolutely stick the landing with a compelling and emotional ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
