Specter Inspectors
Writer: Bowen McCurdy and Kaitlyn Musto
Artist: Bowen McCurdy
Publisher: Boom Studios
Boom Studios ‘BOOM! Box’ imprint is a market leader in all-ages comics, their superb output in recent years exemplified by the excellent quality of much-loved titles like ‘Lumberjanes’ and ‘Giant Days’.
It’s always exciting to give a new ‘BOOM! Box’ title a run, and forever disappointing to know that some comic readers wholly dismiss all-ages comics as being just for tweens and comic book newcomers.
‘Specter Inspectors’ is delightful. It’s accessible for audiences of all ages, but it’s not immature by any means, especially as part of an industry whose creative output is full of Michael Bay-esque explosion-heavy plotless wonders, and whose idea of maturity often equates solely to grim stories featuring countless graphic murders. And while ‘Specter Inspectors’ may be about the adventures of a young team of amateur ghost hunters, it has far more in common with ‘Supernatural’ or ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ than ‘Scooby Doo’.
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The book centres on Noa, group leader and paranormal true believer, their cynical little sibling Gus, their himbo camera man Ko, and Astrid, their skeptical best friend and long-time crush. The team find themselves in the perennial fog of Cape Grace, a spooky town with a reputation for ominous, hidden secrets.
Hoping to finally kick-start their unsuccessful show by discovering an actual spirit, apparition, ghoul, or evidence of anything even remotely spooky, they find themselves in way over their heads when Astrid is possessed by an actual demon. Things rapidly go from bad to worse as Cape Grace lives up to its reputation as the most haunted town in America.
Will the Inspectors manage to quickly solve multiple mysteries while embroiled in previously unimaginable paranormal dangers? Will they manage to exorcise the vicious demon from Astrid’s body? Will Noa and Astrid finally be honest with each other about their unexpressed love?
‘Specter Inspectors’ demon-driven horror-mystery is true to the tropes of both genres, while never feeling stale or predictable. It moves at a brisk pace, but has no qualms about devoting a full page to set a scene. The art is clear, straightforward and comical, yet captivatingly intelligent in its use of well-defined facial expressions to tell the story through visuals alone.
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Arguably ‘Specter Inspectors’ greatest strength is its charismatic, well rounded characters. They ring true as real personalities, while also bringing the required level of excitement and energy needed by a burgeoning team of ghost-hunters who find that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew in trying to catch their first big break.
Many readers will find Koa and Astrid’s pent-up passion and unspoken affection very relatable, and if not, will at least empathise with their situation. They also offer much-needed representation for comic book readers that struggle to relate to stories about straight, white, middle-aged men named Bruce or Steve.
Speaking to Comicsbeat, McCurdy clarified the creative decision to mix the polar opposite genres of horror and romance:
“Personally, they’re my favorite genres, so I just love combining them. But I also think it’s really romantic to have the stakes so high! Your true selves really shine through when you’re literally life or death, so I think the connection borne of that is romantic… I think character-development-wise, it’s sort of forcing you to come to terms with who you are and what you want. I think that’s a big theme in horror, and it’s also great for romance.”
If you pick ‘Specter Inspectors’ up in your local comic book shop, don’t be surprised if half an hour later you find yourself halfway through the book and being asked to purchase it. And given its calling for repeat-readings - especially before easily foreseeable sequels - it’ll be one of your best purchases of the year.
Want more of 2021’s greatest comics? Visit Amazon to purchase the full length ‘Best Comic Books of 2021’ book or eBook. It contains 45 detailed essays reviewing the year's best comic book titles.
After more comic book news and reviews? The Sea Shell mobile app is available worldwide as a free download on the App Store and the Play Store. Download it today.