Fear Case #3 brings the latest Matt Kindt saga at Dark Horse Comics to its climax on April 8. With spooky imagery by Tyler and Hilary Jenkins, the heroes the reader comes to love are now at risk. By the issue’s end, readers will be stuck anticipating the final issue.
Fear Case #3: The Cult of Ideas
After Kindt sets up the characters and internal conflicts in the last issues, they collide for a crisis. Mitchum and Winters, with their quirky dynamic, are approaching the deadline to find the titular MacGuffin. After the case eludes them last issue, there’s a real sense of strain on the agents. Even Mitchum, who suggests going on vacation for their last day, feels himself getting consumed by their mission. So when Winters goes missing, the reader can’t help but share Mitchum’s worries for his partner. Especially when there’s a cult out there looking for the case, a clear sign of what the agents could become past the deadline.
Art That Beckons
Tyler’s art continues to make the atmosphere as foreboding to the reader as it is for the characters. Certain pages of Fear Case #3 feature scenes with large empty spaces that feel overwhelming with how they dwarf the people in it. The opening scene of the outside of a bar, for example, features a lot of people looking defeated. It’s like the feeling of failure is following Mitchum and Winters. Sometimes it’s quite literal when it appears in the form of a knocking sound effect on Winters’ door.
Then readers have to consider Hilary’s coloring for the situations at hand. The dark blue night sky might look sad inside and outside the bar, but there’s a sense of comfort to it. The agents could certainly use the relaxation. Only for the bright red neon to accent the frustrations between Mitchum and Winters. Finally, the bright orange colors manifest when a threat approaches the agents like the cult or the case.
Don’t Miss Fear Case #3
Fear Case #3 is where this epic plot reaches its boiling point. The lovable characters are now in mortal danger, and now the only thing the reader can do is wait. And wait, they will, because the mini-series has the power to make sure they can’t turn away.
