Neil Edwards
Roberto Castro
Mark Waid
Back in the day Doctor Spektor was a monster hunter in a series of horror tales, introducing a supernatural anthology comic, so Mark Waid’s recasting of him as the host of a TV show ending supernatural menaces is a clever updating. We’re shown Spektor at work dealing with a vampire efficiently, but the truth is that he’s far from the confident, almost smug personality he presents for the camera. He has his own demons he battles regularly off camera, and we’re introduced to the real Spektor via his new assistant Abby, at which point it all becomes confusing.
This is deliberate, Waid disorienting as we tour assorted locations decidedly unsure of what’s happening or where anyone is, dead or alive. Are the random attacks in Spektor’s head or is he far from being master of his own destiny? There’s more certainty about what Abby’s experiencing being real, as she’s an innocent, but it’s no less confusing. None of that is down to artist Neil Edwards, who’s a bastion of clear storytelling, and the slightly grittier style of Robert Castro to finish things off is no disappointment either.