There is something magical about legends that have their roots in truth and the effect still reverberates until today. Sometimes these legends are called curses because of their supernatural hold on the mortal world. The more famous non-harmful curses that are frequently brought up in popular culture are those revolved around sports. The most famous one is one that more than baseball fans will know, the Curse Of The Bambino.

For those unfamiliar, it was the so-called spell that prevented the Boston Red Sox from winning a World Series, as they had won one since Babe Ruth got traded, but of course, this was wiped when they won a few years ago. The one curse that has weighed on a city even longer, is the Curse Of Bobby Lane, which has held back the Detroit Lions from winning a Super Bowl, since he left and it is uncanny that the current starting quarterback, just so happened to graduate from the same high school as the aforementioned curse holder. No matter what people’s beliefs are in the supernatural, something is to be said of the reverence it holds by those affected by it.  In the third issue of Cognition, B.O.S.S. agents are on the scene investigating rumblings about ancient legend terrorizing locals.

We meet a local bar patron who is looking for a service, one that can only be found in the backrooms of places like the one he enters, but soon finds a terror he has never seen before. While investigating the case, Cal and Sigma, run into a very shadowy character, a character who very much resembles the Evil Stepmother’s form in Snow White, who goes by the name., Gwindonodd. As they spend time with her, their intuition starts to tingle at different times, leading them to believe, something is quite not right, as their new acquaintance spins a tale of a young ruler, whose fatal love costs him everything. By issue’s end, our heroes have been slowly leading into a trap, one which they luckily escape with the help of their companions, Hattie and Shuck.

Overall, an uneasy dive into the wickedest beings on earth, as Cal and Sigma find more than their match, someone who can anticipate their every move. The story by Ken Reynolds is scary, well written and seething under an unnerving atmosphere. The art by Sam Bentley is intense and luminous in black and white. Altogether, a great issue that proves Reynolds and Bentley are masters of storytelling.

Story: Ken Reynolds Art: Sam Bentley
Story: 10 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.7 Recommendation: Buy

When you read a book, most readers would like to be transported. This is where many first-person narratives often fail the reader as they spend a great deal of time introducing themselves, but not to their world. Same thing goes for most television shows and movies, as the setting is the fist thing you notice before a single line is uttered. The atmosphere that the creator brings their audience to, is what can make or break how well the book is received.

I remember the first time I read Stephen King, his writing transported to a small cold town resembling Maine, where people with bad intentions live. I remember the first time I watched The Birds, the way Hitchcock used silence throughout that movie is an effect that is still used in films today, but it is the atmosphere he set, which made audiences jump out of their seats. This is even more enjoyable to read in comics, as creators like Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis, can pull you into a story with details that most writers would overlook but make the atmosphere just as uneasy as any horror movie. In the first issue of Cognition, our heroes continue their paranormal investigations, risking life and limb at every turn.

In “Mirror, Mirror,” a grieving widower research black magic to revive his wife but instead becomes maddened by something darker, causes his death and the death of his children as well. As Cal and Sigma, starts to investigate, something seems off about the room, the soon find out that the widower had no control of his actions, as he was possessed by something otherworldly. Sigma, soon finds out that a trickster demon is at play, deceiving the widower for the souls of whole family. By issue’s end, a terrible truth about Cal may have been revealed which leaves Sigma with pause for his partner.

Overall, an excellent first issue which gets us major insight into our dynamic duo. The story by Ken Reynolds is dark, scary, and entertaining. The art by Sam Bentley is gorgeous, chilly, and realistic. Altogether, another outstanding issue in a story that feels like a spooky Sherlock Holmes.

Story: Ken Reynolds Art: Sam Bentley
Story: 9.7 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy