Specs
Best friends Kenny and Ted just want to fit in—but in 1980s Ohio, that's harder than it sounds. When a mysterious optometrist grants them glasses that reveal the supernatural world lurking behind the everyday, they must decide whether to embrace the danger or look away forever.
📖 BOOM! Studios • Started 2022
Specs is a four-issue limited series published by BOOM! Studios in 2022-2023, blending nostalgic 1980s horror with coming-of-age comedy. Written by David M. Booher with art by Chris Shehan, colors by Roman Stevens, and letters by Jim Campbell, the series follows two best friends navigating the awkward years of adolescence—plus the supernatural horrors hiding behind the soda fountain.
Set in a small Ohio town in 1985, the story centers on Kenny and Ted: two outcasts who just want to feel like they belong. When they visit a mysterious optometrist who offers them a pair of unusual glasses, they discover that the world around them is far stranger than they ever imagined—the glasses allow them to see supernatural creatures that lurk in the shadows of their quiet suburban life.
What begins as a wonder-filled discovery quickly turns dangerous as Kenny and Ted realize that seeing the supernatural comes with consequences. The creatures they’ve glimpsed aren’t friendly observers—they’re drawn to being seen, and the boys’ newfound gift has attracted something ancient and hungry. As the stakes rise, the friends must decide whether to embrace their ability and fight back, or risk losing everything by looking away.
Chris Shehan’s artwork captures the neon-soaked nostalgia of the 1980s perfectly, channeling the aesthetic of classic horror films while building genuine atmosphere. His panel layouts create mounting tension throughout each issue, making the supernatural elements feel both wondrous and genuinely frightening. The visual contrast between the sunny surface of small-town Ohio and the dark supernatural world underneath creates a compelling duality that drives the series.
The series has drawn comparisons to the work of John Carpenter and Stephen King, blending the coming-of-age anxieties of films like Stand by Me with the creature features of the era. Reviewers have praised the series for its emotional core—beyond the horror elements, Specs is fundamentally about friendship, belonging, and the terrifying transition from childhood to adulthood.
Perfect for fans of 1980s-set horror, nostalgic coming-of-age stories, and comics that balance humor with genuine scares. The four-issue format delivers a complete story while leaving room for the emotional resonance that makes the characters stick with readers long after the final page.
Collected in trade paperback by BOOM! Studios, available now.
