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But much of the similarities end there. Locke did not have the childhood Calvin did. Locke’s childhood involved growing up in a harsh neighborhood with an abusive parent. Other supporting characters – the girl next door, the playground bully, and the overly strict teacher – are all grounded in the real world. And this real world isn’t too different from ours: drug dealers, rough neighborhoods, and school rooms with bars on the windows.
Jorge Santiago’s artwork (when rendering young Locke) is similar to that of C&H creator Bill Watterson, but the mature Locke is more realistic, while retaining some of Santiago’s cartoony aspects. I mean, he’s got this 6-foot panther walking around, examining crime scenes. How does one not make that look a little cartoony?
At its root, the book is crime fiction, a favorite genre of mine. There are different variations on the theme, but it almost always starts with boy-meets-corpse. And murder investigation is a fertile setting for dark humor, another favored plot device.
So if you’re a fan of crime fiction, Calvin & Hobbes, or are just looking for something that doesn’t involve capes and tights, Spencer & Locke is definitely worth a read. It’s not the first book I’ve read from Action Lab, but clearly I should look at more of its offerings.
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