Ghostbusters #12 Review

As 2014 rolls on, do we really need to give these guys a call anymore? Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

The end of the year is a hectic time for most businesses, and the Ghostbusters are no exception. Beset from all sides by a surge in spectral activity over this particularly busy season, they’re looking forward to a little bit of a break once the new year hits. But recent supernatural symptoms shown by the City that Doesn’t Sleep are coming to a head, and the Bogeyman has arrived to take the city’s future!

As I cracked open this book and peeled through its pages I was instantly transported to my childhood. The creative team once again delivers an engaging ride along with players currently involved with the aged franchise. Combine the main romp with a decent back up feature and you get a rock solid release.

Erik Burnham pens the script and again the author takes the tropes that audience members expect and successfully combines them with his own antics. There are some rough spots but for this tale involving a Boogeyman and New Year’s Eve he did enough to entertain. I was distracted by the reporting structure of the event, as it robbed away any real sense of danger. But when things got going the trademark wit took over as this became what it needed to be: an exciting adventure. The ending prelude was also engaging, as it left me anticipating the start of Mass Hysteria!

The art by Dan Schoening once again nails a quirky but sensible rendition that both amplifies the mechanics of the franchise while giving this book enough room to be its own animal. I have literally no complaints as his illustrations simply jumped off the page. But when it came to the work handed in by talent Erik Evensen, I was a tad bit underwhelmed. Truth be told on he does a fine job but the difference in style made the transition between them far too jarring.

Ghostbusters #12 sets up what should be an outlandishly entertaining 30th Anniversary. Recommended.

3.5/5