The boys are back, so what does that mean for their replacements?  Should you care?  Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

The Original Ghostbusters are back in Manhattan, picking up the pieces of their interrupted lives. Ray and Egon are concerned about what effects their escape from another dimension may yet hold for the world, and throw themselves into their research, while a decision Janine made when she was busting ghosts comes back to haunt her… all this and more as GHOSTBUSTERS continues!

In the odyssey of these paranormal investigators there have been a series of events that have seemingly rocked the lives of both them and their loved ones.  Whether you’ve been following the latest volume or not this is a perfect place to start as the creative team does a splendid job recapping everything while setting the stage for what comes next.

The words of Erik Burnham simply pop off the page as he once again turns in an engaging romp. The addictive aspects that have made his run with the title so rich are there as the author both pays homage to the source material and forges ahead in territory that’s simply unique to this specific section of the franchise.  There are some moments where the comedic spirit feels a bit forced but more often than not I found myself gleefully engaged by the supernatural elements found within these pages.

As consistent narrative strings are pushed and pulled I discovered how enthralling the pencil work illustrated by the talented Dan Schoening turned out to be.  The visuals of this little jaunt are whimsical in nature as minimalist sensibilities embraced deformities that are unique to this story.  There were moments where the outlandish renditions of staple characters may be a tad bit too over the top to readers, but for me I found these instances to be rare as I sat back and enjoyed the experience.

Ghostbusters #5 is a well thought out interlude that finds more than enough meat to keep a hungry audience satisfied while gaining the attention of some curious onlookers.  Recommended.

4/5