Ghostbusters #12 Review


Does this latest story arc wrap-up with a spectacular finish?  Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

“Haunted America” concludes here! The Ghostbusters hit the last leg of their tour of the country, pulling into the Pacific Northwest and the city of Seattle just in time to bear witness to a rock and roll return.  A ghostly guitarist is stalking the Emerald City and it’s up to the guys to put an end to his ectoplasmic encore.

This cross-country road-trip for the Ghostbusters has had both some exciting and forgettable moments, ultimately yielding an episodic tale that has been hampered by some narrative missteps, cornball dialogue and various other issues.  Thankfully, this latest release shakes off most of those problems and ends this arc with a solid final outing.

Erik Burnham delivers a complex tale that manages to maintain a strong sense of humor.  His words carry the story of a guitarist that met with a tragic fate, who’s now a ghost who haunts the beleaguered citizens of Seattle.  It’s a goofy narrative that mates with some mature tones and movie references, in an attempt to reach a strong combination.  To his credit, the series writer succeeds more than he fails.

Dan Schoening once again delivers a quirky but self-aware style, that expertly informs the script.  Light pencil strokes, deformed characters, a dynamic apparition and some killer panels each lend an additional layer of authenticity to a unique visual perspective.  It’s these individual pieces, that in the end make this comic book continuation a believable extension for this franchise.

Tristan Jones‘ “Who Killed Laura Parry?” back-up feature continues this month with a rather quick read.  The little romp is a decent distraction that offers bite-sized but highly stylized work that ultimately yields a fun narrative that will give fans something extra to sink their teeth into.

Ghostbusters #12 will please eager readers from start to finish, as the creative team earns good marks and a solid recommendation.

3.5/5

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