Ghost #4 Review

Are the roots of this Ghost worth exploring? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

While Ghost is out busting Chicago’s scum, her friends discover a eulogy written for Elisa Cameron’s funeral. It speaks of her idyllic childhood . . . and a tragic loss of innocence! One woman’s quest for justice comes into focus as past and present meld and the hero now known as Ghost is born!

There’s always something tricky about attempting to fill in the past of any superhero. There’s a careful balancing act that just begs the question: how much of who they are now, as an adult, is present in their adolescence? But it’s from that conundrum that this creative team strikes the right cord. They give our heroine’s younger years enough room to breath in order to justify the crusader we know today.

Kelly Sue DeConnick absolutely delivers with this premise as we follow two different narratives. On one hand we have a history lesson and on the other Elisa is chasing down some offenders. That right there is what makes the bulk of this yarn accessible, as the text carefully manages itself to allow an intersection. That’s not to say the past meets present, but rather that the author was smart enough to use one to magnify the occurrences of the other. In the end our protagonist was always a protector for those that needed her to be.

The art by Geraldo Borges suits the plot perfectly as the talent continues to craft a believable and sturdy world. To be frank the text had some high demands here, as the illustrator was forced to contend with current events and a prologue which could have easily become embroiled in some unnecessary pitfalls. In the end the solid line work and consistent details along with the colors by Dan Jackson did more than enough to make this visual component accessible but it made it worthwhile.

Ghost #4 turns out to not be a tangent but rather an opportunity for the creative team to show us a bit more about our otherworldly heroine. Highly recommended.