Ghostbusters #8

By Erik Burnham, Doc Shaner & Luis Antonio Delgado

#8 concludes the stories started in the last issue. Winston is spending his Vegas vacation busting a ghost that was supposed to be an easy job. As this is happening, Kylie, Ray and Peter are aboard a ghost ship where they encounter a towering spectre.

There may not have been many jaw-dropping moments in this issue, but it was definitely solid. One of the elements that makes me love this series is the inclusion of Easter eggs or subtle references to Ghostbusters mythology. It shows that the writers and the rest of the creative team respect the previous iterations of the Ghostbusters, whether it is the films or the various animated series. This issue has them in the dialog and in the art. Writer Erik Burnham cleverly weaves a nod to the Ghostbusters’ first bust in a conversation between Winston and a hotel manager.  Burnham also found a different way to solve a case; rather than capturing a ghost and placing it in the containment unit. Writing stories that break the Ghostbusters conventions always makes them worthwhile. Also, it’s nice to see plot cohesion in the series. Erik notes that the job that Peter and the others are handling may be a result of the events from the previous story arc. This not only encourages the reader to go back and look at the past issues, but also hints that there may be more or even bigger events to come A simple line is able to do so much…great writing!

Doc Shaner continues great work, especially with his grittier, realistic depiction of the human characters. It’s really interesting to see the contrast between them and the ghosts. The spirits they face are clearly more cartoonish. Deliberate or not, it’s a fascinating direction that caught my eye; adding that kind of texture and depth to the panels makes an issue standout. Shaner is an artist this series needs to keep around!

The previous issue was a bit disappointing, but this follow-up put things back on track! Perfect timing because the Halloween storyline starts next month. Can’t wait!