You know how the standard supernatural story goes. Group enters haunted house, one by one they are taken out, then everything wraps up with a big reveal as to the supernatural entity’s motivation, which in the end leads to its demise with maybe one or two of the original group left to escape and live another day.
Well, if you want to read something different along these lines, be sure to pick up the Image comic called Ghosted. The fifth issue in the series, the conclusion to the first story arc, is now at local comics shops and available digitally as well!
SUMMARY
Pros
The story had me guessing and guessing until I read how things happened in this issue!
Great art, wonderful twists and turns as well as interesting, “breathing” characters.
Cons
You do need to read previous issues to understand what’s happening.
READER RATING!
[ratings]
GHOSTED #5
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Goran Sudzuka, Miroslav Mrva
Cover: Sean Phillips
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Previously in GHOSTED: “The Trask Mansion has a bloody history of death and dismemberment. Jackson T. Winters’ #1 rule to survive it: Get out before the sun goes down. But how can his team of paranormal experts steal a ghost without breaking a few rules? Will their first score also be their last? The first arc ends here!”
If you’ve been reading Masks and Mobsters from Monkeybraincomics.com or Captain Midnight from Dark Horse, you’re already familiar with the excellent scripting of writer Joshua Williamson. (He also co-wrote several stories in the most recent issue of Detective Comics for DC.) However, don’t expect Ghosted to in any way resemble those two books (except that it’s very well written). What makes Williamson such a terrific scripter is that he can adeptly handle many different kinds of storytelling, and this book is no exception!
THE BIG MYSTERY: HOW DO YOU STEAL A GHOST?
The plot thread that continues to fascinate me about Ghosted is that Winters is hired to steal a ghost for his employer’s collection of unusual items. Although Williamson had this all figured out (and it’s supposedly a simple solution), for the life of me, I couldn’t decipher it for the life of me! I had to keep reading for many reasons, including that one – I had to know how this would be done!
Mr. Williamson was right – it is a simple solution! Still, I didn’t realize what it was until I read it in this issue! It’s good to know that I wasn’t the only one this curve ball flew by, as I read on the Internet. Brilliant job, Josh! And if you want to know just how to steal a ghost, be sure to read the book – I’m not spoiling it here!
Also, Winters assembled a crew around him representative of many of the types of “hunters of the supernatural” around him, including two from the “Ghost Trappers” TV show, a medium, a skeptic, a con artist, and the lady who is the hired muscle for the rich man making this operation happen.
STRONG ART THAT WORKS WELL WITH THE PLOT
Mr. Sudzuka’s art is easy to understand and is perfect for Williamson’s story. He easily shifts between the “normal” world to ghosts making their spooky appearances all over the issue. Yikes!
By mixing the supernatural with the natural, this book’s creative team keeps us guessing from page to page, which makes for a powerful read and a gripping story.
BOTTOM LINE: GHOSTED IS A GREAT BOOK, ONE YOU MUST READ!
If you didn’t get the chance to pick up Ghosted’s previous issues, the first five-issue arc is being collected into a trade for only $9.99 as reported here on MajorSpoilers.com! If you haven’t read this excellent title, pick up the trade so you can enjoy it as well as future issues of this terrific comic! Five out of five stars and a must-read!
