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Ghost III #1
Ghost Volume 1: In the Smoke and Din
One warm night in Chicago's Resurrection Cemetery, paranormal investigators Vaughn and Tommy accidentally summon a beautiful transparent woman who may or may not be the legendary Resurrection Mary. Their search for her true identity uncovers a dark, hidden history of the city and a deadly alliance between political corruption and demonic science! In the middle of it all stands Ghost, a woman trapped between two worlds!
Kelly Sue DeConnick (Avengers Assemble, Captain Marvel) brings a keen new eye to Dark Horse's ethereal heroine! From a new line of Dark Horse superheroes!
Collects Ghost #0-#4.
Kelly Sue DeConnick (Avengers Assemble, Captain Marvel) brings a keen new eye to Dark Horse's ethereal heroine! From a new line of Dark Horse superheroes!
Collects Ghost #0-#4.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Sue DeConnick
365 books2,231 followersKelly Sue DeConnick’s work spans stage, comics, film and television. Ms. DeConnick first came to prominence as a comics writer, where she is best known for reinventing the Carol Danvers as “Captain Marvel” at Marvel and for the Black Label standard-setting Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons at DC. Her independent comics Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly (both from Image Comics) have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 13, 2020
How did I miss this one? No idea.
But it's a cool start that introduces a brand new superheroish ghost. And I really love Phil Noto's art.
The gist is that these two reality show ghost hunters accidentally conjure up a real ghost with a piece of (unbeknownst to them) equipment stolen from a lab run by...a demon?
Kinda-sorta.
But this ghost girl doesn't just float in the air moaning, rattling chains, and flickering the lights. She can reach in and pull the still-beating heart out of your chest if you piss her off.
She has no idea who she was, how she died, or who what led to her demise, but she knows she didn't die a peaceful death surrounded by family and friends.
And she wants revenge.
So. Best use your nicest inside voice and try to help her out, right?
Right.
This was fun! It was legitimately a fun story with fabulous art.
Mystery, science, magic...maybe even a little bit of love?
We'll see about that last one.
Good stuff and highly recommended if you're looking for something supernatural without the horror or gore of a traditional Halloween read.
This was part of the Halloween/birthday package sent to me by a good friend and his wife. Thank you both!
But it's a cool start that introduces a brand new superheroish ghost. And I really love Phil Noto's art.
The gist is that these two reality show ghost hunters accidentally conjure up a real ghost with a piece of (unbeknownst to them) equipment stolen from a lab run by...a demon?
Kinda-sorta.
But this ghost girl doesn't just float in the air moaning, rattling chains, and flickering the lights. She can reach in and pull the still-beating heart out of your chest if you piss her off.
She has no idea who she was, how she died, or who what led to her demise, but she knows she didn't die a peaceful death surrounded by family and friends.
And she wants revenge.
So. Best use your nicest inside voice and try to help her out, right?
Right.
This was fun! It was legitimately a fun story with fabulous art.
Mystery, science, magic...maybe even a little bit of love?
We'll see about that last one.
Good stuff and highly recommended if you're looking for something supernatural without the horror or gore of a traditional Halloween read.
This was part of the Halloween/birthday package sent to me by a good friend and his wife. Thank you both!
October 23, 2020
A reboot of Dark Horse's Ghost. DeConnick has taken some of the elements from the original series and remade it into it's own thing. At its core now, it's an Invasion of the Body Snatchers tale. Phil Noto makes the women in the book look like real women this go around, unlike the two previous Ghost series where the focus were on her ginormous boobs.
August 31, 2014
Bullet Review:
Huh. I love Kelly Sue DeConnick, but this. Nuh uh. While the characters were interesting, I didn't find them as noteworthy or as interesting as others. The story was convoluted, the world was confusing, and the art made it challenging to distinguish the men (Vaughn, Tommy and the mayor looked the EXACT SAME). Biggest plus artwise was to make Caroline look like Gina Torres (Zoe from Firefly).
Normally, I'd gobble up any title DeConnick does, but although there's an interesting setup for the series, I won't be reading anymore. Disappointing.
Huh. I love Kelly Sue DeConnick, but this. Nuh uh. While the characters were interesting, I didn't find them as noteworthy or as interesting as others. The story was convoluted, the world was confusing, and the art made it challenging to distinguish the men (Vaughn, Tommy and the mayor looked the EXACT SAME). Biggest plus artwise was to make Caroline look like Gina Torres (Zoe from Firefly).
Normally, I'd gobble up any title DeConnick does, but although there's an interesting setup for the series, I won't be reading anymore. Disappointing.
July 29, 2015
Generally, I'm a fan on Kelly Sue DeConnick, especially her recent Captain Marvel (Marvel NOW!) #1 run and Bitch Planet #1, however... this was a rare miss. It just felt flat and rote. It read like some sort of obligated contract fulfillment. Forgive me if I'm completely wrong, and this was a labor of love, because, whatever it was, it missed the mark. Beautiful art by Phil Noto.
October 4, 2013
A little disappointing. Though in all honestly, I probably wouldn't have been disappointed at all if it weren't written by DeConnick. I've absolutely loved the last few things I've read by her, and this was just not up to that standard.
The story itself is underwhelming, unclear, and comes to far too neat of an ending. None of the characters have any life on the page, especially not the ghost herself. Apparently, this is a reboot of a previous Dark Horse series, which I've never read. I wonder if somebody who had been familiar with the original Ghost would like it more or less.
The art is pretty on the surface. Noto has been doing some fairly good work on Angel & Faith, and at first this seemed to be up to that standard. But then I realized that his characters all looked way too much alike. It can make some of the later scenes a little harder to follow than they should be.
This entire collection was really a set up for the main premise of the book, which is dully monster-of-the-week. And though I normally love DeConnick, I just don't think I'm interested enough in the premise or the characters to continue reading.
The story itself is underwhelming, unclear, and comes to far too neat of an ending. None of the characters have any life on the page, especially not the ghost herself. Apparently, this is a reboot of a previous Dark Horse series, which I've never read. I wonder if somebody who had been familiar with the original Ghost would like it more or less.
The art is pretty on the surface. Noto has been doing some fairly good work on Angel & Faith, and at first this seemed to be up to that standard. But then I realized that his characters all looked way too much alike. It can make some of the later scenes a little harder to follow than they should be.
This entire collection was really a set up for the main premise of the book, which is dully monster-of-the-week. And though I normally love DeConnick, I just don't think I'm interested enough in the premise or the characters to continue reading.
November 13, 2018
2.5 Stars
A reboot of the Ghost series with characters that are familiar but new at the same time. Not bad and I like the art, but we basically get in 5 issues what it took 40 issues to get to it in the first volume, and in this case that's not a positive. The mystery about Ghost is done pretty quickly and things move into new territory. Has potential, but wasn't a favorite of mine.
A reboot of the Ghost series with characters that are familiar but new at the same time. Not bad and I like the art, but we basically get in 5 issues what it took 40 issues to get to it in the first volume, and in this case that's not a positive. The mystery about Ghost is done pretty quickly and things move into new territory. Has potential, but wasn't a favorite of mine.
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October 7, 2016Revival/reboot of the old Dark Horse vigilante; I genuinely don't know, having always passed the character by before. But this was written by Kelly Sue so had to be worth a look, right? Well...it doesn't read like her. I don't love everything she writes, but it's always at least professional. Whereas this had the disjointed, am-I-missing-captions-here? feel of either a first outing, or some of Joe Casey's sketchier work. Which is sufficiently uncharacteristic that I wonder whether it's an editorial screw-up. Result: I am still not that interested in the insubstantial vigilante, though I do like the way those words almost rhyme.
September 16, 2013
I generally like Kelly Sue DeConnick. I generally like Phil Noto. I've never LOVED something either of them have done (though DeConnick's current run on Captain Marvel is approaching that territory and some of Noto's work with X-23 was close), but I usually would be pretty comfortable putting both of them in the second tier of creators in comics right now, maybe never capable of BLOWING ME AWAY, but two people who consistently put out quality work.
And yet, this just really lacks.
I don't have any history with the Ghost character, though I knew the general premise and have held the Omnibi in my hands a couple of times at cons without pulling the trigger, so I thought with this crew's potential retooling of the character, this would be a cool Dark Horse series for me to jump on.
But this introduction doesn't make me want to read any further.
It really doesn't grab me at all, and I know this is first trade serves primarily as an introduction to the character and the greater mystery in general, but A) I'm not into ghost-centric stories and B) I'm not into any of the characters in this story.
Furthermore - and this is pretty unlike Kelly Sue, I find the storytelling and the beats to be pretty confusing and unclear from time to time. The fact that Noto has a tendency to create character that all look exactly the same doesn't help facts, but there were multiple times in this story where I was unsure of what was actually happening, where the story was going, where it had just gone, etc....And it's a pretty straightforward story.
Now, I could see people who would be into this story. People who like a lot of the SyFy original series', or Grimm or things like that, but it just didn't really work for me on any level. Bummer.
And yet, this just really lacks.
I don't have any history with the Ghost character, though I knew the general premise and have held the Omnibi in my hands a couple of times at cons without pulling the trigger, so I thought with this crew's potential retooling of the character, this would be a cool Dark Horse series for me to jump on.
But this introduction doesn't make me want to read any further.
It really doesn't grab me at all, and I know this is first trade serves primarily as an introduction to the character and the greater mystery in general, but A) I'm not into ghost-centric stories and B) I'm not into any of the characters in this story.
Furthermore - and this is pretty unlike Kelly Sue, I find the storytelling and the beats to be pretty confusing and unclear from time to time. The fact that Noto has a tendency to create character that all look exactly the same doesn't help facts, but there were multiple times in this story where I was unsure of what was actually happening, where the story was going, where it had just gone, etc....And it's a pretty straightforward story.
Now, I could see people who would be into this story. People who like a lot of the SyFy original series', or Grimm or things like that, but it just didn't really work for me on any level. Bummer.
June 2, 2013
(Note that I did not read the TPB, but the individual issues #000-#004.)
A reboot of a comic series that originally started in 1993 and ran into the 2000s. This TPB introduces the main characters and sets up the background for the upcoming comic book series.
So what is it about? A couple of ghost finders happen upon a piece of technology that actually drags a supernatural entity into our realm, which sets off a series of events that lands them into a number of dire situations.
The titular character is a strong female (which makes for a nice change), but at the end of the issues collected in this TPB she still lacks emotional depth and humanity, even though we've learned quite a bit about her background. Far too much of this story is little more than an origin arc, although there are hints that we'll learn more about her along the way should this become a series.
There is lots to like (the artwork is pretty great, for instance), but in the end it felt meager and unfulfilling. Plenty of potential, but I don't know if I care enough to continue reading.
A reboot of a comic series that originally started in 1993 and ran into the 2000s. This TPB introduces the main characters and sets up the background for the upcoming comic book series.
So what is it about? A couple of ghost finders happen upon a piece of technology that actually drags a supernatural entity into our realm, which sets off a series of events that lands them into a number of dire situations.
The titular character is a strong female (which makes for a nice change), but at the end of the issues collected in this TPB she still lacks emotional depth and humanity, even though we've learned quite a bit about her background. Far too much of this story is little more than an origin arc, although there are hints that we'll learn more about her along the way should this become a series.
There is lots to like (the artwork is pretty great, for instance), but in the end it felt meager and unfulfilling. Plenty of potential, but I don't know if I care enough to continue reading.
November 2, 2013
DeConnick managed to take a, lets face it, bad comic with a convoluted story and put it into a package where it makes sense. So kudos on that front. However, Ghost is an established property and this volume -- which collects 5 comics -- spends four of them on a "Who am I?" chase.
Boring.
The events of the final chapter are where things get interesting... but we hardly spend any time on them. And Noto's art, as much as I love it, is terrible for storytelling. Good luck trying to figure out what's going on in the last chapter: characters with the same face in the same outfit (you tell them apart by their hair) end up in different positions(?) in different rooms(?) all in the same scene... It all could have done with better staging.
Boring.
The events of the final chapter are where things get interesting... but we hardly spend any time on them. And Noto's art, as much as I love it, is terrible for storytelling. Good luck trying to figure out what's going on in the last chapter: characters with the same face in the same outfit (you tell them apart by their hair) end up in different positions(?) in different rooms(?) all in the same scene... It all could have done with better staging.
January 4, 2023
This is one small part of why manga is winning over western comics. No, not superior art or content. In accessibility. Granted, had I paid a bit more attention, read the fine print, I'd have realized this was not collecting the original story as thought it was. Vol 1 in western comics doesn't mean vol 1, not always. Whereas with manga, vol 1 is always vol 1.
But back to the topic at hand. It's a decent story. You don't really need prior knowledge to jump in here and get what's going on. It's not the greatest writing I've ever come across, but it was good enough. It helps that the art is pretty good. It starts and ends it's own story pretty nicely, but does leave you with a pretty good hook for the next arch.
This is the only bit of, Ghost, I've ever read. I remember seeing it advertised in Wizard magazine when I was a kid. So I have no clue if this retells or changes the origin, if they are going back to establish the origin. I have no idea if this is true to the tone and spirit of the original. But in it's own right, it's alright. You could do a lot worse, lord knows I've spent time reading worse both books and comics.
But back to the topic at hand. It's a decent story. You don't really need prior knowledge to jump in here and get what's going on. It's not the greatest writing I've ever come across, but it was good enough. It helps that the art is pretty good. It starts and ends it's own story pretty nicely, but does leave you with a pretty good hook for the next arch.
This is the only bit of, Ghost, I've ever read. I remember seeing it advertised in Wizard magazine when I was a kid. So I have no clue if this retells or changes the origin, if they are going back to establish the origin. I have no idea if this is true to the tone and spirit of the original. But in it's own right, it's alright. You could do a lot worse, lord knows I've spent time reading worse both books and comics.
September 3, 2017
It is September now so I have moved into interests of all things spooky and creepy for Halloween. It is never too early for Halloween. This graphic novel has the bonus of being a supernatural and crime story all in one. The way it ended, I am excited to read volume 2 to see how they can make it more exciting. One of the things I like about this book is that the main characters are flawed, they aren't great "people" but they continuously try to redeem themselves. Sometimes that makes it harder to root for some of them but it makes the story better as a whole. I picked this up because I enjoy Kelly Sue DeConnick's writing and I am glad I did. Here's to another successful Comic Con haul!
June 21, 2020
Es mucho mejor que el cómic original (o lo poco que conozco, que es solo Ghost Omnibus Volume 1) pero aún así no me engancha como otros cómics de Kelly Sue. Me gustan las diferencias con el original y los guiños, pero no creo que siga con la serie a no ser que la encuentre en una oferta.
El dibujo me gusta porque me gusta mucho Phil Noto... pero es verdad que a veces a los personajes masculinos no podía distinguirlos y eso hizo que algunas tramas fueran un poco confusas. 😅
El dibujo me gusta porque me gusta mucho Phil Noto... pero es verdad que a veces a los personajes masculinos no podía distinguirlos y eso hizo que algunas tramas fueran un poco confusas. 😅
March 25, 2022
I've read the Ghost comics for... well... over a decade now, starting back with Dark Horse's original attempt at her so I was curious to see how they'd translate a visual medium into an audio one. I gotta say I was impressed. I could easily follow what was going on (although there was a bit of over-narration at the start) but, once you got past that, everything flowed beautifully.
The lady doing the voice for Ghost took some getting used to. Not that she didn't do a good job, I just had another vision of what she'd sound like in my head. This was a lot of fun and i hope it's successful enough that we get a second volume.
The lady doing the voice for Ghost took some getting used to. Not that she didn't do a good job, I just had another vision of what she'd sound like in my head. This was a lot of fun and i hope it's successful enough that we get a second volume.
December 31, 2024
Okay, the trope that politicians are vile, corrupt, and in league with evil has been done a thousand times, if not a million. But this story focusing on the mystery of what our past is made of and how do we carry on from horrible instances is the key to making this a fun and interesting read.
We never find out what happened to Ghost. We get hints and clues, possibly, but we never get a definitive answer to what the truth is versus what is speculation that sounds believable. And don't think this is a capes superhero tale. This is more detective noir with a supernatural twist. This story pulled me into a new world, and I'd like to see some more from it.
We never find out what happened to Ghost. We get hints and clues, possibly, but we never get a definitive answer to what the truth is versus what is speculation that sounds believable. And don't think this is a capes superhero tale. This is more detective noir with a supernatural twist. This story pulled me into a new world, and I'd like to see some more from it.
September 28, 2023
Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Noto team-up on a solid mystery/horror book as two normal guys stumble on a big secrets involving missing persons, demons, politicians, and more. DeConnick's plot is basic but fun and her dialogue, as always, is pitch perfect. The ending seemed anticlimactic but was serviceable. Phil Noto's art was great as expected, especially with the main character. The coloring was extra impressive in this book. Overall, an unexpected treat as Ghost is a character I've never read before but want to again.
August 2, 2024
Artwork: Clean lines, clear poses, not overly stylized, but some of the male characters all look too similar, making things confusing at times.
Storyline: Solidly set up for future adventures. Interesting, though not groundbreaking. I had a good time and would read more if my library carried it ... but they don't. And I didn't love it so much that I'd pursue an interlibrary loan to get my hands on Vol. 2.
3.5/5 stars, rounded up.
Storyline: Solidly set up for future adventures. Interesting, though not groundbreaking. I had a good time and would read more if my library carried it ... but they don't. And I didn't love it so much that I'd pursue an interlibrary loan to get my hands on Vol. 2.
3.5/5 stars, rounded up.
December 31, 2017
The story sounded interesting, a mystery and a ghost story set in Chicago. I was able to finish this in about two hours, so I do appreciate that the story moved along quickly and kept me engaged enough. But I don't know it didn't really grab me.
I think Elisa's two guy sidekicks could have went. Overall it made think of an episode of "Supernatural". This one was ok but not standout.
I think Elisa's two guy sidekicks could have went. Overall it made think of an episode of "Supernatural". This one was ok but not standout.
June 30, 2018
Trying to read more DeConnick that isn't Captain Marvel (because there's only so much superhero nonsense I can stand at a time), I instead ended up with this. And it's... fine? Her costume is, well, beautiful and flowing and ghostly. But the plot's a little convoluted in its magical mythos, and all the male characters are actually impossible to distinguish from one another.
August 8, 2018
Not impressed. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and while Noto's art is pretty, it suffers hard core from same face syndrome, especially for the men. I think the story's trying to be a mystery, but it doesn't drop enough hints along the way to actually be a fun and involving mystery story.
July 16, 2020
Ghost is fun, creative, and pretty. It's not mind-blowing or revolutionary, but it's really well done in an understated sort of way. It's the small things that make it good, like the masterfully executed parallel storylines toward the end. Excessive narration is one of my pet peeves in graphic novels, and it bothered me in the beginning, but I eventually lost myself in the story.
July 3, 2017
Noto's females are so great, but all the other pieces like dialog, pacing and story are just okay. Perhaps things build more with each volume?
September 9, 2017
Another comic book that I decided to jump into. It was alright. But it wasn't what I was expecting. I probably won't be continuing this series.
June 13, 2019
Cool story. Not psyched about lack of diversity, but I'll definitely read the next in the series.
April 3, 2020
Noto's art is GORGEOUS
October 7, 2020
I normally love Kelly Sue DeConnick, but this didn't click with me. The characters looked very similar to each other and none of them were interesting.
November 27, 2024
3.5 stars for the artwork
As a reboot this didn't quite work for me; although my memories of the original are fairly dim, so I may be looking back with rose-coloured glasses.
This version feels like it's edging a bit away from the a straightforward traditional heaven & hell scenario, so that might turn out to be more interesting, but unfortunately the finale at the Mayor's ball feels rushed and the action is confusing.
I might look for volume 2....
As a reboot this didn't quite work for me; although my memories of the original are fairly dim, so I may be looking back with rose-coloured glasses.
This version feels like it's edging a bit away from the a straightforward traditional heaven & hell scenario, so that might turn out to be more interesting, but unfortunately the finale at the Mayor's ball feels rushed and the action is confusing.
I might look for volume 2....
March 18, 2017
Was looking at the first two copies that I'd had for a while, and then needed to get the rest. The story is really intriguing, and I love Elisa's face and expressions. There are some things that I would like to be more clear, and one of the things that would help is if two of the characters didn't look so much alike. I guess that they do means that Caroline really has a type.
January 9, 2015
A fun take on Elisa Cameron's origin.
The production values are astounding compared to the original arcs under Eric Luke and whatever artist he happened to be working with (some were fantastic and others less so).
While the male characters are horrible caricatures, sometimes present only to serve as quiescent targets of almost random vitriol, this is a great start to a series that deserves more attention.
Elisa Cameron herself - the titular Ghost - is less an avenging angel here, and more a confused and almost primal entity, though the oddness of her is quickly stuffed away so that she can have conversations. But that doesn't stop her from being something new, something that represents a logical evolution of the character.
Margo is a much more fun character in this volume than at any previous time. Similarly, Dr. October is more compelling and interesting than before. Nemo is...well, I've never been quite sure where I stand on this character in any volume, but here he seems far more mundane than previous iterations.
The book also seems to step back a bit from the politics of Eric Luke's run. Maybe its evolving but it's less forcefully stated, perhaps more sophisticated due to the pen of a female writer this time? I guess we'll see where it goes. I don't know if KSD sticks around for the rest of the series or not, but she's a good writer with a great sense of character capable of snappy, entertaining dialog. The scene with Margo is a particular high point for this book and reminds me of what she's done with Carol Danvers.
Noto's art here is a mixed bag. Elisa is beautiful and the new costume is a fantastic upgrade. The supporting characters are likewise well-rendered, though the complaint that the men look far too similar is a very good observation I have to agree with.
Where it really falls apart is the climactic action scene. I haven't read a lot of stuff drawn by Noto (this and Triggergirl 6 being the only ones I can remember) but he did not manage the scene well and it quickly devolved into a confusing, staccato mess. That said, I love the feel his art gave to the story.
Finally, the setup for the rest of the series at the end is good and I'm excited to see where it goes from there.
The production values are astounding compared to the original arcs under Eric Luke and whatever artist he happened to be working with (some were fantastic and others less so).
While the male characters are horrible caricatures, sometimes present only to serve as quiescent targets of almost random vitriol, this is a great start to a series that deserves more attention.
Elisa Cameron herself - the titular Ghost - is less an avenging angel here, and more a confused and almost primal entity, though the oddness of her is quickly stuffed away so that she can have conversations. But that doesn't stop her from being something new, something that represents a logical evolution of the character.
Margo is a much more fun character in this volume than at any previous time. Similarly, Dr. October is more compelling and interesting than before. Nemo is...well, I've never been quite sure where I stand on this character in any volume, but here he seems far more mundane than previous iterations.
The book also seems to step back a bit from the politics of Eric Luke's run. Maybe its evolving but it's less forcefully stated, perhaps more sophisticated due to the pen of a female writer this time? I guess we'll see where it goes. I don't know if KSD sticks around for the rest of the series or not, but she's a good writer with a great sense of character capable of snappy, entertaining dialog. The scene with Margo is a particular high point for this book and reminds me of what she's done with Carol Danvers.
Noto's art here is a mixed bag. Elisa is beautiful and the new costume is a fantastic upgrade. The supporting characters are likewise well-rendered, though the complaint that the men look far too similar is a very good observation I have to agree with.
Where it really falls apart is the climactic action scene. I haven't read a lot of stuff drawn by Noto (this and Triggergirl 6 being the only ones I can remember) but he did not manage the scene well and it quickly devolved into a confusing, staccato mess. That said, I love the feel his art gave to the story.
Finally, the setup for the rest of the series at the end is good and I'm excited to see where it goes from there.
February 16, 2015
I took a bunch of the Ghost Trades from the 1990s out of the library, when I found out she was going to be part of the whole Project: Black Sky initiative.
I really didn't care for the original books. I felt like the main characters powers were too inconsistent (I really do not like the idea of a Ghost becoming a tangible, regular person on whim. It kind of takes away the point of being a ghost, not to mention makes the character ridiculously powerful). The books were also like many of your 90s, independent comics filled with sex just for the point of having sex. I remember reading this one story arc where these demonic creatures kept choking women to death, by shoving their giant phallic faces down their throats. Yes, that did happen. That was the point where I decided not to read any more of the 90s stuff.
I am also not the biggest fan of Kelly Sue Deconnick. I liked a few issues of Captain Marvel that she wrote, which were pretty good, but so far I haven't seen anything yet that has made me seek her out.
I decided to give this book a shot, though, hoping that the writer and the character would hit the mark. They did.
in this book, they were able to give a logical (well supernatural, comic book logic) explanation for why the main character is a "ghost". They also brought in a supporting cast interesting enough to follow (no simple task for a new book) The Villains in the book were great, and really bordered on the horrific. I like this book, and who knows this might be my turning point for Deconnick.
I really didn't care for the original books. I felt like the main characters powers were too inconsistent (I really do not like the idea of a Ghost becoming a tangible, regular person on whim. It kind of takes away the point of being a ghost, not to mention makes the character ridiculously powerful). The books were also like many of your 90s, independent comics filled with sex just for the point of having sex. I remember reading this one story arc where these demonic creatures kept choking women to death, by shoving their giant phallic faces down their throats. Yes, that did happen. That was the point where I decided not to read any more of the 90s stuff.
I am also not the biggest fan of Kelly Sue Deconnick. I liked a few issues of Captain Marvel that she wrote, which were pretty good, but so far I haven't seen anything yet that has made me seek her out.
I decided to give this book a shot, though, hoping that the writer and the character would hit the mark. They did.
in this book, they were able to give a logical (well supernatural, comic book logic) explanation for why the main character is a "ghost". They also brought in a supporting cast interesting enough to follow (no simple task for a new book) The Villains in the book were great, and really bordered on the horrific. I like this book, and who knows this might be my turning point for Deconnick.
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