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Ghostopolis
A page-turning adventure of a boy's journey to the land of ghosts and back. Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
220 people are currently reading
9171 people want to read
About the author
Doug TenNapel
54 books501 followersDoug TenNapel is the Eisner Award winning writer/artist of over sixteen graphic novels. He is published by Image Comics and Scholastic/Graphics.
He's been married for 27 years to the love of his life and has four book-loving kids.
Doug's favorite authors include G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He reads mostly philosophy but tends to get his fiction from audio-books.
His performs live art demonstrations on his Facebook page, and has animated using pixel art for clients like BlueSky software and Electronic Arts. He also regularly posts on his Youtube channel.
Doug tries to write and draw something every day as a discipline that also happens to be a career.
He currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
He's been married for 27 years to the love of his life and has four book-loving kids.
Doug's favorite authors include G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He reads mostly philosophy but tends to get his fiction from audio-books.
His performs live art demonstrations on his Facebook page, and has animated using pixel art for clients like BlueSky software and Electronic Arts. He also regularly posts on his Youtube channel.
Doug tries to write and draw something every day as a discipline that also happens to be a career.
He currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,338 reviews
December 23, 2015
(3.5 not quite a 4 star.)
Enjoyed this, but I felt that at times it was a bit too all over the place.
Enjoyed this, but I felt that at times it was a bit too all over the place.
April 2, 2019
This was a fun read. I didn't know what to expect, but this was a bit of a surprise. It almost had a little 'Matrix' feel to it and Garth, our main character was a little bit like Neo.
There is an agency that keeps the ghost world out of the human world. One day, an officer makes a mistake and sends a human boy, Garth, to the land of the dead. Garth finds that he has powers over there. The story moves a lot and I feel it might have been better in two parts or something.
Garth meets all kinds of people in the Ghost world. There is also a city called Ghostopolis and he needs to save it.
I would say there is some predicability in this story, but overall, it was a lot of fun to read. The characters are mostly their own. I think young readers will enjoy this and other ages as well. It was fun and I'm glad I gave it a go.
There is an agency that keeps the ghost world out of the human world. One day, an officer makes a mistake and sends a human boy, Garth, to the land of the dead. Garth finds that he has powers over there. The story moves a lot and I feel it might have been better in two parts or something.
Garth meets all kinds of people in the Ghost world. There is also a city called Ghostopolis and he needs to save it.
I would say there is some predicability in this story, but overall, it was a lot of fun to read. The characters are mostly their own. I think young readers will enjoy this and other ages as well. It was fun and I'm glad I gave it a go.
December 8, 2012
My Brontë loved this graphic novel, and I can see why. It's a feel good story full of classic "monsters" -- mummies, skeletons, goblins, demonic insects -- but they're all cleaned up and as unscary as can be. There is a simplistic good versus evil tale going on (albeit with a nurture rather than nature bent). There is a lovable grandfather, who was a poor father, looking for and finding redemption. There is a sacrifice for love. It hits all the right notes for the kids who are its target audience.
Unfortunately, it's all too Eisner-Disney for me. It's too scrubbed, too sanitized, too simplified, too happy, too sweet. If it were a sandwich it would be two pieces of Wonderbread with peanut butter and jelly slathered an inch thick between the slices. That's too much for me. These days I like me pb&j with minimal goo in the middle.
Don't get me wrong, though, there are much worse tales out there, and since Brontë and I have been talking about the book since she finished and I started, I fully back her decision to read the book again. She loves the artwork (again ... too cleaned up for me, but it is pretty), and the story gives her joy, so that's good enough for me. I don't have to love the books she does; I'm just glad to have a chance to experience the things she loves and to talk with her about them.
Unfortunately, it's all too Eisner-Disney for me. It's too scrubbed, too sanitized, too simplified, too happy, too sweet. If it were a sandwich it would be two pieces of Wonderbread with peanut butter and jelly slathered an inch thick between the slices. That's too much for me. These days I like me pb&j with minimal goo in the middle.
Don't get me wrong, though, there are much worse tales out there, and since Brontë and I have been talking about the book since she finished and I started, I fully back her decision to read the book again. She loves the artwork (again ... too cleaned up for me, but it is pretty), and the story gives her joy, so that's good enough for me. I don't have to love the books she does; I'm just glad to have a chance to experience the things she loves and to talk with her about them.
February 4, 2022
6 out of 10
Ghostopolis is a book about a boy named Garth who is sucked into the afterlife world by a ghost wrangler. He is confronted with a lot of different creatures/monsters. Garth's goal is to get out of the afterlife world, and then he meets his grandfather's ghost. Together Garth and his grandfather attempt to get back to the surface.
This book is pretty interesting. The artwork is well done, and I like the concept and character designs. I do think this book is a bit cluttered. I often hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. The story is compelling, but I wish I felt more connected to the world. The characters are okay. I didn't really like the romance subplot. I was decently entertained, but I was a little bit disappointed overall. The artwork is great, but this book is all over the place. It's decent, but I would skip over it.
Ghostopolis is a book about a boy named Garth who is sucked into the afterlife world by a ghost wrangler. He is confronted with a lot of different creatures/monsters. Garth's goal is to get out of the afterlife world, and then he meets his grandfather's ghost. Together Garth and his grandfather attempt to get back to the surface.
This book is pretty interesting. The artwork is well done, and I like the concept and character designs. I do think this book is a bit cluttered. I often hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. The story is compelling, but I wish I felt more connected to the world. The characters are okay. I didn't really like the romance subplot. I was decently entertained, but I was a little bit disappointed overall. The artwork is great, but this book is all over the place. It's decent, but I would skip over it.
April 11, 2017
It was ok. Nothing that will leave a lasting memory on me unfortunately. I do think this one would be more enjoyable if I were younger. I'd recommended it for anyone eight and up.
Edit: It's been a week and I literally forget everything about this graphic novel. I'm knocking it down to two stars. It probably deserves higher but if I can't remember it after only a few days than it really didn't mean much to me.
I also heard the author (who also created the Sega video game - Earthworm Jim) is kind of a jerk. That's a bit disappointing. Sometimes I wish I didn't know anything personal about authors.
Edit: It's been a week and I literally forget everything about this graphic novel. I'm knocking it down to two stars. It probably deserves higher but if I can't remember it after only a few days than it really didn't mean much to me.
I also heard the author (who also created the Sega video game - Earthworm Jim) is kind of a jerk. That's a bit disappointing. Sometimes I wish I didn't know anything personal about authors.
October 22, 2021
Frank Gallows, a washed-up spirit hunter digs himself into a deep hole after he accidentally zaps Garth Hale into the afterlife when he carelessly uses his weapon in the vicinity of a civilian while hunting his latest trouble making ghost. After being fired from his job for endangering citizens, he seeks his genius ex-fiance's help to build a machine to grant him access to the spirit world so he can retrieve the boy, bring him back to his mother and maybe even patch up his failed relationship in the process. In the meantime, Garth meets his grandfather in the ghost world and learns about the exploits of the evil ruler Vaugner who threw the order of the afterlife into absolute chaos.
This started off promising as it had the makings for a very compelling story, but it felt way too jumpy, messy and everything seemed like it was made up on the spot with little depth or reason behind it. The magic makes no sense, the world building makes no sense, the powerups make no sense, the villain's motives are really lame, the main characters are undeveloped cliches who resolve all their conflicts through one deus ex machina after the other. I feel like this could've been really good if it was maybe stretched out to at least 3 volumes. Instead, it ended up feeling like three disjointed books slapped together with lots of plotholes, bad pacing and an undeveloped world and cast who even poke fun at how everything makes no sense and seems way too convenient just for the sake of moving things forward with no logic.
***
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This started off promising as it had the makings for a very compelling story, but it felt way too jumpy, messy and everything seemed like it was made up on the spot with little depth or reason behind it. The magic makes no sense, the world building makes no sense, the powerups make no sense, the villain's motives are really lame, the main characters are undeveloped cliches who resolve all their conflicts through one deus ex machina after the other. I feel like this could've been really good if it was maybe stretched out to at least 3 volumes. Instead, it ended up feeling like three disjointed books slapped together with lots of plotholes, bad pacing and an undeveloped world and cast who even poke fun at how everything makes no sense and seems way too convenient just for the sake of moving things forward with no logic.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
May 31, 2015
Review #2 - May 31, 2015
I recently bought a pack of TenNapel books from Scholastic, and this book was included, so I decided to read it again.
I'm not a huge fan of graphic-novels, but I like the way TenNapel writes. I have an easy time following the story and never feel overwhelmed by words and pictures. The stories are very creative.
Can't wait to share this with my students! I know they'll love it.
Review #1 - August 7, 2012
I started reading this and wasn't very interested. In fact, I read the first 10 pages and set it down for a week. I randomly picked it back up and started reading and was soon hooked. The story progressed so smoothly and was interesting.
Frank is a paranormal detective, responsible for sending ghosts back to the "other side." He accidentally sends Garth, a mortal to the other side and has to go find him. In the land of the dead, an overlord mercilessly rules everyone. Garth may be the only one that can stand up to him.
There are a lot of little side stories and analogies that you can think about. For instance, Joe, is the creator of Ghostopolis and he tells Garth "I know a lot of things about you, Garth, and I'm rooting for you anyway." Joe is this all-powerful guy, but he lets Garth fight his own battles and because of that Garth learns his own strength. Take what you will from that.
I recently read The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes and was horrified by the gross story, but the illustrations were pretty good. The illustrations in Ghostopolis were not as nicely done, but the story was infinitely more enjoyable. It's written for a younger audience, so it's more simplistic, but there is enough to keep adults interested.
Also, I think it's admirable that TenNapel writes the story AND does the illustrations.
I recently bought a pack of TenNapel books from Scholastic, and this book was included, so I decided to read it again.
I'm not a huge fan of graphic-novels, but I like the way TenNapel writes. I have an easy time following the story and never feel overwhelmed by words and pictures. The stories are very creative.
Can't wait to share this with my students! I know they'll love it.
Review #1 - August 7, 2012
I started reading this and wasn't very interested. In fact, I read the first 10 pages and set it down for a week. I randomly picked it back up and started reading and was soon hooked. The story progressed so smoothly and was interesting.
Frank is a paranormal detective, responsible for sending ghosts back to the "other side." He accidentally sends Garth, a mortal to the other side and has to go find him. In the land of the dead, an overlord mercilessly rules everyone. Garth may be the only one that can stand up to him.
There are a lot of little side stories and analogies that you can think about. For instance, Joe, is the creator of Ghostopolis and he tells Garth "I know a lot of things about you, Garth, and I'm rooting for you anyway." Joe is this all-powerful guy, but he lets Garth fight his own battles and because of that Garth learns his own strength. Take what you will from that.
I recently read The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes and was horrified by the gross story, but the illustrations were pretty good. The illustrations in Ghostopolis were not as nicely done, but the story was infinitely more enjoyable. It's written for a younger audience, so it's more simplistic, but there is enough to keep adults interested.
Also, I think it's admirable that TenNapel writes the story AND does the illustrations.
July 22, 2016
I'm beginning to think Dough TenNapel is my new favorite middle grade graphic novel author. The first book I read from him 'Cardboard', was really good and it had a Pinocchio vibe. This one reminded me on the Wizard of Oz.
Ghostopolis is about a boy named Garth and he has an incurable disease. The doctors do not have a time frame for when he will pass on.
Frank Gallows is a ghost wrangler. He catches ghosts that have illegally crossed over and cuffs them. Sending them back to the afterlife. While Frank is capturing a ghost horse, Garth gets trapped with said horse and is sucked in the the afterlife where he meets all sorts of spirits. His grandpa, a bone king and a terribly corrupt ruler named Vaugner. It's up to Frank to say Ghostopolis and rid them of the evil Lord.
Not only are Doug's illustrations gorgeously drawn, but his stories are just lovely to read. Always about family and relationships they bring tears to my eyes. I literally had to stop a sob from forming when Garth is talking to a relative. Just a wonderful book. I will be reading all of his stuff now.
Ghostopolis is about a boy named Garth and he has an incurable disease. The doctors do not have a time frame for when he will pass on.
Frank Gallows is a ghost wrangler. He catches ghosts that have illegally crossed over and cuffs them. Sending them back to the afterlife. While Frank is capturing a ghost horse, Garth gets trapped with said horse and is sucked in the the afterlife where he meets all sorts of spirits. His grandpa, a bone king and a terribly corrupt ruler named Vaugner. It's up to Frank to say Ghostopolis and rid them of the evil Lord.
Not only are Doug's illustrations gorgeously drawn, but his stories are just lovely to read. Always about family and relationships they bring tears to my eyes. I literally had to stop a sob from forming when Garth is talking to a relative. Just a wonderful book. I will be reading all of his stuff now.
June 17, 2012
Not only was the love story rather empty and trite, it caused an offensively arbitrary scene where the girl for absolutely no reason, completely interrupting the plot except to further the stupid love story in the most unimaginative and sexist way, suddenly changes into a dress because girls only care about dresses and the only way for men and women to interact is for the man to tell the woman that she looks good because of the dress and the woman to be genuinely flattered. WHAT YEAR ARE YOU WRITING THIS DRIVEL TENNAPEL?
Otherwise, excepting the sort of completely systemless, unexplained, and sort of confusing use of vague and undefined "magic", pretty alright.
Otherwise, excepting the sort of completely systemless, unexplained, and sort of confusing use of vague and undefined "magic", pretty alright.
October 25, 2019
When a living boy is accidentally taken to Ghostopolis, it's up to a crusty gumshoe-type character, and a ghostly gal to bring him back to the world of the living.
There was so much I LOVED about this one: a skeletal horse named Skinny, Garth getting to explore the worlds of the dead with a kid-version of his grandpa, the King of the Bone Kingdom, and the mummy squirrels.
I laughed frequently, and teared up at the ending. Can't say that about too many graphic novels.
There was so much I LOVED about this one: a skeletal horse named Skinny, Garth getting to explore the worlds of the dead with a kid-version of his grandpa, the King of the Bone Kingdom, and the mummy squirrels.
I laughed frequently, and teared up at the ending. Can't say that about too many graphic novels.
June 19, 2018
This book was heartwarming! I loved how Claire and Frank end up together in the ghost city. I loved how Garth's mom and grandad forgive each other.I loved this book a lot! I loved that Garth knows he won't give up fighting this sickness he has. Also how Claire's grandfather is a werewolf is awesome and how Claire is the Queen of the undead. I mean that's really cool!
October 17, 2014
This is a cute story. Garth is a terminally ill boy who gets trapped in Afterlife while he's still alive because an RIPD type dude accidentally sends him back while sending a "nightmare" back at the same time.
So we visit Afterlife where the rules are reversed - i.e. living people can fly and go through walls and have magic - things the dead can do in our world - and it's all powered by imagination which, naturally, Garth has in abundance and he's uber-strong, a "natural talent", and, with help, he takes on the big bad of the world.
And that's pretty much it.
The story moves along very quickly, so while it is sweet and there are lessons to be learned and whatnot, nothing gets really developed or lingered on for long. Just wam, bam, thank-you-maam, and don't worry about
The Afterlife itself it pretty cool. There's ghostopolis, but there's also Mummyville and the Bone Kingdom and some other stuff, so different types of dead and some mythological type things are portrayed in different ways, but there seems to be very few actual ghosts, which was kind of weird.
There's also Joe, this God/Christ-like figure who allegedly created the Afterlife - either in 6 days or a billion years (get it) - and who factors sort of oddly into the story...
Oh, and there's also the one female character of note stops in the middle of the story to get from practical overalls to a dress, because, ya know, girl. At least she wore flats... (Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the skirts and shit, but this little divergence offered nothing to the story except the RIPD guy getting to be like "oh, wow, you're pretty" and she gets to be all blushy.)
Anyway -
Cute, quick story. Kids'll love it. I liked it, but wish it would've been developed a bit more.
So we visit Afterlife where the rules are reversed - i.e. living people can fly and go through walls and have magic - things the dead can do in our world - and it's all powered by imagination which, naturally, Garth has in abundance and he's uber-strong, a "natural talent", and, with help, he takes on the big bad of the world.
And that's pretty much it.
The story moves along very quickly, so while it is sweet and there are lessons to be learned and whatnot, nothing gets really developed or lingered on for long. Just wam, bam, thank-you-maam, and don't worry about
The Afterlife itself it pretty cool. There's ghostopolis, but there's also Mummyville and the Bone Kingdom and some other stuff, so different types of dead and some mythological type things are portrayed in different ways, but there seems to be very few actual ghosts, which was kind of weird.
There's also Joe, this God/Christ-like figure who allegedly created the Afterlife - either in 6 days or a billion years (get it) - and who factors sort of oddly into the story...
Oh, and there's also the one female character of note stops in the middle of the story to get from practical overalls to a dress, because, ya know, girl. At least she wore flats... (Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the skirts and shit, but this little divergence offered nothing to the story except the RIPD guy getting to be like "oh, wow, you're pretty" and she gets to be all blushy.)
Anyway -
Cute, quick story. Kids'll love it. I liked it, but wish it would've been developed a bit more.
September 7, 2010
Rounding out my recent foray into Scholastic's impressive Graphix line, here's a great one for fourth graders up that touches on life and death, family dynamics, romance, theology and the Tuskegee airmen. Combine that with TenNapel's wonderful drawings of zombies, mummies, skeletons and other denizens of afterlife, and you can't go wrong.
February 3, 2020
1.5 rounded up to 2 stars.
Huh.... What did I just read? Im still confused. I don't know what more to say. It wasn't bad and I liked that it was a touch of creepy/gothic. But I still don't get the story. I don't know what to make of this. Ohh well.
Huh.... What did I just read? Im still confused. I don't know what more to say. It wasn't bad and I liked that it was a touch of creepy/gothic. But I still don't get the story. I don't know what to make of this. Ohh well.
October 26, 2011
I picked this book up at the library on a whim and I am so glad I did. This was a wonderful story with some great illustrations. The story is meaningful, fun, and quirky all at the same time.
Garth is a kid with problems, he has a life-threatening condition that no doctor can solve. Imagine his surprise when he is accidentally zapped into the Ghost world by an accident prone ghost hunter. While there Garth learns he has fantastic powers and ends up facing off against Ghostopolis's evil ruler. Garth learns a lot about his family's past and about himself while he is there. Now Garth needs to figure out how to get back.
I loved the idea behind this story. How cool that Garth gets zapped into a ghost world and finds out that he has super hero like abilities there? I also loved Garth's faithful skeleton horse, that horse was awesome and added a lot of fun to the story.
The story is suprisingly complex and creative. I was drawn into it right away and had to read the whole thing in one sitting because I just could not put it down. This is one of those graphic novels that will appeal to a broad range of ages. Depending on the age of the reader different messages can be taken from the book. At the most basic level it is a fun and engaging story about the adventure of a boy in a ghost world; on a more complex level is explores questions behind death and what happens after life.
The drawings were very well done. I never had trouble following them or figuring out what was going on. The characters were drawn very expressively...even the horse made out of bones had a ton of personality. So, I just really enjoyed it.
Overall this was an absolutely fantastic graphic novel. The idea is creative, the characters very engaging, and the story complex and interesting. It is one of those books that will appeal to a large age group. Young kids will love the adventure aspects of the story, older kids and adults will be drawn in by the whole mystery of death subtheme. If you love fantasy graphic novels or paranormal graphic novels definitely give this one a read...it is exceedingly well done.
Garth is a kid with problems, he has a life-threatening condition that no doctor can solve. Imagine his surprise when he is accidentally zapped into the Ghost world by an accident prone ghost hunter. While there Garth learns he has fantastic powers and ends up facing off against Ghostopolis's evil ruler. Garth learns a lot about his family's past and about himself while he is there. Now Garth needs to figure out how to get back.
I loved the idea behind this story. How cool that Garth gets zapped into a ghost world and finds out that he has super hero like abilities there? I also loved Garth's faithful skeleton horse, that horse was awesome and added a lot of fun to the story.
The story is suprisingly complex and creative. I was drawn into it right away and had to read the whole thing in one sitting because I just could not put it down. This is one of those graphic novels that will appeal to a broad range of ages. Depending on the age of the reader different messages can be taken from the book. At the most basic level it is a fun and engaging story about the adventure of a boy in a ghost world; on a more complex level is explores questions behind death and what happens after life.
The drawings were very well done. I never had trouble following them or figuring out what was going on. The characters were drawn very expressively...even the horse made out of bones had a ton of personality. So, I just really enjoyed it.
Overall this was an absolutely fantastic graphic novel. The idea is creative, the characters very engaging, and the story complex and interesting. It is one of those books that will appeal to a large age group. Young kids will love the adventure aspects of the story, older kids and adults will be drawn in by the whole mystery of death subtheme. If you love fantasy graphic novels or paranormal graphic novels definitely give this one a read...it is exceedingly well done.
March 23, 2015
This is the story of Garth Hale and how he accidentally ended up getting transported into the world of the dead (as you do). He's a young boy who's not the most optimistic or happy upon Earth due to an illness he has, but when he's transported away to Ghostopolis he comes into his own adventure against evil bugs, riding skeleton horses and generally trying to escape.
I liked the story and it was certainly fun in places but I didn't feel like there was a whole load to comment on because it's not too unusual an idea. I think it's a pretty fun idea because the afterlife is imagined in vivid colours and tones, but I just felt like it was light and fun and not much else.
The art style of this book is okay, it's got some really great colours but I find the way that the people are drawn by Doug TenNaple a little bit too cartoon-y for my own taste. I do think that the surreal afterlife scenes are a lot more vivid and well drawn than those set on Earth due to the natural creativity of the afterlife, but even so the art style is just okay not amazing.
On the whole for a quick, light and fun read I think this ticks a lot of boxes but it's not a favourite of mine. There's a fun but slightly predictable storyline and there are some cool elements within that, but at the end of the day it's not original enough to be awesome. It's a children's graphic novel for sure, and it seems like a light and fun one for that age group but I have to say I much prefer Cardboard by Doug TenNaple as I felt that was far more imaginative and unique.
A fun and decent read, 3*s, recommended for kids in particular.
I liked the story and it was certainly fun in places but I didn't feel like there was a whole load to comment on because it's not too unusual an idea. I think it's a pretty fun idea because the afterlife is imagined in vivid colours and tones, but I just felt like it was light and fun and not much else.
The art style of this book is okay, it's got some really great colours but I find the way that the people are drawn by Doug TenNaple a little bit too cartoon-y for my own taste. I do think that the surreal afterlife scenes are a lot more vivid and well drawn than those set on Earth due to the natural creativity of the afterlife, but even so the art style is just okay not amazing.
On the whole for a quick, light and fun read I think this ticks a lot of boxes but it's not a favourite of mine. There's a fun but slightly predictable storyline and there are some cool elements within that, but at the end of the day it's not original enough to be awesome. It's a children's graphic novel for sure, and it seems like a light and fun one for that age group but I have to say I much prefer Cardboard by Doug TenNaple as I felt that was far more imaginative and unique.
A fun and decent read, 3*s, recommended for kids in particular.
February 18, 2011
This was disappointing, because there were a lot of things about it that, if they'd been handled in a bit different of a way, could have been really great. The art for the most part is super, but where a little nudge in a certain direction would have pushed it into something kind of creepy and cool, it goes the other way into goofy and silly. The writing is the same way - I understand that this book is directed at a young audience, but I bet a lot of kids today can appreciate jokes that aren't about farting or diarrhea. There's also this weird herky-jerkiness to the pacing and the scene transitions that kept me checking to see if the pages had stuck together. Overall, there's enough here for me to still come out of this having enjoyed it, but I think I enjoyed it less because I felt like I could have enjoyed it more.
January 14, 2017
Rut roh. Having a hard time with this one knowing that Doug TenNapel has said some super icky queer-phobic stuff. I think if it weren't for that, I might have given the book a 3? But not sure. I found the storytelling to be uneven, the characters a bit thin and the action often jumps around too much. What did I like about it? My favorite part was the relationship between the boy and the skeleton horse, and the resistance of the skeleton king. (Right about now, it's really nice to read stories about resistance against evil dictators.) There are a lot of similarities to Corpse Bride, but Corpse Bride is funnier, and a more nuanced and elegant and soulful work of art.
July 10, 2016
Auch beim Wiederlesen kommt Ghostopolis nicht über drei Sterne hinaus.
Die Story ist witzig und kann mit vielen netten Details und Ideen aufwarten, trotzdem fehlt aber das gewisse etwas, das mich dazu motiviert, bei der Stange zu bleiben. Wäre es ein Film, dann die Sorte, bei der ich zwischendurch aufstehe, mir eine Stulle schmiere oder einen Tee koche - man verpaßt ja nicht wirklich etwas. Und die Zeichnungen sind leider mit Ausnahme einiger Panels, die wiederum auf witzigen Ideen basieren, auch nicht mein Geschmack.
Die Story ist witzig und kann mit vielen netten Details und Ideen aufwarten, trotzdem fehlt aber das gewisse etwas, das mich dazu motiviert, bei der Stange zu bleiben. Wäre es ein Film, dann die Sorte, bei der ich zwischendurch aufstehe, mir eine Stulle schmiere oder einen Tee koche - man verpaßt ja nicht wirklich etwas. Und die Zeichnungen sind leider mit Ausnahme einiger Panels, die wiederum auf witzigen Ideen basieren, auch nicht mein Geschmack.
January 7, 2015
Ghostopolis is a fun, but a bit childish book about the afterlife. The genre of Ghostopolis is fantasy graphic novel. The book takes place in a world where when you die, you go to Ghostopolis where all the dead live. However, the dead can sneak through holes and come back to life on earth. Frank Gallows and the SITF are in charge of zapping them back to Ghostopolis. The main character is a normal kid named Garth who lives with his mom and is diagnosed with an incurable disease. One day, Frank messes up and accidentally zaps Garth and the undead horse who fell on top of him into the afterlife and the SITF try to save him. Garth learns that he has powers, and the leader of ghostopolis, Vosch, wants to use his powers to become a feircer ruler of Ghostopolis. Will Garth go back home, will the disease kill him, or will he be in Ghostopolis forever?
I don't usually read graphic novels, so reading this kind of book was very new for me. I thought this book was kind of silly and childish but I enjoyed the pictures. I knew what was going to happen from page 50 and some of the jokes were a little cheesy. I think that Garth being zapped to the afterlife because a dead horse fell on top of him is silly, and I think that the government would take this issue a little more seriously. My least favorite part about reading the book was the jokes. The potty jokes and booger jokes weren't for me. My favorite part of reading Ghostopolis was the pictures. The colors really set the mood for the book and there were some great black and white pictures that made certain boxes important and made the characters stand out. I really liked being able to read and see images of the story at the same time because there was much more than just reading the story. A major motif throughout this book is death. It keeps talking about death and afterlife and what it is like being death. A major theme in this book is that you always have to help out if you make a mistake, no matter how hard it is. I rate this book 3 out of five ghosts, and most who are ten and under or anyone who wants a fun fantasy graphic novel should read this book!
I don't usually read graphic novels, so reading this kind of book was very new for me. I thought this book was kind of silly and childish but I enjoyed the pictures. I knew what was going to happen from page 50 and some of the jokes were a little cheesy. I think that Garth being zapped to the afterlife because a dead horse fell on top of him is silly, and I think that the government would take this issue a little more seriously. My least favorite part about reading the book was the jokes. The potty jokes and booger jokes weren't for me. My favorite part of reading Ghostopolis was the pictures. The colors really set the mood for the book and there were some great black and white pictures that made certain boxes important and made the characters stand out. I really liked being able to read and see images of the story at the same time because there was much more than just reading the story. A major motif throughout this book is death. It keeps talking about death and afterlife and what it is like being death. A major theme in this book is that you always have to help out if you make a mistake, no matter how hard it is. I rate this book 3 out of five ghosts, and most who are ten and under or anyone who wants a fun fantasy graphic novel should read this book!
May 14, 2012
This was my 15th book for the YALSA Best Books challenge.
So basically there are a lot of things going on all at once (like with any good book). First of all you have a ghost hunter named Frank Gallows who goes around and zaps ghosts back to a ghost world where Ghostopolis is the main city. Then you have a kid named Garth who has some incurable disease and his mother who drags him to five doctors to try and find some hope of a cure. Well things get a bit jumbled when Gallows sends a skeleton horse back and accidentally sends Garth with it. Now Gallows must ask his ghost friend Claire Voyant to help him save Garth and Ghostopolis before the evil Vaugner destroys them both. Well, there is a lot more going on...but you get the gist.
This was a good read. I enjoyed the creativity and the story line. I thought the whole idea of a Ghostopolis was great. I especially liked Skinny (the skeleton horse). Although many of the other characters were great. I loved the expressions that they had. There is one panel that has Gallows as a silhouette, yet you can totally see what his expression is. Brilliant. I did have to think while reading this one. Once again proving that graphic novels aren't for sissies. Sometimes there wasn't any indication between panels that we were jumping from one story line to another. For example I saw a bug-like monster disappear and then in the next few panels there was suddenly a puff of smoke that I thought was the bug until I saw Gallows and Voyant coming into Ghostopolis in a traveling machine. So I had to keep paying close attention to what was happening, especially the extra details in the background. I can see the high appeal. This book had great characters, a good plot, loads of imagination, drama, a huge action scene, and ghosts--of all the ghostly varieties. I can totally see the appeal and why this is so popular.
So basically there are a lot of things going on all at once (like with any good book). First of all you have a ghost hunter named Frank Gallows who goes around and zaps ghosts back to a ghost world where Ghostopolis is the main city. Then you have a kid named Garth who has some incurable disease and his mother who drags him to five doctors to try and find some hope of a cure. Well things get a bit jumbled when Gallows sends a skeleton horse back and accidentally sends Garth with it. Now Gallows must ask his ghost friend Claire Voyant to help him save Garth and Ghostopolis before the evil Vaugner destroys them both. Well, there is a lot more going on...but you get the gist.
This was a good read. I enjoyed the creativity and the story line. I thought the whole idea of a Ghostopolis was great. I especially liked Skinny (the skeleton horse). Although many of the other characters were great. I loved the expressions that they had. There is one panel that has Gallows as a silhouette, yet you can totally see what his expression is. Brilliant. I did have to think while reading this one. Once again proving that graphic novels aren't for sissies. Sometimes there wasn't any indication between panels that we were jumping from one story line to another. For example I saw a bug-like monster disappear and then in the next few panels there was suddenly a puff of smoke that I thought was the bug until I saw Gallows and Voyant coming into Ghostopolis in a traveling machine. So I had to keep paying close attention to what was happening, especially the extra details in the background. I can see the high appeal. This book had great characters, a good plot, loads of imagination, drama, a huge action scene, and ghosts--of all the ghostly varieties. I can totally see the appeal and why this is so popular.
July 27, 2014
It reads like Danny Phantom fan fiction with a few creative liberties taken and slightly less plot holes. Questions I asked myself while reading:
Is Gallows's body in the afterlife with him, or did it get mashed into microscopic pieces in the rubble? Where do ghosts go when they disintegrate? Why are there only three to four ghosts in the afterlife, with the exception of the God conga line towards the light, and a bunch of other "types" of dead people? Why can't a (probably) children's graphic novel pass the Bechdel test or show a little diversity? It seems that only white people die, so that's good news for everyone else in the world. Who names a protagonist Garth?
As a whole, the pacing was too fast, things were moved along with little development or explanation (humans have magic powers in the afterlife for some reason) and it reeked of Deus Ex Machina. Boy who has an incurable disease is The Chosen One amongst the dead, but he's not dead so he has extra superpowers! Boy defeats the Evil Not White Guy with friendship, imagination, and pure willpower! Forbidden human-ghost love subplot between some adults that gets remedied during the adventure and they live Happily Ever After ruling the afterlife! Boy's incurable disease gets cured because some random dead guy says so!
I'm probably being a cynic. The art was nice. Your kids will like it if they like ghosts, skeletons, or Danny Phantom.
Is Gallows's body in the afterlife with him, or did it get mashed into microscopic pieces in the rubble? Where do ghosts go when they disintegrate? Why are there only three to four ghosts in the afterlife, with the exception of the God conga line towards the light, and a bunch of other "types" of dead people? Why can't a (probably) children's graphic novel pass the Bechdel test or show a little diversity? It seems that only white people die, so that's good news for everyone else in the world. Who names a protagonist Garth?
As a whole, the pacing was too fast, things were moved along with little development or explanation (humans have magic powers in the afterlife for some reason) and it reeked of Deus Ex Machina. Boy who has an incurable disease is The Chosen One amongst the dead, but he's not dead so he has extra superpowers! Boy defeats the Evil Not White Guy with friendship, imagination, and pure willpower! Forbidden human-ghost love subplot between some adults that gets remedied during the adventure and they live Happily Ever After ruling the afterlife! Boy's incurable disease gets cured because some random dead guy says so!
I'm probably being a cynic. The art was nice. Your kids will like it if they like ghosts, skeletons, or Danny Phantom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2022
A cute story about family...and ghosts
March 16, 2016
This was my 4th favorite book that I've read it's about a kid named Garth that has a uncureable disease that sums up his death but befor he dies he goes to the underworld by a guy named frank that teleported him there on accident I would like for many people to try this book out.:)
May 30, 2022
Prea multe personaje se perindă pe acolo și nu te poți atașa de vreunul, în afară de clișeica biruință a binelui nu am observat vreun mesaj demn de reținut, iar finalul, după atâtea lupte, a fost cam abrupt, la fel ca modul în care personajele se aleg cu niște puteri fără nicio îndrumare ori explicație. În plus, nu se păstrează nicio prietenie la sfârșitul aventurii. Cred că ar mai fi mers câteva pagini în care să inspire liniște după valul acela de violențe. Un copil nu cred că va înțelege toate defectele și subtilitățile pe care le-am văzut eu, ca adult; poate și eu le-am interpretat greșit. Pentru ei, totuși, este o lectură potrivită. Nu utilă, dar măcar îi va face să stea în liniște o perioadă, pentru că acțiunea chiar are potențialul de a le stârni curiozitatea. Pe mine, cel puțin, m-a ținut în poveste tot timpul, după ce am reușit să fac abstracție de aluziile la religie, și am savurat toate bătăliile, dar mai ales grafica.
Cred că e potrivită mai mult pentru băieți, și nu chiar de 10 ani, așa cum sugerează recomandarea. Mai măricei, și să o citească doar de dragul diversității în lecturi, așa cum și mie mi-ar fi plăcut să o citesc în copilărie, nu pentru a căuta ceva valoros în ea. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3PPBsba.
Cred că e potrivită mai mult pentru băieți, și nu chiar de 10 ani, așa cum sugerează recomandarea. Mai măricei, și să o citească doar de dragul diversității în lecturi, așa cum și mie mi-ar fi plăcut să o citesc în copilărie, nu pentru a căuta ceva valoros în ea. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3PPBsba.
August 4, 2022
👍🏻👍🏻 EXCELLENT
Garth is ten years old and has an incurable disease that, he is well aware, will soon take him to the underworld. He can't imagine that, due to a mistake made by agent Frank Gallows, a ghost hunter for the Supernatural Immigration Bureau, he will end up in the underworld pretty early, but as a living man, and now Frank must bring him back to the world of the living to get his job back.
The world of the dead is composed of seven kingdoms, at peace with each other only through the mediation of the tyrant Vaugner - a character who, as we shall see, has more than one unfinished business with the world of the living.
It's hard to find a flaw this graphic novel. The author, a famous video game character designer, combines an absolutely original story with just the right amount of adventure, action, irony - wonderful the character of Frank Gallows and his perpetually disillusioned tone, as well as his ghostly ex-girlfriend Claire, who is more alive than he is - and a pace that pushes you to want to know more not only about the world in which the story is set, but also about the individual characters, each one portrayed in an excellent way. Very nice, although secondary, the role that was carved out for the ghost of Benedict Arnold ( a general who really existed during the American Revolution and changed sides ending up fighting for the British).
It would deserve a sequel, but maybe not. As a single story it holds up just fine. Hard to say if it is better Ghostopolis or Cardboard, another creation of TenNapel, however they are both recommended.
WARNINGS: death (of course!), violence
STYLING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ORIGINALITY: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHARACTER DEV.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DEV.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
IMPORTANCE: ⭐⭐⭐
Garth is ten years old and has an incurable disease that, he is well aware, will soon take him to the underworld. He can't imagine that, due to a mistake made by agent Frank Gallows, a ghost hunter for the Supernatural Immigration Bureau, he will end up in the underworld pretty early, but as a living man, and now Frank must bring him back to the world of the living to get his job back.
The world of the dead is composed of seven kingdoms, at peace with each other only through the mediation of the tyrant Vaugner - a character who, as we shall see, has more than one unfinished business with the world of the living.
It's hard to find a flaw this graphic novel. The author, a famous video game character designer, combines an absolutely original story with just the right amount of adventure, action, irony - wonderful the character of Frank Gallows and his perpetually disillusioned tone, as well as his ghostly ex-girlfriend Claire, who is more alive than he is - and a pace that pushes you to want to know more not only about the world in which the story is set, but also about the individual characters, each one portrayed in an excellent way. Very nice, although secondary, the role that was carved out for the ghost of Benedict Arnold ( a general who really existed during the American Revolution and changed sides ending up fighting for the British).
It would deserve a sequel, but maybe not. As a single story it holds up just fine. Hard to say if it is better Ghostopolis or Cardboard, another creation of TenNapel, however they are both recommended.
WARNINGS: death (of course!), violence
STYLING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ORIGINALITY: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHARACTER DEV.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DEV.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
IMPORTANCE: ⭐⭐⭐
February 14, 2014
Frank Gallows, a longtime ghost hunter has really done it this time, sending a living person to the afterlife. What a loser! Now he is really going to get fired, so he enlists his ex to help save the day.
Garth, a terminally ill boy, is accidentally zapped to the afterlife prematurely. At first he just wants to find a way home, but as he spends more time in the afterlife he realizes he may be able to help.
Cecil, Garth’s grandfather, totally failed at life and his family. But through this terrible accident he is able to meet his grandson for the first time, and possibly repair broken relationships.
In the end, nothing is resolved in the way one would guess, but it ends up being even more amazing.
Why I picked it up: I’m still on my graphic novel binge, so I decided to read this one since it has been in my pile for a while. I’ve been putting this one off, but now I have no idea why!
Why I finished it: The story was surprisingly original, and the graphics were complex and engaging. There were a few times I just took a moment to soak it all it.
Who I’d give it too: Anyone who loves a good graphic novel that deals with the afterlife and other spooky stuff.
Happy Reading!
2011 ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2010 Kirkus Reviews-Best Children’s Books
2012 ALA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults
Garth, a terminally ill boy, is accidentally zapped to the afterlife prematurely. At first he just wants to find a way home, but as he spends more time in the afterlife he realizes he may be able to help.
Cecil, Garth’s grandfather, totally failed at life and his family. But through this terrible accident he is able to meet his grandson for the first time, and possibly repair broken relationships.
In the end, nothing is resolved in the way one would guess, but it ends up being even more amazing.
Why I picked it up: I’m still on my graphic novel binge, so I decided to read this one since it has been in my pile for a while. I’ve been putting this one off, but now I have no idea why!
Why I finished it: The story was surprisingly original, and the graphics were complex and engaging. There were a few times I just took a moment to soak it all it.
Who I’d give it too: Anyone who loves a good graphic novel that deals with the afterlife and other spooky stuff.
Happy Reading!
2011 ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2010 Kirkus Reviews-Best Children’s Books
2012 ALA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults
August 18, 2010
I'm surprised at how good this was. It looks kiddie, and is kinda kiddie, but the story is well thought out and the bad guys are enjoyably evil, and i just kinda loved it. Basically its the story of this kid, Garth, that finds himself in the afterlife. One problem, he's still alive. In this afterlife, there are seven kingdoms at the hub of which, Ghostopolis sits, all led by the evil Vaugner.
Whats really cool about it is the magic system. Basically humans in the ghost world don't abide by afterlife physics, so they can walk through walls, fly, shoot plasma beams from their hands, anything they imagine. Its a constantly fun and surprising aspect of the book. Especially in the final battle, where Garth and Vaugner literally morph their bodies into the buildings of Ghostopolis and battle Transformers-like.
Someone needs to show Tim Burton this book, like now. From the gothic landscapes, to the zombified townsfolk and the confused and terminally ill main character, this entire book is a future Hot Topic shirt waiting to happen. Him and Henry Selick (the guy that did The Nightmare Before Christmas and the amazing Coraline ) could work wonders with this story. I just think it really lends itself worthy to a big screen adaptation. That awesome.
Whats really cool about it is the magic system. Basically humans in the ghost world don't abide by afterlife physics, so they can walk through walls, fly, shoot plasma beams from their hands, anything they imagine. Its a constantly fun and surprising aspect of the book. Especially in the final battle, where Garth and Vaugner literally morph their bodies into the buildings of Ghostopolis and battle Transformers-like.
Someone needs to show Tim Burton this book, like now. From the gothic landscapes, to the zombified townsfolk and the confused and terminally ill main character, this entire book is a future Hot Topic shirt waiting to happen. Him and Henry Selick (the guy that did The Nightmare Before Christmas and the amazing Coraline ) could work wonders with this story. I just think it really lends itself worthy to a big screen adaptation. That awesome.
Read
May 3, 2012Amber Randol
Graphic Novel
This book is about a ghost hunter who accidently zaps a boy to ghostopolis, the other world. He decides to go after him to bring him back with the help of his ex-girlfriend who is a ghost. The boy meets his grandfather in the city and they learn he has special powers. The ruler of ghostopolis tries to kidnap him for his powers because he wants the town all for himself, with no one in his way. Together they all work to defeat him by combining powers, and they are able to bring the town back to normal, with rulers for each kind of ghost. The pictures are very detailed and tell most of the story, which is what graphic novels should do. It's very easy to read and understand what is happening just by looking at the pictures. You don't even need to read the words that some of the pages have.
Graphic Novel
This book is about a ghost hunter who accidently zaps a boy to ghostopolis, the other world. He decides to go after him to bring him back with the help of his ex-girlfriend who is a ghost. The boy meets his grandfather in the city and they learn he has special powers. The ruler of ghostopolis tries to kidnap him for his powers because he wants the town all for himself, with no one in his way. Together they all work to defeat him by combining powers, and they are able to bring the town back to normal, with rulers for each kind of ghost. The pictures are very detailed and tell most of the story, which is what graphic novels should do. It's very easy to read and understand what is happening just by looking at the pictures. You don't even need to read the words that some of the pages have.
February 18, 2013
Ghostopolis, is an amazing book. It is about a human boy, Garth, who gets caught in a ghost trap gets sent to Ghostopolis. It is a place for the afterlife where people are ruled by Vaugner the evil leader. Garth has to get back to his mother. With the help of his friends he manages to get back home and defeat Vaugner. This book was very hard to put down. It is filled with adventure.
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