Monday, June 23, 2014

Comic Book Consideration: DarkHorse's Ghost # 4






         The American Comic Book industry had had for many years a major indie influence and among them is this week's DarkHorse issue. Chosen at random from their catalog is Ghost. Having not read much Darkhorse this character appears to be a person that was killed and is a spirit living between the dead and life as they interact with people in this issue. Ghost unlike other similar characters in the industry is a women and so this issue deals with things a bit differently. As always their is plot information so read at your own risk.



        Turning to the plot of this issue it starts in the dark with people talking in West Chicago. During this exchange we learn that when Alive Ghost was called Elisa and that they are searching a unit of material that belonged to a childhood friend of hers called James. They search the unit and find two things of importance a file on Elisa and a picture of her as a kid. Meanwhile elsewhere Elisa is on a sidewalk and a car with two men in it try and pick her up for sex. Seeing some rope and talking about other girls being attacked with it the men faint ignorance and pay her and they head off. Back at the unit the man who brought the unit says that James wrote Elisa's eulogy. Two people with him point out that their was no funeral nor a body to go with it. They ask him to read it to them. In a flashback as kids he states he was in love with her and that the neighborhood kids were playing Superheroes and Villains. In scenes of being kids they play and we learn that a former kid dad has a gun near parts of the woods they are in. Soon day becomes night and James has lost his house key. As they search for it they fall down a side of a hill. They land on something metal and open it to see the dead body of a neighborhood kid. James runs off to get help. However, Hadley's(the body's) dad is still in the area and soon finds her. He than pulls a gun on her and she uses a shovel to hit him and than shoot him and the flashback ends with the lose of innocence. Back in the future at a motel Elise and the two men enter a motel room and something happens. 911 is than phoned. The two men are dead and tied up and one had Sadist and the other coward cut into their chests. The comic ends with Elise as the other in the white walking away.
       With the plot of the issue done it is time to turn to the ark work of the issue. The artwork in this issue is just great. Especially in the artwork of the past with the kids.  It felt life like and realist.


Especially with the look of horror in the eyes and the shock the characters have to deal with. Because of this I applaud Geroldo Borges who did the pencils for this issue.
       Now with the plot and artwork done it is time to turn to the plus and Minuses of the issue
Plus
-With this issue being a flashback it is a great jumping into point for people who want to read the series.
-Face and eye artwork is done well and to great effect in this issue.
-I found the loss of innocence angle to this issue also well done.

Minus
-nothing this week. This issue had nothing negative that I found

      In conclusion, this is one of the best issues of a comic I have read this year. It had a story that flows and when it ends it left me wanting more. The loss of innocence and how it affected the characters is also quite powerful and profound. Lastly, this issue is worth a pick up and consideration.

Final Score

A  

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