Bringing ghostbusting to a city near you.
IDW’s Ghostbusters franchise continues to follow the Hellboy model, breaking up an ongoing story into a set of easily accessible mini-series. Ghostbusters International introduces yet another new status quo for Egon, Ray, Peter and Ray. As the title suggests, the Ghostbusters are going global. It’s no Ghostbusters: Get Real, but it’s a solid starting point for a new mini-series. That’s despite the fact the first issue is in no particular hurry to get the ball rolling.
Ghostbusters International #1 focuses mainly on the group recuperating and rebuilding after the events of Get Real and Ghostbusters Annual 2015. The real meat of the story gets underway when a mysterious international businessman arrives with ambitious plans for the Ghostbusters, but by that point the book is almost finished. There’s a certain malaise to the pacing in this issue that isn’t normally found in these short, tightly paced Ghostbusters comics.
That being said, the basic charm of writer Erik Burnham and artist Dan Schoening’s take on the Ghostbusters franchise is still readily apparent. As always, the two manage a delicate balance between offering an accessible story and an all-ages tone while still reflecting some of the wry humor of the films. At this point the book has become about far more than just the core Egon/Ray/Peter/Winston dynamic, and characters like Janine, Walter peck and the secondary Ghostbusters crew are equally important to the book. Each character is given a distinctive voice and clear place in the larger framework of the series. This issue teases that we might get a closer glimpse at the inner workings of Egon’s mind, which should prove to be a fascinating experience.
Schoening’s art is vital in giving each Ghostbusters comic an engaging and inviting feel. His stylish, expressive character designs continue to stand out. His ghosts somehow manage to carry a creepy vibe despite being so colorful and over-the-top. The cartoonish storytelling is generally top-notch. The only weird quirk is the disparity in some of Schoening’s human character designs. While the main cast have a very exaggerated, angular look, many of the more minor characters (the fortune teller in the opening pages, Erland Vinter) are comparatively more rounded and detailed. This causes a weird disconnect in some panels because it doesn’t look as if these characters should be occupying the same world.
The first issue of Ghostbusters International isn’t the strongest start we’ve seen from IDW’s various mini-series. Despite the straightforward premise, there’s a seeming reluctance to dive into the new global status quo for our heroes. Even so, the book features all the humor, slick artwork and fun character dynamics we’ve come to expect from these comics by now.
