Ghost #12
Dark Horse
Writer: Chris Sebela
Penciller: Harvey Tolibao
Inker: Keith Champagne
Colorist: Dan Jackson
I haven’t been keeping up with all the Ghost comics lately, but this cover had me excited and curious again. Just the idea of what the cover meant had me thinking, “Yeah, this is a comic I want to find out what is going on.” The Tag line of “Death is Forever” as Ghost has her hand thrust through a gunman’s chest while she is holding his heart, told me that she was pissed off and wanted revenge. This is the story of Ghost still a loose cannon after her friend’s death and she wants answers, so she goes right to what she believes is the top of Chicago’s.
There is a great amount of dialogue in this issue, as the story of Ghost becomes deeper and more conspiracy filled than she thought it was. Along the way, Ghost causes all sorts of chaos while beating up the lower tier thugs and henchmen. In previous issues, Ghost seemed careful and worrisome for other people while she acted the part of the superheroine. Now however, she is on a rampage as she mocks the gunmen who try to shoot her “What are you going to do, shoot me?”, after all she is a ghost. The majority of this comic was filled with a vengeance/truth seeking Ghost not afraid of the hired muscle and dangers of a gunfight, which made her forget that she is not invulnerable nor untouchable. All of this action and relentless search for answers was inked and colored in a fantastic way with the transparency of Ghost and how I felt her anger almost through her actions on the pages.
The final pages of this book leads Ghost to some of the answers she was looking for, but judging by the brawl she enters, there is much more she needs to learn about this criminal underground and herself. This last fight was colored in a way that used transitions in colors to let us know when Ghost was hurt and wounded as well as shadows and darkness for when a new evil presents itself. I think that is one of the parts I really enjoy about this series, the contrast of light vs dark in colors really explains to the reader who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.