The Good
GHOSTED keeps getting darker and darker. The last three arcs had this sly element of fun to them, but two issues into this arc, the fun is kind of gone. It's hard to have a rootin' tootin' good time when the catalyst for the whole story is Markus killing off a whole town of people so he can capture death.
That's what I enjoy about this arc so far though. Markus becomes more than a man with an obsession with ghosts and an antagonist for Jackson. The guy is determined, driven, and downright mad. This story, so far, really elevates him to "super-villain" status. If anything this issue brutally establishes the evil within Markus and in addition, his intelligence because he always has a back up plan.
Adjusting to the change in art styles with Vladimir Krstic Laci taking over, with Miroslav Mrva being the glue that holds this series together in the color department, was a tough pill to swallow, but the change in tone with the past couple of issues really makes Laci's art help redefine what this book is. It's almost like GHOSTED got reinvented from this fun, heist book into something much darker and tragic. It's almost like we're getting a brand new series with familiar characters.
Well, the end of this issue really upset me, as a long time reader. Joshua Williamson has a knack for putting his readers through an emotional roller coaster with characters they've come to know and love. Without spoiling anything, the book really tugs at the heart-strings and we get this incredibly beautiful splash page of everyone and their reactions are wonderful and it's completely fitting for the moment. While it stinks to see what happened here, it's a perfect moment.
The Bad
This issue is a lot of set-up which tends to feel a bit like an info-dump explaining afterlife/death/Death. It's all necessary info, but there's a lot of new concepts all being thrown at the reader at once, and while Williamson does a fine job at explaining everything, at times, it feels like reading a textbook about the afterlife. In addition, it's a slower issue that bridges the gap between the ghost town and where this group is headed next. It's a necessary evil.
The Verdict
Fans of GHOSTED need to prepare for a rough issue, and by "rough," I mean "depressing." We've watched these characters go through a lot and it never seems to let up for them. Joshua Williamson, conceptually, kills it in this issue, no pun intended, since the book is about ghosts. I'm intrigued for the build up and meeting with Death that is inevitably going to happen. While this book does do the old "info-dump" on the reader, it's needed and in the long run will add a lot to the story. The issue on its own is strong, but within trade, I'm sure this issue will be the glue for the whole story. As always, I highly recommend this series.
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