The Good
Once again, there's something strange in the neighborhood and it's up to the Ghostbusters to save the day. From a random bolt of red lightning to a fire which doesn't spread in the park, the team has their hands full in this latest story. What helps make part one of "Devil's Night" unique is the fact the big bad isn't ... well, your typical big bad. Usually, there's plans of domination, destruction, so on and so on. The new fiend, Stingy Jack, is simply looking for a way to finally rest. There's plenty of intrigued placed throughout the issue and it leaves you with literally no idea of what'll happen next. What helps make the narrative even more special is the tight script by Erik Burnham. Each character has their own distinct personality and, as expected, Peter Venkman steals the show with more than a handful of sharp yet lovable comments. All of his lines absolutely feel like something which could stem from Bill Murrray's mouth and that's commendable stuff.
The art by Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado is downright gorgeous. There's an emphasis on exaggerated features and overall it's an amazingly animated, crisp and detailed book. As if having fantastic character work and effects wasn't enough, there's also a superb amount of effort put into every environment the characters come across. Delgado's bright colors then breathes so much energy into each panel and the end result is a seriously good looking book. There's a lot of panels worth praising, but my personal favorite is one of Jack being illuminated in a dark location. The lighting and facial work makes it an eerie yet beautiful image.
The Bad
Minor gripe: Schoening's style is very clean, but it wasn't until someone used a phone that I noticed characters' hands have a drastically different look than their heads. While the faces are smooth, there's a significant amount of detail put into the hands, almost making them seem elderly in comparison.
Also, it's too bad this wasn't released the week of Halloween, but I'm sure there's some reason behind that which I'm unaware of.
The Verdict
It's been well over a decade since I've jumped into the Ghostbusters universe and I'm happy to see that everything I loved about the movies and original cartoon is still here. Burnham has a script packed with heart, humor and distinct characters. To top it off, this is the beginning of a legitimately interesting plot, too. It's not merely a ghost with a simple and evil objective -- it's more complex than that and has me interested to see how it develops. Additionally, The art by Schoening and Delgado is beyond wonderful. Simply put, it's a great book.
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