DING DONG!
No, go ahead and answer the door. I’ll wait right here for you. Those sweet-toothed, crazy kids!
So, what’s popular in the world of Halloween costumes this year? Potter? Iron Man? Princess? And what kind of candy treats are you handing out, anyway? Jawbreakers? Chips? Caramilk? Kit Kat? Oh, I love the Kit Kat! Or are you more of a “trick” kind of person? You know, when I was trick or treatin’, back in the day, I always applauded the adults that performed magical tricks for the kids. It didn’t make me want chocolate any less, but I politely clapped. And hey! I know there’s at least one Biff Bam Popper out there that actually hands out comic books for Halloween! That, sir, is both a trick and a treat!
And that brings me to this week’s comic book of choice. Whether you’ve picked it up to read for yourself or, maybe, to hand out to a deserving kid tonight, Ghosts #1 is sure to joyously haunt…
Ghosts #1
Written by: Various
Illustrated by: Various
Published by: Vertigo Comics
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a big fan of anthologies – especially anthology comics.
Well, Ghosts #1, a special one-off publication from Vertigo Comics, the mature imprint of DC Comics, has got some pretty amazing writers and artists neatly buried deep within its covers. Check out these mighty names, each industry legends, fan favourites or burgeoning pros: Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Justice League, Aquaman), Joe Kubert (Tarzan, Tor, Sgt. Rock), Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets, Luba), Paul Pope (Batman: Year 100, Heavy Liquid, 100%), David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Young Liars) Phil Jimenez (Infinite Crisis, Wonder Woman, Fairest), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Animal Man, The Underwater Welder) and Amy Reeder Hadley (Fool’s Gold, Madame Xanadu), among many others. What a crazy, awesome list! Ghosts #1 is an 80-page tome of visually haunting storytelling, perfectly themed (and released) for this time of year! Sci-fi and horror stories inside include: a space heist on a ghost ship, an ethereal spirit in a techno band and a ghost-for-hire haunting agency. Catch the theme? Spoiler alert: it’s in the title! Expect Vertigo-esque twists and turns in these stories, which means you should, in fact, expect anything!
DING DONG!
So, once you notice that you’re nearly out of candy and that the doorbell has rung for the last time, turn the porch lights off and grab the copy of Ghosts #1 that you subconsciously decided to keep for yourself and not hand over to the kids this evening. By low light, unwrap a Kit Kat for yourself and quietly flip through those tales of horror and make this Halloween night your own.
Ghosts and anthology comics. Trick or treat, indeed!
Every Wednesday, JP makes the after-work run to his local downtown comic book shop. Comics arrive on Wednesdays you see and JP, fearful that the latest issue will sell out, rushes out to purchase his copy. This regular, weekly column will highlight a particularly interesting release, written in short order, of course, because JP has to get his – before someone else does!
