Publisher: IDW Publishing
Story Writer: Erik Burnham
Penciler: Dan Schoening
Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado
Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Editor: Tom Waltz
Who doesn’t love a good crossover? Not this guy. Anytime we take one awesome thing and throw it at another, I’m there. Heck, I’ve spent far too much of my life defending the merits of “Freddy Vs Jason.” But what’s better than a crossover? Yep, one version of a character meeting another. So strap on those proton packs, as two worlds collide in “Ghostbusters: Get Real.”
Comics are the perfect place to blend such a pairing, allowing a mash-up of visual styles and storytelling techniques that maybe wouldn’t translate into other mediums. With the Ghostbusters comics going from strength to strength recently, it made perfect sense to bring in a bit of the old, mix it with the strengths of its current incarnation and pay homage to a legacy rich with delicious tales of terror. And have some fun along the way, of course.
Collecting together the four issues of the story, IDW allow Erik Burnham and his art team to tip the hat to as many Ghostbuster tales as you can think of. The book’s front and back covers intentionally reminding of those old VHS tapes you probably still have floating around of random episodes of “The Real Ghostbusters.” To me, personally, that’s the incarnation of the characters that I know and love the most, more so than the movies (which is probably a bit of Ghostbuster heresy, now that I think about it).
All the better to see my four Ghostbusters back in action as things kick off, deep in the action, busting out wisecracks as much as ghosts. Though an encounter with the spectral primordial god Proteus has the fab four removed from their reality, into one that is somehow similar and unfamiliar all at once. Encountering a Slimer much less friendly than their own, things are beginning to twig on for Peter, Ray, Winston and Egon… especially when they come face-to-face with the movie-inspired, comic-based Peter, Ray, Winston and Egon.
From there the eight Ghostbusters kind of take it all in their stride, as you would expect, swapping old war stories and figuring out – with the help of their traditional sci-fi mumbo jumbo – just how all this came to be. The answer is simple; track down Proteus, trap him and get back to the way things are meant to be. The trouble? Proteus is actually on the hunt of the “real” Ghostbusters, with his desire to remain out of captivity so strong that it has him on their trail. Destination: collision course.
The shifts betweens styles from world to world – highlighted when Proteus keeps finding Ghostbusters, just not “the” Ghostbusters he seeks (also featuring a great wee cameo from the “Extreme” incarnation of the team) – is a treat, and the fun flow to the story never dips. It’s a relatively quick read, but one for diehards, those looking to jump into the Ghostbusters comic universe or those just looking for a short, fun adventure with Peter, Ray, Winston, Egon and the gang.
4 out of 5 Nerds
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars.
He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer.
He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot.
Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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