After a small delay, Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest continues with its second issue and it's well worth the wait as the action and mystery escalate as the recurring family dysfunction theme begins to expand and get complicated. Issue #2 opens with Trevor and Lucky's "friendiversary" being disrupted by a giant ghost kraken at a popular tourist destination. David Booher's writing and pacing continues to excel in this second mini-series. Trevor and Lucky get a much needed focus and spotlight. It was amusing to see how they're opposites of each other. Lucky tends to be spontaneous and ad hoc but Trevor is detail-oriented and likes having a plan. It's nice to see the banter between the two more akin to Ghostbusters: Afterlife than Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire where Lucky has a bit of fun poking at Trevor. And to boot, a funny New Yorker weighs in. Nice to see her back in action as well as that moment of reflection. I thought Booher totally captured Trevor in those series of texts Callie didn't see at first, heh heh.
Gary and Callie's through line from last issue continues but they get a third player in the form of a Sammy's dad Dr. Dan who is a great and fun foil to Gary. Dan quickly realizing Gary tries hard was hilarious. Nice blink-and-miss nod was Callie and Gary now have a shared locker like in Frozen Empire (in Back in Town, they had separate ones). And some nice development with Callie trying to learn the in's and out's of the Drone Trap.
Meanwhile, Ray in a similar role as Back in Town, provides exposition about the big bad. However, it's not a dry info dump on readers as it also reveals a very intriguing connection between the Kidd and Velez families. But in this case, we have a possible reincarnation angle. It certainly reminded me a little of Nadeem Razmaadi and his arc in Frozen Empire and a little of Winston and Shimabuku in RGB with a notion of a legacy and becoming a believer. All in all, it becomes clear the theme of familial dysfunction will apply to three groups of characters (the Spenglers, the Velez, the Kidds) in this story and no doubt converges into Issues #3 and #4. But the threat of Captain Kidd escalates when he shows up with a big honkin' fleet of ghost ships and leaves you wondering how the Ghostbusters are going to save New York this time. What was amusing was the one bit of lore Ray didn't mention which would account for Liberty Island being targeted this issue is that it's allegedly where Kidd hid his treasure before he was extradited to London and executed.
The Kraken ghost... well, guess Sewer Dragon wasn't the biggest thing they trapped after all. Nice touch that it was a semi-corporeal being as it was puncturing holes in the statue with its tentacles and not phasing through. And it took the torch out of Lady Liberty's hand! That's gonna cost some money to put back...
Thankfully, this issue fixes a concern I had with Phoebe potentially getting too much spotlight at the cost of Callie, Gary, and Trevor. And to boot, Lucky gets a very much needed feature. But we still have two issues to go. I'm cautiously optimistic. I am still wondering when the local law enforcement and government will intercede especially with what goes down in this issue. One aspect I am on the fence about is the theme of family. I understand that is the theme set forth in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and continues into Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire so it stands to reason it would be picked up on and expanded in the comic... but the comic is leaning into it a bit too much. When The Fast & The Furious got too entrenched in family, it became a meme. We don't need to keep seeing Phoebe forgetting then remembering she's part of a family, going it alone with a new friend, failing, remembering she's part of a team and "reuniting" with them in the finale to save the day over and over again ad nauseam. Should there be a third mini-series after the conclusion of Dead Man's Chest, it should focus on something else and break from the formula.
Dead Man's Chest #2 was another solid read. David Booher continues to nail writing for Phoebe, Trevor, Callie, and Gary, Ray, and the new characters. The pacing was well done, there is no slow down even during the required exposition, and you feel a little miffed when you realize you're on the last page. Art and colors by Aviv Or and Cris Peter also continue to be breathe of fresh air. New connections introduced in this issue start to make the puzzle picture a bit more clear and we're in for a more interesting showdown because of it.
List of references, easter eggs, callbacks etc.
*The logline for Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest Issue #2 uses "Dr. Ray," the way Phoebe addresses him in Frozen Empire. *Cover A **The Statue of Liberty appears on the cover being grabbed by the Kraken Ghost like in the story itself. **Lucky is using the new Proton Pack and Particle Thrower introduced in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. *Cover B **The cover is a take on the No Ghost Logo with the Ghost Kraken's tentacles. *Page 2 **Trevor refers to his meticulous planning, seen in Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest Issue #1. **Lucky is wearing her vanity necklace from Ghostbusters: Afterlife. *Page 3 **Lucky thinks back to her home in Summerville. *Page 5 **Lucky reveals she joined her school's lacrosse team. *Page 6 **Trevor's clumsiness resurfaces when he jumps onto the Miss Liberty ferry. *Page 7 **Callie mentions Bill Nye, the Science Guy. *Page 8 **Gary mentions the Flat Earth Theory, the LEGO brand of toys, and Youtube. *Page 9 **Dan alludes to the Zeddemore Academy. *Page 11 **Callie and Gary now share a locker, first seen in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. *Page 12 **Gary says the line, "Release the Kraken!" which was popularized by the 2010 "Clash of the Titans" movie. *Page 13 **Captain Kidd's sordid history is talked about, including the uncertainty he really was a pirate or not. **Captain Kidd was executed by hanging on May 23, 1701 in London after the first attempt failed. E was gibbeted over River Thames as a warning to pirates. *Page 14 **Ray mentions Captain Kidd's cutlass. **Sammy mentions the Horsehead Nebula. **Sammy alludes to the Zeddemore Academy. **Sammy refers to the ending of Dead Man's Chest #1 when he accidentally summoned Captain Kidd. *Page 15 **Ray mentions "The Pirates of Penzance," a famous two act comic opera. **Ray mentions Captain Kidd had a house near Wall Street and shows an image. Kidd's main residence was 119-21 Pearl Street and is believed to be somewhere in the intersections of Pearl between Wall and Hanover Streets. He also owned property at 56 Wall Street, 86-90 Pearl Street, 52-56 Water Street, and 25, 27, and 29 Pine Street. *Page 16 **Phoebe mentions Captain Kidd's cutlass. *Page 18 **Trevor asks Lucky if she remembers how to use a Proton Pack. She used one against Gozer in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. *Page 20 **Captain Kidd and his fleet approaching Liberty Island is not completely a coincidence. While never validated, it was been speculated Kidd buried treasure on Liberty Island before he was extradited to London for his trial and execution. The theory was it was chosen because it was within eyesight of his home on Pearl Street.
Ecto 1 &, Fire house exteriors, and the ghost trap - much better than Back In Town
Proton Packs, while better, are still missing some oomph. (Proton streams were good) -to be fair, Schoening did not use the in movie designs for several issues before they turned it into a joke; Proton Packs are tedious.
I found the sound effect noises to be off (Personal preference?) Ecto 1 does not go "Wheeoo" like a regular siren.
Ghosts are slightly cartoony, but not in an RGB/XGB good way? It could just be the colors for all I know. (Again this might just be personal preference)
STORY:
Fast paced, good building with certain characters, and the Spengler family humor was on point. (Remember, its different than the OGB's humor)
I'm excitedly awaiting issue 3, and hoping for a good action packed bust sequence.
David M Booher will do a Ghostbusters signing at the Dark Horse booth #2615 on July 25 1-1:50 pm. John Yurcaba will be there, too. https://www.instagram.com/p/DMGByjJRkL8/
- By beric
- By tobycj
- By Fritz