Cast and Characters
Main cast:
- Gary Grooberson
- Trevor Spengler
- Callie Spengler
- Phoebe Spengler
- Winston Zeddemore
- Janine Melnitz
- Mean Girls of Zeddemore Academy
- Ray Stantz (referenced via Ray's Occult Books)
- Podcast (text only)
- Lucky Domingo (text only)
Paranormal entities:
- Green Slime Ghost
- Madame Malveaux
- Cockroach Acolytes
Equipment featured: Proton Pack, Ghost Trap, PKE Meter, Containment Unit, NES Advantage Controller (on display in the Firehouse).
Locations: New York City, the Firehouse, Liberty Island, the George Washington Bridge, Zeddemore Academy, Midtown Tech, Ray's Occult Books.
Development
The series was announced on November 16, 2023 under the title "Ghostbusters: Back in Town," confirmed as a four-issue mini-series. Issue #1 was slated for March 27, 2024 from the outset. On March 5, 2024, artist Blue Delliquanti teased in an interview that the scale of the Firehouse would be explored in the first issue. A five-page preview was posted on March 22, 2024.
The series was always conceived as a closed-ended four-issue mini-series. Writer David Booher developed an outline, then submitted each full script to his Dark Horse editors, who forwarded it to Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan's Ghost Corps team for notes. Reitman and Kenan contributed dialogue suggestions that Booher incorporated. Beyond honoring the established character voices, the creative team was given latitude to create new ghosts and story elements.
Blue Delliquanti drew on multiple reference sources to depict the Firehouse and the Ecto-1, including photographs taken on the film set and fan-built Lego models to help with unusual panel angles. She also had access to architectural diagrams and behind-the-scenes photos from the film crew's work on the Firehouse. Character likenesses were simplified and exaggerated for comics expressiveness; Delliquanti noted that Phoebe and Trevor's contrasting visual design (round features vs. angular, tall frame) made them particularly enjoyable to adapt.
Continuity and Connections
The synopsis originally described the story as taking place one and a half years after Ghostbusters: Afterlife; this was later corrected to one year. Several specific continuity ties are established in this issue:
- The Spenglers towing Ecto-1 back to New York was a discarded ending for Ghostbusters: Afterlife; the comic picks up from the Afterlife end-credits tag that showed Ecto-1's return to the Firehouse.
- Winston's dialogue alludes to the events of Afterlife and references Egon Spengler.
- Gary's question about whether the fire pole still works mirrors a similar line from Ray in the original Ghostbusters film.
- The Firehouse display case includes the Animated Toaster from Ghostbusters II, a name plate and hammer belonging to Stephen Wexler from Ghostbusters II, the NES Advantage Controller used to steer the Statue of Liberty in Ghostbusters II, and a Twinkie.
- A drip from the Firehouse ceiling foreshadows Slimer's return in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
- Phoebe wears clothing that also appears in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, helping anchor the mini-series' timeline between the two films.
Events from this issue are referenced across the remainder of the series: in Issues #2, #3, and #4, characters allude to the Firehouse ghost battle, the broken fire pole, and Trevor and Gary's electrical repair work. The couple walking their dog at the opening of Issue #1 reappears in Issue #4. Callie's move to New York is also alluded to in Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest Issue #1.
Cover Notes
Cover A (Kyle Lambert): An early version of the cover included Gary Grooberson, but he was removed before the final version was released.
Cover B (Steve Morris): Trevor is depicted wearing a Spinners Roller Hop shirt.
References
- Dark Horse Comics, Ghostbusters: Back in Town #1 (March 27, 2024). Writer: David Booher; Story By: Greg Pak; Art: Blue Delliquanti; Colors: Mildred Louis; Letters: Jimmy Betancourt (Comicraft); Editor: Jenny Bingham-Blenk; Assistant Editor: Misha Gehr.
- Spook Central, "Ghostbusters: Back in Town Comic Creators Q&A" (Paul Rudoff, April 15, 2024).
