Main Story
Thanks to Egon Spengler's diligence, the Ghostbusters finally learn who and what they have been up against in their international cases. The team plays back a recording Egon made in Issue #5 as a precaution during his time in Puerto Rico, which reveals critical information about the Rauoskinna and the threat posed by Loftur Þorsteinsson. It is also disclosed that Erland Vinter has been acting as Loftur's proxy throughout the series.
The issue then shifts into assembling additional help. The animated counterparts from The Real Ghostbusters universe appear in Central Park, having returned to their own dimension after the events of the Ghostbusters: Get Real mini-series. Animated Egon and the team are recruited to assist. A new character, Kaia May, arrives and provides further information about the Rauoskinna and its connection to the Poveglian Artifact (previously destroyed in Issue #5). Among her clues is a mysterious envelope echoing a plot device from the film "Back to the Future."
Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Janine Melnitz, Kylie Griffin, and Special Agent Melanie Ortiz all appear alongside their animated counterparts. Vigo makes a brief appearance on page 17. The Squisher ghost (encountered in Central Park) is visually based on Kenner's Gooper Ghost: Squisher figure. The ghost on page 11 is based on Kenner's Haunted Humans: Granny Gross Ghost figure.
Characters
Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, Janine Melnitz, Kylie Griffin, Special Agent Melanie Ortiz, Jenny Moran, Loftur Þorsteinsson, Kaia May, Squisher, Granny Gross, Vigo, and the animated counterparts of the core four Ghostbusters and Janine.
Equipment
Proton Pack, Particle Thrower, Ghost Trap, P.K.E. Meter, Containment Unit, Paranormal Containment Research Tank, Interspatial Teleportation Unit, Polarity Rectification Tripods, and their animated equivalents.
Locations
The Firehouse, Egon's Apartment, Central Park (animated universe), and the animated Firehouse.
Backup Story: "Haunted America Case Files"
The subscription cover's backup story follows Special Agent Melanie Ortiz, Peter Venkman, and Kylie Griffin investigating an incident at the Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The FBI Field Office in Boston is referenced, and the case involves a ghost tied to the history of the Salem Witch Trials, including the practice of weighing the soul. Visitors had been mistaking the ghost for part of the museum's life-size stage displays. The Special Agent in Boston in the backup is named after Jillian Holtzmann from the 2016 film.
Equipment (Backup)
Proton Pack, Particle Thrower, Ghost Trap.
Covers
The regular Cover A follows the pattern Dan Schoening established throughout Ghostbusters International: the Ghostbusters stand before a Firehouse, but it is the Firehouse as seen in The Real Ghostbusters rather than their own. The lower right corner includes references to former New York City Mayor La Guardia and Commissioner of Docks and Ferries John McKenzie. The tagline "There's No Place Like Home" is a reference to "The Wizard of Oz."
The subscription Cover B shows Special Agent Melanie Ortiz and Peter Venkman tied to the stake by the Salem Witch Museum ghost, tying into the backup story.
Development
On May 18, 2016, the regular cover and synopsis for Issue #8 were released. On June 3, 2016, Erik Burnham noted he was actively working on the issue. On July 27, 2016, Burnham teased that Kevin (the Ghostbusters' receptionist from the 2016 film) makes a brief appearance in a panel. On August 19, 2016, Burnham posted a page from Issue #8 revealing the appearance of The Real Ghostbusters animated team, which he had been planning since around February 2016.
Trivia
- The spelling of Loftur's last name is addressed in-story: in International #5 it was incorrectly spelled "Borsteinsson," in Issue #7 it was changed to the phonetic "Thorsteinsson," and this issue acknowledges that the most accurate Icelandic spelling is "Þorsteinsson."
- On page 1, Janine Melnitz is wearing an outfit her animated counterpart wore in The Real Ghostbusters episode "Ragnarok and Roll." Also visible in panels 3 and 5 is a can of the 2016 Ecto Cooler re-release.
- The third floor of the Firehouse in this issue is laid out to resemble the second floor as seen in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Stylized Versions), including the console with six monitors, a cork board with a New York City map, and the Ghost Capture arcade cabinet.
- In Egon's apartment (page 4), Easter eggs include: Ecto Cooler cans atop a box of Cracker Jacques, a Concept 2000 Solid State Walkie Talkie box, a Real Ghostbusters lunch box, a Proton Shotgun from the RGB episode "Loose Screws," the trap design from the 2016 film, and equations matching those written by Erin Gilbert at the start of the 2016 film. The Einstein portrait is designed after his famous photograph and his depiction in the RGB episode "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream."
- Page 4, panel 3 shows the game-end screen from The Real Ghostbusters Data East arcade game playing on a TV.
- On page 5, Egon's recording (made in Issue #5) plays. His Uncle Cyrus Spengler from the RGB episode "Cry Uncle" appears in a portrait in panel 1.
- The child yelling "Look out!" in panel 5 of page 6, the boy with the Ghostbusters kite, and other bystanders are directly based on characters from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Flip Side."
- The Central Park look in page 7 is inspired by how it appeared in The Real Ghostbusters episode "Cry Uncle."
- Ecto-1's CB radio and dashboard in page 8 are designed as they appeared in The Real Ghostbusters episode "Killerwatt."
- The biometric scanner attached to the Containment Unit in panel 1 of page 10 is based on the one from the RGB episode "Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood."
- On page 12, Jenny Moran quotes Han Solo's line from "The Empire Strikes Back" ("Never tell me the odds").
- On page 14, Melanie quotes Sherlock Holmes from "The Adventures of the Copper Beeches" ("I can't make bricks without clay"), pointing at the tendency to theorize without hard facts. Also on page 14, the Containment Unit checklist clipboard bears a Post-It note with parts Egon reads off in the RGB episode "Citizen Ghost," ending in Transwarp Drive.
- Peter's diploma appears in page 17, panel 1. A Polarity Rectification Tripod from Ghostbusters II, seen at a real-world auction in June 2016, appears in panel 2. On the shelf is the P.K.E. Meter from the 2016 film.
- Kaia's envelope on page 18 is designed after the Lou's Cafe envelope used by Marty at the end of "Back to the Future."
- On page 19, a copy of "Ghosts From Our Past" from Three Rivers Press is visible, along with a can of TaB (which appeared in the original Ghostbusters film).
- On page 20, Melanie's "Fed sense" is a nod to Spider-Man's Spider-Sense. Peter references Winston's Marine Corps military background, the Chicago Ghostbusters, and an off-screen case in Muncie, Indiana. Burnham did a signing at Aw Yeah Comics in Muncie in April 2016.
- Milton Bradley's The Real Ghostbusters Shrinky Dinks (1988) and a copy of West End's Tobin's Spirit Guide appear on Peter's desk and shelf in panel 4 of page 20.
- The backup story credits page re-uses the image from page 7, panel 1 of this issue.
- The "What Came Before!" recap page references the events of Issue #7, mentioning Ireland, the Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission, Walter Peck, Banshees, Erland Vinter, and alludes to Aibell.
References
