Review – Ghostbusters: Year One #4 (IDW Publishing)

Posted on July 4, 2020 in IDW Reviews

Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Erik Burnham
Artwork: Dan Schoening
Colors: Luis Antonio Delgado
Lettering: Neil Uyetake
Release Date: 1st July 2020

Documenting the “final interview for the Ghostbusters biography” Erik Burnham’s script for issue four of Ghostbusters: Year One most definitely produces a comic of two halves. The book’s opening clarifies the damage suffered by the paranormal investigators’ headquarters following Walter Peck’s demand for them to turn off the building’s power, and its latter pages focus on Egon Spengler’s solitary tussle with Slimer, after the ghoulish green ghost’s escape from its faulty containment facility; “It proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wouldn’t be safe to go on solo calls. Just dumb luck allowed the matter to be resolved without any real consequences.”

Fortunately for this book’s readers however, both aspects of this twenty-page periodical have their own merits and help to move along the narrative at a fairly brisk pace. Admittedly, Rebecca Morales’ character seems a little too determined to get a detrimental angle for her story by verbally attacking “the brain of the Ghostbusters” for his “design flaw”. However, besides the independent reporter arguably losing a considerable amount of her charm as a result, the section is still interesting as it details the huge amount of work required if the old disused firehouse is ever to be safe to venture into again following so many spirits escaping their incarceration simultaneously.

Debatably far more entertaining though is Spengler’s tête-à-tête with the ‘busted apparition Slimer, and Egon’s explanation as to how he managed to defeat the pesky poltergeist single-handedly after Ray Stanz had apparently abandoned him whilst “trying to get some bait for the ghost.” Angry, malicious and clearly able to hurt his grey-garbed pursuer, this version of the mischievous manifestation far closer resembles that of the creature depicted in Ivan Reitman’s 1984 supernatural comedy film, and resultantly ramps up the plausibility that the bespectacled doctor might not survive their encounter completely intact.

Ably assisting Burnham in his attempt to replicate all the nostalgic goings-on of the big screen franchise are Dan Schoening and colourist Luis Delgado, whose energetic artwork looks like something taken straight off of the reel of a well-produced animated cartoon. Spengler’s attempt to trap a food-frenzied Slimer is particularly well-pencilled, as the phantom is shown pleasantly filling its fat face full of pizza in one panel before being shockingly caught within the confines of a proton pack’s stream in the next.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]