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Review: ‘Mars Attacks The Real Ghostbusters’

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11 years ago

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A major delight this week is Mars Attacks The Real Ghostbusters. It comes with a witty brand of horror comedy. This issue will certainly give fans of the “Ghostbusters” and “Mars Attacks” franchises something sweet this week.

WRITTEN BY: Erik Burnham
ART BY: Jose Holder
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 16, 2013

Though every detail of their invasion was preplanned, The Martians went ahead of schedule and ended up crashing into a farm in Elmo’s Hill, New Jersey. The Martians were supposed to be deadly invaders but now, they are just angry spirits. Though the Ghostbusters do not comprehend alien spaceships and U.F.O.s, they know everything about the paranormal and spectral entities. Not even death can stop the Martians from completing their mission to conquer the world. Only the Ghostbusters can stop these phantom Martians and put them away forever in their electro-trap.

If you remember “The Real Ghostbusters” cartoon from the late ’80s, then you are definitely in for a special treat. Writer Erik Burnham fondly remembers the TV show as he is in tune to the group dynamic and character dialogue. What I really like is Burnham’s interpretation of Slimer, who acts more like a playful child than a house pet. The verbal banter between Egon, Peter, Ray, and Winston is quite energetic while they work together as a team to defeat the ghostly Martians. The lively dialogue feels like something the voice actors, Arsenio Hall and Dave Coulier, would say on the show.

What’s great about Burnham’s script is how he drops extraterrestrials into the Ghostbuster’s paranormal world. The Martians aren’t even aware that they are actually dead. The Martians still think they crash-landed yesterday, but they have been living on earth for years. As the witty humor comes from the banter, the scary sequences are taken seriously. Though Egon is the brains of the group, he is completely caught off-guard when he tries to understand the advanced alien technology.

The artwork by Jose Holder is enjoyably nostalgic. Holder uses the Ghostbuster’s logo for the transitions, as if they were back from a commercial break. Holder captures the look of the cartoon series by using the smallest details; Ray is overweight and Egon is the tallest. It’s always fun to see the Ghostbusters use their proton packs in the midst of danger and firing the charged particle beams.

The highlight of the issue is when the Ghostbusters team jumps into action. Holder pays close attention to the poses, especially when Winston throws the electro-trap. When the four-man team is together in one panel, Holder concentrates equally to each character. While everyone is doing something, they each have a different posture in the same panel.

Definitely worth reading, “Mars Attacks The Real Ghostbusters” is tremendously entertaining. What’s great about this one-shot special is that Burnham and Holder provide enough interest for readers to pick up the “Ghostbusters” and “Mars Attacks” comics.

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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