“Ghost Fleet” is truly something else, falling somewhere within the framework of a smart actiony dark comedy. At its heart it’s all about fleets, from ships to massive semi’s. Fleets carrying precious cargo across great distances. There’s a rich and deep mythology at work here too, which seems insane for a book that primarily features hulking semi’s, fast cars, and lots of shooting. This isn’t Maximum Overdrive this is eighteen wheels of pure awesome.
WRITTEN BY: Donny Cates
ART BY: Dan Johnson
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: November 5, 2014
Reviewed By Torin Chambers
After a tiny tease of the greater conspiracy we are thrown into one of the most radical action scenes I’ve ever seen hands down. Our heroes are escorting a massive semi down a barren highway when they notice one of their cars has stopped behind them. Before they can even begin to investigate they’re rocked by an explosion and a hail of gunfire, destroying their car in the process. They retreat to the cover of their seemingly indestructible semi, and this is when Ghost Fleet turns the dial up to 11.
With no other options available they pile into the semi and haul ass. Decimating everything in their path, shredding vehicles and people to bits. For the short while this lasts it’s a total blast to read, I was flipping back a forth through all the gorgeous carnage like a giddy school girl. They’re eventually run off the road in a glorious crash that unleashes whatever it was that they were transporting, annihilating everyone outside of their vehicle but leaving our heroes relatively unharmed. I don’t want to spoil where it goes from here but Ghost Fleet has its sights set high, higher than any of us can even fathom at this point.
I cannot praise Daniel Warren Johnson’s art enough, it’s fucking outstanding. He’s the perfect person to draw this book, capturing the gritty feel of truckin’ and the horrific beauty of smashing through a person with said truck. His panels are thoughtful when they need to be, but can communicate a unprecedented level of carnage in a two page spread. The sense of scope on these pages allows you to really feel the massive presence of an eighteen wheeler, and what it must be like to really control (or lose control of) one of those thing.s
Ghost Fleet presents itself a lot like an 80’s action movie but reading it with that mindset would only be scratching it’s surface. Beneath the shine of an 80’s action flick is a heavy conspiracy, engaging characters, hilarious dialogue and that will have you clamouring for more.
—
Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter @TorinsChambers