Comics
Review: ‘Ghosted’ #1
In “Ghosted” #1, writer, Joshua Williamson, engineers a brazenly creative take on the crime genre, wherein the infusion of supernatural-horror themes attributes to what might possibly be the most ambitious operation in heist history: stealing a ghost from an infamous haunted house of horrors.
WRITTEN BY: Joshua Williamson
ART BY: Goran Sudzuka
PUBLISHER: Image Comics / Skybound Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: July 10, 2013
Described as Ocean’s Eleven in a haunted mansion, Williamson, almost placidly, commands this medium in a way that seems effortless and uncomplicated. With a focus on character introductions and mission objectives presented with colourful immediacy on paper, the author produces something so reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh’s film in parts, yet so vastly different.
The story follows lead protagonist, Jackson T. Winters, an incarcerated thief extraordinaire, who welcomes thoughts of his own death to get him through the pitfalls of prison life. Readers are quickly introduced to weapon-toting, Anderson Lake, who breaks him out of jail at the request of Markus Schrecken, a rich supernatural artifacts collector. Schrecken is looking for a special piece to complete his collection; a real ghost from the haunted Trask Mansion.
In exchange for his freedom and a life of luxury, Jackson begrudgingly accepts Schrecken’s offer, but on the condition that he assembles his own team for the job. Besides Anderson Lake, he recruits a bullshit detecting cultist, two ghost trappers, a black market occult artifacts specialist, and a medium that seems like nothing but deliciously intriguing trouble, if the final panel of issue #1 is any indication.
So far Williamson doesn’t give too much away about the Trask Mansion, but from what little history is provided in this issue, and his comparative references to The Shining, it’s safe to assume that Jackson and his crew are in for a rude awakening in the coming installments. Especially considering Goran Sudzuka’s telling artwork on the last page which will definitely hook readers into the series.
From the very first, single-panel page boldly depicting prison rape, to the fantastic last scene revealing the potential mole of the group, Sudzuka does a great job bringing Williamson’s writing to life. Colourist, Miroslav Mrva also does commendable work, though perhaps using a darker colour palette in the future would be more fitting given the subject matter.
Not sure where the creative team is going to take the series at this point, but “Ghosted” #1 leans more towards a psychological, supernatural-crime series than it does the horror genre, though some elements are still present. Hopefully there’ll be some gnarly blood and guts to look forward to in future issues. Just personal preference!
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – ShadowJayd
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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