Comics
[Comic Book Review] “The Ghost Fleet” #3 Is A Glorious 80’s Tribute
“The Ghost Fleet” is back in the New Year with a vengeance, fully blossoming into the glorious 80’s action movie it is at heart. Now let’s be honest for a moment, if Ghost Fleet was an 80’s action film it’d be one of the fucking best. It’s had multiple set pieces that already fully encompass the definition of rad and it’s got an analog for Snake Plissken as a protagonist. If that’s not enough there’s also a lovable dog companion.
WRITTEN BY: Donny Cates
ART BY: Daniel Warren Johnson
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 7, 2015
Reviewed By Torin Chambers
To get serious for a second “The Ghost Fleet” has genuinely likable characters who feel real and make you care while also being badass action stars. All wrapped up by mysteriously intriguing secret society who would normally have no right being a part of something that also has semi’s exploding through the air as the protagonist walks away with his back to it smoking a cigarette. Somehow Donny Cates juggles it all without fumbling.
This month’s issue tells a more centralized and contained story of Trace stealing from the Ghost Fleet. More specifically the precious cargo that “The Silhouette” (secret society) has tasked Roland Cohle with transporting whom in turn tasked Ghost Fleet with. Trace does it all with the skill and style of a genuine cool guy. This consequently puts Robert is hot water with Cohle.
Besides limited interaction with Cohle there isn’t much from that fancy pants secret society introduced last issue, which I think is a great move. I’ve seen it numerous times before where a serialized story drops a few bombs about things bigger than our protagonists then slowly trickles those details out over a long period of time. Those bigger background bombs can often times eclipse what the characters are currently dealing with and make their regular struggles boring and unfulfilling. This is not the case at all with Ghost Fleet, the society is still there upping the stakes but the main action isn’t lessoned for it. If anything it’s been enriched, both play into each other creating a balance that I’m really digging.
Ghost Fleet is a fun and rewarding read, every issue is a satisfying affair that leaves you wanting more. If it was a film Michael Bay would direct it and ruin it, which is why comics are amazing and it’s flourishing under Donny Cates and Daniel Warren Johnson’s capable hands.
—
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
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.