It’s been a cold, cruel summer without my beloved “Five Ghosts” on the shelves. Luckily Barbiere and Mooneyham return with a thunderous force that will make you forget there was ever a break.
WRITTEN BY: Frank J Barbiere
ART BY: Chris Mooneyham
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: October 22, 2014
Five Ghosts has been incredibly gifted at straddling different genres. Barbiere has done an impeccable job at crafting a world so large, that anything feels possible. So this month with Fabian heading to Romania, the book feels distinctively darker, and is better for it. Within the opening pages were treated to a masterful balance of story and art that introduces the type of undead horde we’ll be seeing a lot of in this arc. It’s grisly and enchanting, and a ton of fun to watch Fabian execute zombies with arrows.
Further in the issue we’re treated to larger more picturesque pages that have an incredible scope and Gothic tone. The result isn’t dizzying but rather seamlessly inserts itself in the book to further establish this world of horror.
Fabian is still haunted by his past and this issue goes to show that even recent events have now been added to his list of sins. His heart weighs heavy but his quest remains the same, however stupid it may be. He’s still not ready to succeed just yet, and Barbiere makes sure to remind us of this.
As if that wasn’t enough we spend some time with a new villain of sorts. The final pages tease what we’re about to be up against, and it seems like one fucked up doctor who absolutely relishes the undead is about to make Fabian’s life hell.
Throughout the issue Chris Mooneyham makes the effort to further diversify his already insane art. He makes large sweeping panels layered unlike anything he’s done before and makes Fabian’s vampire the most chilling ghost of all, within one page. He’s a fucking titan and if you forgot, the opening pages displaying a zombie orgy of death will quickly remind you of his skill. I honestly can’t wait to see where things go next, because the gore in this issue had me on the edge of my seat.
It’s not often a comic can take a few months off without missing a beat, but “Five Ghosts” makes it look easy. The balance between exposition and action creates a tightly paced introduction to this new and horrific chapter that doesn’t forgive or forget past sins.
So relax, “Five Ghosts” is back and better than ever. The world of horror has never felt so fun, but thanks to Mooneyham’s sick pleasure in vanquishing the undead, and Barbiere’s ability to genre shift like a chameleon a genuine terror permeates every page and compels you to read further.
Don’t miss this book, and frankly push it on everyone you know and love.