Being a huge Ghostbusters fan since my childhood, the all new Ghostbusters #1 is a book I've been looking forward to since I heard about its release a few months ago. I just started my collection on a digital format a few months ago, but I was able to read all the issues, and catch up in time for the release of volume two of this ongoing series. The issue starts off with a brief background of the four main characters, who are to take over for the Ghostbusters. This is a great starting point for new readers alike. The story backtracks a bit, and shows the readers how and what happens to the Ghostbusters, that a new team has to be assembled.
Shortly after, the story fast forwards to three months later, where Janine Melnitz leads the new team of Ghostbusters (Kylie Griffin and Melanie Ortiz), as they're working on a case, setting up to trap a red ghost. Prior to trapping the ghost, Melanie Ortiz gets slimed, which is reminiscent to the first film, when Dr. Peter Venkman was slimed by Slimer. Although the three ladies were successful with trapping the ghost, they walk out to see that they're ambushed by the NYPD and Walter Peck. As the new Ghostbusters sit in jail, Walter Peck is in City Hall discussing the public's complaints about the new Ghostbusters, and what the next move should be. Peck tells the Mayor and Ms. Stone about the Ghostbusters' strengths and weaknesses, and who is qualified to maintain the equipment. Once the conversation is over, the ladies are set free.
The scene shifts over to the original members, as they wake up, and find themselves in a strange place. Back at Ghostbusters headquarters, Walter Peck pays the new Ghostbusters a visit, and has a proposition for them, specifically for Janine, since she's got the most experience and exposure working with the original Ghostbusters. He reveals who the fourth member is going to be, and even though Janine isn't happy with Peck's decision, Ron Alexander is the only person qualified to maintain and repair the equipment if they get damaged. Janine shakes Walter's hand, and the story ends...or is this just the beginning? There's also a two-page "The Real Ghostbusters" backup story, but the two pages aren't enough material to get into. Backup stories are usually more than two pages long, and they have key elements for future plots or backgrounds, this one fails to reveal anything (yet). This issue would've been better ending with Dan Schoening's sketches or Walter Peck's paranormal files.
It helps to have read the previous issues, this way the readers know who's who in this issue, and it helps to know the main players of the Ghostbusters mythos. Fortunately, at the beginning of the story, a short glimpse shows the four main characters, and a brief background story is told. This is a great starting point for new readers, and it's so good to see these characters return, for those of us who have been reading these stories. Overall, this is a book I highly recommend. I see great things yet to come with volume two of the ongoing Ghostbusters series. I give this issue four out of five stars, only because it's hard for me to give a book a perfect five out of five. It's close though, but a flawless book is hard to come by. Give this new series a chance, it's only going to get better with each issue. Ghostbusters #1 has 32 color pages, is available now for $3.99 in print or digital formats, and is written by Erik Burnham, artwork by Dan Schoening, and colored by Luis Antonio Delgado.
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