Luke Owen reviews the No Longer New Ghostbusers #5…
The Original Ghostbusters are back in Manhattan, picking up the pieces of their interrupted lives. Ray and Egon are concerned about what effects their escape from another dimension may yet hold for the world, and throw themselves into their research, while a decision Janine made when she was busting ghosts comes back to haunt her… all this and more as GHOSTBUSTERS continues!
I feel like I owe Erik Burnham an apology. I have been very praising of his work on Ghostbusters (and rightly so) but I was overly critical of his New Ghostbusters run. While it wasn’t a bad 4-issue series, I just feel like there was so much more that could have been done with that line-up. Given some time, it could have been a fantastic series as opposed to just being ‘good’.
But, while I wished it had lasted longer, it has lead us to this point – Ghostbusters #5. A classic example of why Burnham and his team are so good at what they do.
With the original Ghostbusters now back in business, it seems as though the New Ghostbusters have all gone their separate ways. Janine has gone back to being their secretary, Ortiz has gone back to being a cop, Kylie is helping the Ghostbusters out part-time and Ron Alexander has gone to work in Chicago with the Rookie (in a very cute joke). But Ray and Egon feel that big trouble is coming – and it shows it’s face when Janine gets possessed…
Burnham crams a lot of exposition and plot in this comic but never damages the pace with it. We have scenes with Ray talking about the dimensional rift, Winston talking with his fiancée about his future as a Ghostbuster, Ron Alexander and the Rookie squabbling and Ortiz wishing to go back to the action while still cramming in a possession story line and Peter and Kylie fighting a ghost train. All of this never feels rushed. The emotional angle of Winston’s future wife questioning his safety in this line of business is given the right amount of time just as Peter and Kylie are to give the comic some required action. Burnham doesn’t just have a knack for good dialogue, he’s also very good at pacing comics.
Erik Burnham is a fantastic writer who brings the best out of this franchise. His love and passion for these characters shines through their perfectly written dialogue just as Dan Schoening’s love of the Ghostbusters Universe glows through his artwork. It’s a fantastic read.
I also really love how Janie’s boyfriend looks like Egon’s design from The Extreme Ghostbusters. A really nice touch.
I’ve been harsh on this series recently and I don’t take back anything I said, but I should have had faith that these guys would deliver at the end of the day. And deliver they have. Ghostbusters #5 is not only a great comic, but it’s a great starting point for anyone looking to get into the series. A high recommendation.
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors and the host of the Month in Review show for Flickering Myth’s Podcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published June 26, 2013. Updated November 7, 2019.
