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Ghostbusters 101 Issue 1 Comic Book Review

“Ghostbusters 101” doesn’t get a passing grade.

In writer Erik Burnham’s new series “Ghostbusters 101,” we (the reader) see the OG Ghostbusters (Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston) getting some heat from the EPA due to a slime incident. Having been fined, the Ghostbusters have to come up with a plan to pay it. Amidst all this, Ray and sometimes Ghostbuster Kylie have been teaching and showing around 3 kids (hence the 101 title) that include Janine’s niece Cait and her friend Zoe and a math nerd named Evan. Meanwhile, in another dimension, we meet the 2016 Ghostbusters Abby, Erin, Patty and Holtz. I could say more but I’ve said too much already!

A comic book crossover event that sees the two Ghostbusters teams meeting certainly sounds ideal, but unfortunately, writer Erik Burnham drops the ball. Perhaps I’m being too hard on him given that this is the first issue, but he certainly doesn’t give fans much to get excited about here. Very little happens storywise aside from some partial story set-up, eye-rolling humor like Kevin in a broccoli suit (don’t ask), a yawn worthy EPA subplot, and teen characters you don’t care about. It’s quite possible that the series course corrects in future issues as there is potential here, but for such a major Ghostbusters event, there should be a better story here that will eventually see the Ghostbuster characters (as well as other familiar faces) meeting face to face. A story involving a class and a looming fine isn’t exactly “epic.”

For those expecting the characters to resemble the on screen cast, that’s not exactly artist Dan Schoening’s style. He offers up a very cartoonish look that could easily be a style for a future animated series. While I would have preferred a more grounded look, the art is colorful and memorable. It’s certainly more interesting than the story itself.

Overall Thoughts: “Ghostbusters 101” is off to a rocky start, but devoted fans of the franchise might want to give it a read.

April 4, 2017 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Book review | Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters (2016), Ghostbusters 101 Issue 1 Comic Book Review, Ghostbusters Comic Books, IDW Comics