IDW, a company known for its many movie and TV tie-ins, has managed to bring the real Ghostbusters to the printed page. None of that stuff based on cartoons or whatnot; this is the real deal and made official by Columbia Pictures.

Taking place sometime after the events of “Ghostbusters II,” the comic series picks up on the lives of Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddemore and their dutifully comedic pursuit of haunts and hobgoblins and things that go bump in the night.

The pluses of “Ghostbusters: The Other Side” will be heady for fans of the films. Firstly, the action is in synch with the two features, which are referenced in the narrative, giving the comic its “official” feeling.

Secondly, there are no annoying “new” members of the Ghostbusters team, like a certain slimy spook who was added to the 1980s cartoons for “hilarious” purposes.

Lastly, a rich aspect of the Ghostbusters’ New York locale is utilized to a creative degree: namely, the boys in gray find themselves at the wrong end of famous tommy- gun-toting gangsters — dead ones, of course.

There are a few missteps here, too, but thankfully nothing major. While the Ghostbusters’ equipment and headquarters are spot-on to what we’re familiar with in the films, the first issue lacks the presence of their uniquely quirky secretary Janine. Even Louis Tully, played to haunting perfection by Rick Moranis, would have been welcome in this comic series. Egon Spengler also suffers a bit from some odd mischaracterization, but the rest

of the guys, especially Winston Zeddemore, are in fine form.

“Ghostbusters: The Other Side” is a welcome addition to a too-short list of official Ghostbusters adventures and should play out to be a fun addition to the mythos.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 2:29 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Halloween 2008.
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