Even the wicked burn for revenge when they have been wronged.
Creative Staff:
Writers: Pat Shand
Artwork: Julius Abrera
Colors: Fran Gamboa & J.C. Ruiz
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Ghosts and spirits have been with us since man first started walking the earth. What are they and what do they want? Why do some mean us harm? One team of paranormal investigators sets out to answer those questions, hunting the vengeful spirits that cross over into our world and facing the most terrifying hauntings man has ever known.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
As Ellen and Vera are having a private conversation about her ventures into the spirit world, their mysterious benefactor flags down a new case. In the past week, a small city in Massachusetts has been having problems ever since a local house burned down. Then coincidentally on the next day, a boy burned to death not a few blocks away from the original crime scene after his lighter explodes. However the computer expert is not disturbed by the gruesomeness of the cases, but rather the location of the disturbances … her home town of Newburyport. Even as the rest of the team split up to investigate the original scene and talk to the latest victim’s friends, Vera stays back to do her own inquiries. And her hunch pays off as she remembers a deceased criminal who use the same method to kill his victims: Eddie “Smokey” Sullivan.
As the rest of the group report in with little progress being made, Vera decides to visit the grave of her primary suspect, and finds a troubling discovery – freshly tilled soil. Ferguson and Curtis previously followed the dead teen’s friends and catch them breaking into the pawn store, desperately searching for something. When they are brought to the police station, the suspicious hacker confronts them with her new evidence and they break down. The story they relate is as grisly as the crime they previously committed: the owner of that same business hired his nephew and friends to rob graves to keep his business afloat. Unfortunately for them, one of the victims they stole from was Smokey …. and he wanted his property back. Now in order to recover it, the ghastly arsonist was hunting down the kids and anyone else involved in the theft – wanting to retrieve his treasure at any cost.
In Summary:
Finally … this is what I longed for: a story concerning one of the cast, giving her some emotional investment in the series. I like how writer Pat Shand opened up Vera’s character by giving us a hint as to her background, however brief it might have been, by just exposing her vulnerability from within a projected tough exterior. Now we have a glimpse into her family, but even with this tiny jewel of information, there is so much more left to be uncovered. While he did also allow us to see her interest in the occult in the opening scenes, this impression is still lacking as to the complexity of any person. And though it does seem she will be more forthcoming with her feelings, this tease still does not elaborate as to the mysteries surrounding the rest of the team. I am sorry to say that even with this breakthrough, the title still feels lacking in any personal connections to the paranormal. Every hint the characters give brings us deeper into the fold, but there are still major gaps in our knowledge and thus, the reader is lacking in any attachment to the people within the story.
Julius Abrera draws us into this story with his amazing portrayal of small town life while Fran Gamboa and J.C. Ruiz surrounds the grim imagery with the darkness hidden within. Even between those secrets, Gamboa and Ruiz still manage to color this narrative with such dark overtones that when Abrera draws our attention on Vera with her reflective moments, her self awareness brings a shining example of how she seems to regret her past mistakes. Even within all of the foulness by which the ghost surrounds himself, she is still able to become the center of attention within the tale. The attention to detail and the balanced shifts of rigidity and soft tenderness for Vera are used to guide the reader through the story, almost as if she is trying to redeem herself for some past misdeed. I appreciate how this creative use of opposites only helps to magnify Vera’s importance to the team and at the same time, her need to forgive herself.
Although the expanding nuances of the team appears to have become paramount in the current story, the exploration of paranormal activities still takes precedence for the narrative itself. However while these tales are creative on their own, it is still important to remember that without the cast, Spirit Hunters would be nothing but another ghost story. While I do acknowledge that the spooks are essential, without Ellen and the rest of the team, this title loses all of the humanity which it needs to become a successful series.
Grade: B+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: January 18th, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
