GhostBox Issue #2 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Well, she just up and run, didn’t she? Like Satan’s bright red bitch was snapping at her heels.”
Those are the opening words of issue #2 of the comic book series GhostBox by Mike Carey, Pablo Raimondi, and Jose Villarruba, and they cracked me up a little. The issue begins with protagonist Chloe running in a sweaty panic, seconds after witnessing her sister’s murder at the isolated property they inherited, while a ghost judges her cowardice.
Okay, let’s recap the first issue of GhostBox—Chloe is super broke, out of a job, and stoked to inherit a property from a distant uncle. She and her sister check the place out; it’s not too fancy and is filled with junk, so they hope to make some money by selling the stuff. A stranger sees an old box in their photos and offers a very generous amount to buy it. However, when Jan realizes the box isn’t ordinary junk but holds special powers, she refuses to sell it, leading to her violent death at the hands of the man, who turns out to be a monstrous entity.
So issue #2 of GhostBox reveals how the box is inhabited by a bunch of ghosts, that brainstorm over how not to land in the hands of monsters like the dude in the last issue. Meanwhile, Chloe, who is still in shock over her sister’s murder, lands in serious trouble with the police, because all evidence points towards her as the primary suspect in the case.
This is shaping up to be a fun, fast-paced comic book series. Poor Chloe doesn’t even have time to grieve her sister’s death or process what really happened. The artwork is quite good, though the panels do feel a bit chaotic and cluttered at times. That said, this issue introduces a host of new ghostly characters, all of whom reside in the GhostBox, with Jan now its newest dead resident. The character designs are entertaining, featuring a shiny medieval knight, an ancient Chinese diplomat, and a possibly Victorian-era blonde-haired lady—an eclectic mix of spirits that bring life (or afterlife) to this chapter.
The second half of the issue introduces a grotesque new monster, whose initial appearance is pretty creepy. However, I’m still on the fence about what to make of this fresh antagonist. A sudden burst of violence and blood quickly shifts the focus in the last few pages, leading to yet another cliffhanger. The excitement now lies in whether the ghosts and Chloe can keep the box safe from falling into evil hands.
Rating: 4 out of 5. GhostBox is also available on Kindle Unlimited.
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