Reviews»Comic Books»Ghost #4
ghost4
Kareem Ali 5

Ghost #4

 

  • The good

    Very touching tale that effectively defines Elisa's character and therefore her strength and mentality as Ghost

  • The bad

    Not sure how others never stumbled onto the secret in the neighborhood

  • The ugly

    • Ghost #4 begins a new chapter in Elisa’s life after defeating Doctor October’s forces as well as the White City Butcher while resolving her agreement with Beleth in an ingenious way. However it’s difficult to move forward in the right direction without knowing where one has been, and discovering that one of her childhood friends, James Barrow, was targeted solely to get back at her gives her, or rather her friends, a place to start. They find an old storage unit that was used for James Barrow’s belongings and since he was now deceased they were able to buy it and claim everything in it. They find among the items old photos of when Elisa was a kid, and a eulogy James wrote for Elisa’s funeral that he never read because there was no funeral service for her. They decide to read it and see that not only were the two of them very close growing up but that James loved her and had the perfect story from their childhood to tell that could sum up his view of Elisa. Meanwhile Elisa has decided to turn her attention to protecting all of Chicago since she believes her focus on digging up her past and true identity almost cost her friends’ their lives. And since two prostitutes were recently murdered she disguises herself as one hoping to come across the perpetrators who used a specific type of rope in those murders. Is Elisa finally able to move forward with her life and her responsibilities as Ghost or will the revelations from her past just lead to more questions?

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    I enjoyed how the story arc ended last issue since that story arc was my introduction to the character, and so this issue was the perfect place for answers regarding Elisa’s back story and identity, and using the storage unit find was an effective yet simple means to do so. James would write about how the disappearance of one of the girls in the neighborhood resulted in Elisa becoming the de facto leader of the kids in the neighborhood around the time of the first blockbuster superhero movie, and naturally the kids would imitate this when playing. And Kelly Sue DeConnick does an excellent job of recreating childhood memories so even if one grew up in a different physical environment one could relate to the exuberance displayed by the children in the story with their active imaginations and where it took them. Eventually the two would stumble on a dark secret and a course of action would have to be decided on, and this was clearly an opportunity to make a statement about Elisa’s character and courage. I found the story to be not only entertaining but suspenseful as well, and even though I’m unaware if anything was ever shown about Elisa’s death or transformation into Ghost in a previous series, the statement made at the end of eulogy was powerful both with its words and visuals. And I don’t want to give away the story but the way events were connected was very moving, and showing Elisa and others pretending to be superheros earlier in the issue appeared to me to be part of a larger message of what was being addressed here, and if so it was effective.

     

    SUMMARY

    Ghost #4 is a very moving issue, which doesn’t reveal the circumstances surrounding Elisa’s death but does an excellent job in defining her character as well as making the connection to James Barrow very meaningful. It’s a story of when innocence is lost and how others can rise to the occasion leaving an indelible mark on those who witnessed it. This was a story that James Barrow stated made him fall in love with Elisa, and I suspect it will have a similar effect on readers who become engrossed in its heart-rending yet inspirational tale.

     

    Release Date: 6/4/14

    Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick and Chris Sebela

    Artist: Geraldo Borges

  • Rating ( 9.7 )
  • Total score 9.7

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