It is currently March 28th, 2024, 9:12 am

All times are UTC-04:00




Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: IDW Ghostbusters #2
PostPosted: October 17th, 2011, 11:56 am 
Offline
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: July 26th, 2007, 5:15 pm
Posts: 3693
Location: Indianapolis
Zodiac: Taurus
So we start where we left off, Venkman and Winston vs. Slimer. Confirmed is that Winston has only the vaguest idea about the Spud from the "files" (which Venkman comedically asserts he had no idea about). I still find it a slight stretch after Slimer was clearly hanging around the firehouse scaring Louis in GB2, but I guess the fact that Louis is the only one that interacts with him gives it some deniability, however implausible.

After splitting up and managing to catch Slimer, the scene shifts to the firehouse where, in a nod to the Video Game, Slimer is being kept in a proton-charged fish tank. Egon ominously muses about the PKE Readings, then--per Venkman's request--puts it into one syllable words. I could just hear Maurice LaMarche saying the words "Energy big. Make ghosts on steroids" etc. Then Janine calls, and we know it must be serious because she's even being polite to Venkman.

It's our new friend Marty Tillis Jim Silver, an exec at Stay Puft Marshmallow's parent company, threatening to sue the Ghostbusters for all the times Stay Puft has been marching around town and diminishing their profits. Almost makes it sound like it's happened more than twice (GB1 and Infestation) doesn't it? Since Silver was sucked into the mirror last issue by The Bad Guys, we suspect there's an ulterior motive, too. (Spoiler from the backup feature in #1: Idulnas is the guy possessing him)

I'm beginning to wonder if Winston isn't Erik Burnham's favorite character or something. He verbally smacks down Silver so hard even Venkman is going "Daaaaaaaamn". And Winston's been taking law school classes? You know, once upon a time, I made a semiserious suggestion on one of the boards that "Hell, maybe they should have made Winston the lawyer in GB2, instead of keeping Winston almost totally out of the first third of the movie and trucking in Louis, which led to various puke-inducing scenes to justify having Moranis in the movie" I got tore apart for it. Heh. I feel like gloating just a little. Even if he isn't Burnham's favorite, I think this is the best Winston's been written in ages.

Speaking of Louis, I know some people have got to be fuming. He's mentioned for the first time since, well, come to think of it, for the first time since IDW started publishing Ghostbusters comics, and it's a quick and very dismissive mention. The context (Basically, Winston refers to Louis as "That loser Janine dated briefly") even suggests that Louis didn't last with GB Inc very long, and makes me wonder why. Maybe Egon was getting ready to subject him to whatever horrible fate he has in mind for this Roger dude. "Hm...let's see...send him to Uncle Cyrus's lab for vivisection? Book Lupusville as his next vacation destination? Molecularly teleport him to Space Station Galileo? So many possibilities..." I've ranted at length elsewhere and when about how overinflated I think some fans' sense of Louis's imporance is, so I won't go into it again here unless lots of people ask. Suffice it to say, I'm not real tore up about Louis not being in this series.

Anyway, just about then Janine gets another call, and the Ghostbusters head out to deal with it. They arrive at a haunted house that is "Bigger on the inside than the outside". Venkman immediately snaps off a one line about a girl he knew once, but I'm such a nerd the first thing I thought of was exactly what Tristan Jones must have thought of, since he mentions a "TARDIS effect" in the PCOC file for this issue.

But ultimately, the Ghostbusters' dealing with the Headmistress from Hell is just a distraction, as the possessed Silver plots from the top of the Empire State Building. The nefarious plan seems to involve using Ray to re-constitute Mister Stay Puft (who's been MIA since Infestation). I gather that's not Dan DiDio that Silver pushes away from the telescope; because if it was, I'd be mad that Silver didn't throw him off the building.

We end with Silver's plan: animate a bear statue and threaten tourists, undoubtedly drawing the attention of the Ghostbusters. I get Ray and Egon would love to get a look at the tourist's camera, too--it looks an awful lot like something they wouldn't have had c.1992. "Wow, Egon, is this digital? Awesome!"

Heh. I hope that's not the Bear Stearns bear, because then the part about "bringing good luck" is a sprocking lie and a half.

And of course the numerous RGB in-jokes. mrmichealt on GBFans compiles them quite well, even some ones I miss.

--Last issue and this one, Winston wears a t-shirt in his RGB uniform colors.

--They changed the color of the sweater from white to black, but Venkman is in the non-uniform outfit he wore most frequently in RGB.

--I think the car ECTO-1 nearly sideswipes when they leave GBCentral looks like the Generous Motors car Venkman had that was built by gremlins and blew up ("Dont' Forget The Motor City")

--The Highway Haunter is heading down the Brooklyn Bridge

--Brad Sunderland is wearing a t-shirt with the logo "Malachi and the Ragtime Boos"

--Cyrus Spengler is in the park, no doubt to check on that baby that looks an awful lot like his nephew does in some universes. The tyke even has a Giga Meter. I'd think he'd be more concerned about the Headless Motorcyclist, but we gotta remember, Uncle Cyrus doesn't believe in ghosts. He aughta ask Judge Wexler how that turned out for him. Seems oddly appropriate to have Cyrus pop up in a story line that hints at the return of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, as Cyrus accidentally let Mr. Stay Puft out of the ECU for the first time (if the episodes are put in production order, anyway)

--Hanging around Baby Egon are a couple of ghosts from, if I recall correctly, "Look Homeward, Ray".

See you next month.
:)

_________________
Image


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: IDW Ghostbusters #2
PostPosted: October 24th, 2011, 10:32 am 
Offline
Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff
User avatar

Joined: November 3rd, 2007, 7:03 am
Posts: 165
Zodiac: Cancer
I guess you guys were right that it's gonna be Gozer again. Ah well, perhaps it's going somewhere original that we can't yet forsee. Either way, I still love both the writing and art on this book, it really does look, sound, and feel like the Ghostbusters, which I can't honestly say some of the IDW minis before this did.

Anyway...

Fritz wrote:
Almost makes it sound like it's happened more than twice (GB1 and Infestation) doesn't it?


Stay Puft's shown up three times counting the video game, which they definitely confirm to be canon with that line about the Goze having a museum exhibit, not to mention Vigo sitting behind Silver during the firehouse scene.

As for the Louis reference, I'm no fan of the character either but I certainly appreciated it. After all, didn't the writer literally post here just a couple weeks ago and mention, among other things, that they don't actually have permission to use Louis and Dana? I imagine that indirect reference is the best they can do. It's a nice nod, at any rate.

_________________
Image


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: IDW Ghostbusters #2
PostPosted: October 24th, 2011, 11:49 am 
Offline
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: July 26th, 2007, 5:15 pm
Posts: 3693
Location: Indianapolis
Zodiac: Taurus
TheRazorsEdge wrote:

Stay Puft's shown up three times counting the video game, which they definitely confirm to be canon with that line about the Goze having a museum exhibit, not to mention Vigo sitting behind Silver during the firehouse scene.


Yeah...good point. I don't know if you've read the thread on GB#1, but remember that not every little thing from the game is necessarily considered canon by IDW. But you're right that this is probably a reference to it.

Quote:
As for the Louis reference, I'm no fan of the character either but I certainly appreciated it. After all, didn't the writer literally post here just a couple weeks ago and mention, among other things, that they don't actually have permission to use Louis and Dana? I imagine that indirect reference is the best they can do. It's a nice nod, at any rate.


And I wish I understood why not. It's not like there are likeness issues in this "Sorta like the actors but not exactly" paradigm; and clearly IDW's contract is different from 88MPH, which could and did use them.

But yeah, story-wise they're either cameo characters or 1) The story has to be about them or 2) Their original characterization has to be badly distorted (or worse, as we saw with justifying Louis in GB2, other characters have to be badly distorted) to justify having them around much.

_________________
Image


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: IDW Ghostbusters #2
PostPosted: November 10th, 2011, 5:43 pm 
Offline
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: July 26th, 2007, 5:15 pm
Posts: 3693
Location: Indianapolis
Zodiac: Taurus
Issue #2 is getting a second printing, with a new cover by Tristan Jones (aka t-rex )

http://protoncharging.com/gb/2011/11/09 ... and-ish-5/

I love that "Army of Darkness" tribute cover, with Egon in the Ash role. Egon in such an uncharacteristically cocky and badass pose recalls my favorite Now Comics cover, #4 ( http://www.gbfans.com/real-ghostbusters ... 1-issue-4/ )

_________________
Image


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: IDW Ghostbusters #2
PostPosted: December 22nd, 2011, 7:35 pm 
Offline
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: July 26th, 2007, 5:15 pm
Posts: 3693
Location: Indianapolis
Zodiac: Taurus
The second printing came out this week, along with #4. It's such a neat cover, I bought it despite having the first printing. Not too often any more I buy copies of a book I already have just for a different cover, but this was one of them.

(Commentary on GB#4 coming as soon as I sit down and read the sprocking thing)

_________________
Image


Top
   
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 

All times are UTC-04:00


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

EctoGreen © 2008, 2014 Fritz Baugh

Imageset from ClassyDark by ayasha : ASDesignz Themes : Black-Fusion.com © 2007
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited