Five Ghosts #13
Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Art: Chris Mooneyham
Colors: Lauren Affe
Publisher: Image Comics
The Archer. The Wizard. The Detective. The Samurai. The Vampire. If you were to add ‘walked into a bar’ to these subjects, this might turn into a joke someone might have told you at one time. Five Ghosts is no joke. It is highly entertaining and is easily one of the most underrated series on the shelves. Frank J. Barbiere writes stories that harken back to the magic one would feel as a kid when reading about Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes. If the concept of having a treasure hunter possessed by the five ghosts (Robin Hood, Merlin the Wizard, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi Miyamoto, Dracula) of five famous literary figures doesn’t grab you, the artwork of Chris Mooneyham will make you a believer. On top of the creative team, the creased look on the back of each issue of Five Ghosts really makes you feel like you have grabbed a hidden gem out of a twenty-five cent bin of comics.
Issue #13 kicks off the new storyline entitled “Monsters and Men”, the third arc so far for Five Ghosts. Fabian Gray, our hero of the story, finds himself in the rural surroundings of Romania. As Barbiere has done with the previous arc, new readers will not feel overwhelmed with the subjects being discussed, but there is enough of an inclusion of teasing events that will surely reward the more veteran readers. Fabian is shown early on rescuing a young boy being attacked by unknown monsters, escorting the boy to a village where a mysterious sickness has plagued the people. Fabian is in search of a missing friend but ends up finding himself in the middle of a town in turmoil, fortifying this horror film type of setting.
Mooneyham does an excellent job at facial expressions. His lines on the faces of the village people capture the fatigue and fear within them. It is definitely felt that Mooneyham must have a lot of fun drawing Fabian. His smirks are slight, but timely, as he shoots arrows through the heads of the monsters he encounters. Another aspect of the artwork that is very unique is how the ghosts are shown behind Fabian as he utilizes a particular ghosts’ abilities, depending on what is called for. Lauren Affe utilizes a darker colour palate, really creating a gothic kind of atmosphere. Her red and orange watercolour effect really stands out through the spurts of blood to the glow of the moon. Having all these great artistic touches alongside the faced paced, tongue in cheek humour of Barbiere’s script makes for a more than worthwhile read in Five Ghosts, and a great start for the new arc.