When the world needs to be protected from the supernatural, who ya gonna call? The Ghostbusters, of course! Since the 1984 film, the franchise had become one of the 1980s most beloved franchises. The franchise would branch out into other media, including comic books. Their first comic adventures were published in 1988 by Marvel's United Kingdom-based imprint known as...Marvel UK. The Ghostbusters were one of the most popular and longest-running comics from the imprint. In the United States, their comic adventures were published by NOW Comics. NOW's Real Ghostbusters series lasted for two volumes. The first lasted 28 issues, and the second lasted for four issues, one special, and two annuals. In 1989, a three-issue miniseries was published that adapted the 1989 film Ghostbusters II using the animated version of the Ghostbusters.
What is NOW Comics, you ask? Well, NOW was a comic book company founded in late 1985 by author and entrepreneur Tony C. Caputo. NOW was based out of Chicago, and most of its comics were licensed, using characters from franchises such as Speed Racer, The Terminator, The Green Hornet, and Astro Boy.
NOW had actually been quite successful for a time, actually for a time being the #3 comic book company behind Marvel and DC. But its successful period was short. The company would file for bankruptcy in 1990. It would make a brief comeback in 1991, but ultimately stopped publishing comics in 1995. Caputo did try to revive NOW in 2003 as a firm to self-publish graphic novels, but the company dissolved in 2006. Caputo, from what I understand, is no longer involved in the comic book business. So, how did the Ghostbusters' NOW debut go? Was it a strong start? Let's find out in The Real Ghostbusters #1!
The cover is a Ken Stacey and Andrew Pratt piece. It's amusing, even though it doesn't really preview the story. It shows the Ghostbusters looking for a monster that's right behind them and raining on Ray...although he doesn't neem to realize it. Look up, dude!
"Untitled"
Writer: James Van Hise
Penciler: John Tobias
Inker: Brian Thomas
Colorist: Rich Powers
Letterers: Jim Massara, Ken Holewzcynski
Editor: Tony Caputo
The story beings with Ray Stantz making an announcement: The Wizard is on!
Page 9, Panel 1
However, the other three Ghostbusters aren't interested in the show. Egon Spengler's got molds to watch over, Peter Venkman's got a hot date, and Winston Zeddemore needs a change of scenery as he feels his real life has turned into a TV show. Well, he's not wrong about that.
Elsewhere in the City that Never Sleeps, a quartet of people suddenly appear in a flash of light
Page 10, Panel 1
The group's dialogue implies that they are time travelers on the run from a mysterious "Slug". The Ectomobile zips past them, unaware of the quartet's true nature. The 'Busters are on the way to a sandwich shop called Captain Nemo's Submarina. Mmm...sub sandwich...
The place is being haunted by the ghost of Captain Nemo. Peter is understandably disbelieving this. After all, Nemo is a fictional character. But then again, an episode of the cartoon had our heroes meeting the ghost of Sherlock Holmes. Even though he was fictional too, it was explained that people's belief in the character as if he was a real person basically made him real. It's likely the case here with Nemo, too.
Whatever the explanation, Nemo shows himself to be very real, as he sends a monster that looks like the Abomination. Our heroes manage to take care of the Not-Abomination, then capture Nemo. The time-traveling quartet strike, stealing the trap containing the not-so-good captain.
Page 15, Panel 3
The Ghostbusters head back to the firehouse, utterly confused. Who were those guys? Why did they steal the trap? We get a hint when we check in on them. We learn their names are Turek, Gard, Cowan, and Bethany. However, the comic doesn't say which of them has those names. The only one obviously identifiable is Bethany, as she's the sole woman in the quartet. They see Nemo as a scientist they can "use and abuse". Which...makes sense. Nemo has been described as a brilliant engineer, marine biologist, and a regular renaissance man.
They caught him in this time period because of his supernatural powers. It's hinted he will be more useful to them as a result of this. We also learn "The Slug" was another scientist they did this to in the group's past. The leader of the group (presuambly the one with the glasses) has a plan to deal with the Ghostbusters, as they naturally will want their trap back. The plan is inspired by the works of classic author Stephanie Queen.
It can be assumed that "Stephanie Queen" is a pastiche of Stephen King. Which makes sense. This comic was originally published in the late 1980s. That was a bit of a heyday for him. That night, as the Ghostbusters are working/sleeping, the time-travelers place small devices near them. The devices are reality shifters, taking them to worlds where things will be...rather unpleasant for them.
Winston ends up encountering a monster clown who wants to introduce him to a bunch of other monsters. Peter ends up in a high school where the teachers and students are werewolves. Ray ends up in a world where he's forced to end up helping build a spacecraft but gets attacked when he reveals he's not a "saucerman". Egon ends up in a world where everything's in disrepair...and he's seemingly the only person left.
Back in Winston's reality, he realizes the monsters want him to be afraid of them and to run away.
However, Winston's is not a child anymore. He's a man. He's not frightened of these things. Also, from another persepective, he's a Ghostbuster. He's seen his fair share of frightening things, so it can be assumed that scary clowns and rejects from Universal's horror library is nothing to him at this point.
In Peter's reality, the other werewolves try to get Peter to change into one. Peter's...not into it. The enraged werewolf teacher roars at him, calling him a "non-conformist". He's supposed to be like everyone else, and high school is supposed to turn him into that.
Back in Ray's reality, one of the other people notice Ray and ask where he's from. When he explains he's from New York, the other people realize that he must have found his own way here on his own ship, and it must have a power source. Ray asks to let them look at the ship's engine. Maybe he can fix it.
Ray examines the ship's engine and discovers the problem. Some of the components of the engine have fallen into disrepair. The other people are angry about this, because they think Ray is hiding his own craft from them, and reveal themselves to be tentacle people.
Back in Egon's reality, he does some thinking. He realizes that if this reality is based on his, then his secret vault in the firehouse must exist as well. To his joy, it does. You see, the vault contains a couple extra fully charged proton packs. He realizes the others are in trouble and commands the reality to give the packs to those who need them the most. The packs vanish.
Peter gets a proton pack and uses it to destroy the school of werewolves.
Page 27, Panel 6
"Peter is an Alice Cooper fan."
Ray gets a proton pack, but instead of using to attack the aliens and the craft, he uses it to help fix their engine. Winston doesn't get one. Instead, he points out something to the monsters: He loved monsters growing up. Winston implies he had a lonely childhood, but found solace in monsters. Presumably he watched monster movies and read comic books with monsters in them as a kid. But he's an adult now, and he has real friends. He already desired a break from the Ghostbuster life, and he did not need this. He wants out, NOW! And he finds himself in the firehouse. He hears the screams of Slimer and goes to check it out.
Page 30, Full Page.
"Man, this take on the Glow Worm toy is weird."
Well. Looks like Winston isn't getting that break after all.
I liked this issue. It was interesting to see the Ghostbusters face a threat that wasn't spectral. But that wasn't really odd to me. After all, in the cartoon series, the Ghostbusters didn't always fight ghosts. They encountered other monsters and beasties as well. It is interesting that the threat they're facing here are people. People from the future, but still people. I do wish that the realities that the Ghostbusters were trapped in could have explored their characters a bit more. For example, maybe it can be shown that Egon fears ultimately being alone, and Peter fears conformity, that he'll be less "special" if he's "like everyone else".
The art is rather cartoony. Appropriate for a comic book that's a tie-in to an animated series. I think it's a bit looser than the cartoon, if that makes sense.
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2012 trade paperback The Real Ghostbusters Omnibus Vol. 1. The trade is from IDW, as they had the comic license to Ghostbusters at the time. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!
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