The Real Ghostbusters Omnibus: I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost!

A Review By: Amelia

If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS! If there’s something weird and it don’t look good, who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS! So goes the immortal words of the Ghostbusters–my favourite thing of all time. Seriously, my favourite thing of all time. The movies, the cartoons, the soundtracks, the videogame, and nowadays, The Real Ghostbusters comic book omnibuses.

So, what are the comics all about? Well, forget Egon's rules–the streams have been crossed, the dead have risen, and a free-roaming apparition is part of the gang! It’s The Real Ghostbusters, ladies and gentlemen, the comic series based on the cartoon of the same name, and in this first volume omnibus collection the issues #1–14 of the classic NOW Comics series are featured as they were published back in the 1980s in their 32 page, monthly colour comic format! Some comics are one-shots (their stories are told from start to finish in one issue) and others are an over-arching story that covers several issues but it’s always a classic Ghostbusters storyline!

The characters in the comic are the Ghostbusters–duh! Plus, Janine and Slimer make reoccurring appearances and each storyline of course has a cast of ghosts and villains that the Ghostbusters go up against. You don’t get much character development within the comics but I went in knowing everything about the characters already, so it didn’t bother me. Although since the comics follow the cartoon Ghostbusters and not the movie Ghostbusters if you’ve never seen the cartoon it might be tough goings for you. You know, just something to keep in consideration.

The art style in The Real Ghostbusters Omnibus is very 1980s–which is appropriate because that’s when the series was first published. It’s really bright and colourful with lots of neon colours and opposing colours all used within a single panel of the comic–it might sound overbearing but it was actually a nice change of pace from the gritty, shadowy, dark comics I usually read. Sure, they aren’t the prettiest characters, or the most realistic, but it’s in the style of the classic cartoon and that’s enough for me!

So how do the comics stand up? Personally, I’d say really well. They aren’t going to be winning any awards for writing or illustrations, but it’s fun nonetheless! It’s a total blast from the past and, c’mon, who doesn’t love this classic franchise?

My final thoughts on The Real Ghostbusters Omnibus are that it’s pretty amazing! I’m a huge Ghostbusters fan–especially of the cartoon–so having all of the comics collected into one, big, handy omnibus is amazing! Not to mention that it’s all just so deliciously eighties: the colours, the plotlines, the jokes, the drawings–everything! It’s a comic series that really will appeal to everyone, well, at least everyone who ain’t afraid of no ghosts!