Who does not love a good ghost story?  Really, who?  This book – Ghosted – is one of the best books about said phenomenon in years.  Another does not even come to mind except for the Haunted Tank from DC and it is a different tale altogether and does not compare to just how good and how clever this story is.  Joshua Williamson is now a writer that deserves to be bought on sight for creating such an enjoyable and original work.  If anything else he writes is as good as this, then he is definitely one to watch for.

Ghosted is about two men with the both of them having a certain desire.  One desires freedom, one way or another, and one desires an object for personal gain.  Both men require the other to accomplish their goals and come to an understanding to do as such.  So it is that Jackson Winters assembles a ragtag team to capture a ghost, from a haunted house of course, for Markus Schrecken, who may or may not have a hidden agenda.

One of the best things about this book is the blending of genres to create something that is not on the racks currently, which in turn makes it a candidate for purchase over the normal superhero fare.  There is nothing better than finding a new book about an interesting subject, in this case ghosts, and after reading it, finding out just how wonderful it is.  It makes the spending of hard-earned money justified and this book was worth it.  The story is a great little noir-horror-thriller with Winters giving off a little Thomas Crowne vibe.  A nice little bit of characterization is when Winters demands a suit like something Sinatra would wear.  A small and singular moment to be sure, but one that defines our protagonist’s personality as that of a loner and a man in charge just as Sinatra was in real life.

Making it all come to life is Goran Sudzuka on pencils and Miroslav Mrva on colours.  The pages come alive, full of energy and with the just right amount of eerie, teasing our senses in conjunction with Williamson’s words.  Together the book is magic in their hands and the results could not have been any better.  The ending, while not absolutely definite, is perfect as it stands, but as the comic is an ongoing title, it remains to be seen which direction it will head in after this point.  Hopefully Winters will still be involved as he is a truly dynamic character and one that people could easily get invested in.  If you are a fan of horror, classic film noir, Steve McQueen, the Rat Pack or heist movies it is through and through, a great comic that should sit high upon anyone’s read pile.

5 out of 5