Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Davide Gianfelice
Publisher: Image/Skybound
At the beginning of issue 14, Ghosted picks up with Jackson Winters at the center of a massive gun (and ghost) fight with some individuals of questionable character. He’s been coerced by the Feds into tracking down the son of an old friend and things, as usual for Jackson, have gotten way out of hand. Once he seems to get the situation under control, well, things just seem to get even worse.
With Ghosted, Joshua Williamson has been developing an incredibly fun vibe that mixes in a bit of Ocean’s 11 here and a bit of Hellblazer there. And, before you ponder for too long, the answer is “Yes, there are times that that makes the book feel a bit derivative.” But the book is now 14 issues in and those derivative moments feel okay to me, because Williamson is making the book extremely compelling on its own. It’s become apparent at this point that he’s seeding subtle elements into the stories that don’t pay off until the next arc, and this month we see a part of the payoff to Anderson’s backstory that was first mentioned within the book’s initial arc. Speaking of Anderson, Williamson continues to populate his book with a cast of indelible characters, both living and dead. The fact that the characters are all imbued with such color adds to the feeling that Jackson is never quite sure who’s on his side, who’s an enemy, who’s going to live, who’s going to die, and who’s going to come back a ghost. Damian Charon, for instance, who was introduced in the previous issue as Trick’s son, continues to surprise in this issue. The book’s ability to keep you on your toes-hell, I’m constantly finding myself expecting Jackson himself to end up dead-gives it that extra push it needs to become more than the sum of its parts.
The art, by Davide Gianfelice, continues to effectively portray the kinetic nature of the storytelling, and action scenes, such as the shootout in this issue, are almost always easy to follow. There is a relaxed element to his art that draws attention to exactly where it needs to be. Subtle expressions are important when dealing with characters whose motives may not be what they seem, and Gianfelice is generally able to capture those elements. There are a few pages within this issue where the line work seems to break down just a bit too much, and there are some odd faces in a few panels. Overall though, the art does what the story needs it to.
I’m really digging this series. Williamson continues to keep the subject fresh, and he throws in elements of all these other things that I enjoy without becoming a mere ghost of those influences.
