Tuesday, November 26, 2013

CBR Ghost/Batgirl

 

Before having a look at Ghost's new modern series, let's have a look at her unlikely team-ups first!

Like this series? Check out these following Ghost-related reviews:

Comic title: Ghost/Batgirl: The Resurrection Machine
Art by Ryan Benjamin
Story by Mike Kennedy

Published by Dark Horse Comics/DC Comics
From 2001
Lineup Ghost, Batgirl series
Format: Trade paperback collecting the 4-issue mini-series Ghost/Batgirl: The Resurrection Machine.

If inter-companies crossovers are more rare and scarce nowadays, DC Comics still allowed a couple of these in the early 2000s.

One of my favorites happen to cross the DCU with Dark Horse Comics, and two of my favorite "super" heroines at that.

Produced by Dark Horse and co-published with DC Comics, Ghost/Batgirl: The Resurrection Machine sees the modern-day Batgirl Cassandra Cain (sadly, completely forgotten by the higher ups at DC these days...) with the "Comics' Greatest World" heroine Ghost.

From Ghost's perspective, this story takes place around her the 4th Omnibus, after numerous revelations regarding Ghost status. The once-though to be dead vigilante is now in full control of her destiny, still waging a war against the vile and perverse criminal empire destroying her city of Arcadia each day. She is also trying to close all the open threads of her past life. She now stopped killing criminals merciless.

On her side, Cassie, the all-new Batgirl (at the time) has started speaking. She grew up to be the perfect killing machine... only to escape her "father", the assassin Cain. Under the guidance of Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl, she has joined the Bat-family as the deadliest and most cunning member of the Bat-clan.


There has been a bombing at the international Diamond Exchange, which Harvey Dent aka Two-Face admits and claims responsibility for.

Bruce Wayne tells Barbara she should let it go and leave it to Batman, after all Harvey is Bruce's responsibility.

But Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl now turned computer wizard Oracle, won't take no for answer. A friend of hers just died. Babs and Cass investigate some clues which lead them to the city of Arcadia.

Meanwhile Elisa Cameron, Ghost, is following a trail regarding the disappearance of young women in town.

It all leads to a seedy nightclub where the new Batgirl and the "Sentinel of Arcadia" meet each other. The two crime-fighters quickly partner, no cliché heroes misunderstanding-fight this time.

Back in Gotham City Harvey Dent, under strict medication to keep his other "persona" in control, discovers someone's been steeling his recently deceased henchmen and stealing his men for their own purpose. Granted, Harvey just killed the guy, but that doesn't allow others to take over his "proprieties".


Turns out a wannabe crimelord, Malcolm Greymater, has been recovering and reanimating these dead bodies for his own private army. All thanks to his "Resurrection Engine"!

It all comes crushing around town in a three way showdown that sees a Lady in White and a Dark Knigh clashing against Two-Face's gang and the zombie maker.

Greymater has been stealing bodies all over Gotham and selling these reanimated women to fund his evil schemes.

It's a very fun and original story that comes from writer Mike Kennedy. On top of his form. His Two-Face was perfectly in-character, more so than he's ever been in recent comics.

The turf war angle was well executed and gradually went out of hand.. Too bad there were only 4 issues for this sort of story!

Artist Ryan Benjamin is known for his stylized characters and faces, while I wasn't super fan how he treated the Bat-characters in the beginning, you have to admit his Batgirl is super impressive and creepy. Fitting!


Overall, a very fun crossover, one of the bests in recent years!

The universe of Ghost and the Bat-family mixes perfectly, their tone being actually quite similar. And by this point, in the 2000s, it wasn't a mysteriously supernaturally enhanced Elisa Cameron anymore but a "science-gone-wrong" take on the character.

A pretty fun book highly recommended for any fans of either character.

The seedy nightclubs/bodies disappearing his kinda creepy, but that was expected from a Ghost story (even by Cassandra Cain-stories standard).

I give it:
2.5 / 3 Plastic-trophies!



No comments:

Post a Comment