REVIEW: Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary-Extreme Ghostbusters #1

IDW continues to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ghostbusters with a new one-shot set in the world of the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon. Written by Jim Beard and Keith Dallas, illustrated by Tim Lattie, colored by Luis Antonio Delgado, and lettered by Neil Uteyake, Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters #1 focuses on the ghostbusting team of Kylie Griffin, Eduardo Rivera, Garrett Miller, and Roland Jackson, led by veteran Ghostbuster Doctor Egon Spengler. This story follows the team as they deal with a malevolent spirit possessing the animals of the Central Park Zoo. Complicating matters, both Kylie and Eduardo are locked in a heated spat, which is only exacerbated by their hidden feelings for each other.

As I mentioned in a previous review, I was a huge fan of the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon as a kid, and I’m proud to report that this comic feels just like an episode of the animated series. Beard and Dallas manage to capture the spirit of the show, particularly in the team dynamics. There is Kylie and Eduardo’s flirt-fighting, Roland being the voice of reason, and Garrett engaging in reckless behavior. All while Spengler continues his mentoring duties and to dispense scientific jargon.

For fans of the original movie, Janine Melinitz, as well as a founding member of the original Ghostbuster team, make a cameo. If I did have one complaint about the story, it’s that we never see exactly what Kylie and Eduardo were flirt-fighting about. Having a little more context would have helped make this clear. Likewise, the resident Ghostbusters mascot Slimer is underused, only appearing in one page.

The art is fairly serviceable, as Lattie hews closely to the original character designs right down to the gear the Extreme Ghostbusters wear into the field, and their respective clothing/hairstyles, including Spengler’s gaudy ponytail. There’s also a scene where the team walks into a bar and finds a bunch of possessed animals throwing back beer, it’s a sequence you could only find in a cartoon – or in this case, a comic book.

That being said, the characters feel somewhat stiff, and there’s no real sense of movement. However, Delgado deserves major praise for his colors. Having worked on several Ghostbusters comics prior to this, he knows the right shades to use for characters who are living and characters who are dead. Nighttime scenes are bathed in dark blue, while the possessed animals glow with sickly green energy. Colorists are an important part of every comic, and Delgado is one of the best in the business.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this one shot. It managed to capture the spirit of the show, and that’s important as this is one of the more beloved parts of the Ghostbusters mythos. Hopefully we will continue to see the Extreme team in action.

Extreme Ghostbusters #1 will be available on April 24th wherever comic books are sold.