ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Ghosted In L.A.,’ Issue #2

Ghosted in L.A. #2 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Sina Grace (Iceman), illustrated by Siobhan Keenan (Clueless, Jem and the Holograms) with Sina Grace, colored by Cathy Le, and with letters by DC Hopkins. In the first issue, Daphne Walters moved to LA to follow her boyfriend at school only to get dumped after losing her best friend. Feeling alone, Daphne finds herself at the elegant Rycroft Manor. There she finds the residents aren’t quite as lively as you would expect.

Now that Daphne is living at Rycroft Manor, the only living human among its residents, the issue gives us insight into the history of the property. The first few pages of Ghosted in L.A. #2 feature a flashback giving insight into how the house became the home it is today. The most interesting part of this series is the ghosts themselves, especially Ricky. Ricky died around Daphne’s age and the two bond over the working television in the manor. Both Daphne and Ricky have awkward chemistry that is just downright adorable.

While Daphne is still getting over her ex-boyfriend and goes on a very bad date, she luckily makes a new friend in the recently deceased Ricky. However, while Ricky has her back, the other ghosts are concerned about how much trouble Daphne is causing. Ghosted in L.A. is a slice of life comic with a supernatural twist. The major concern I had with the previous issue was how over-the-top the drama in Daphne’s life was. While her roommate is still a jerk and her ex-boyfriend is still attempting to stay friends, the drama itself feels more grounded in reality.

While at times Daphne can come off as aloof, she is relatable. Daphne’s awkwardness when trying to deal with her ex-boyfriend, and even with the creepy guy from the cafeteria who manipulates his way into getting a first date with her, can sometimes come off annoying but overall is endearing.

As much as I love a good YA romantic drama, the shining star of the issue is Keenan’s artwork. The designs clearly draw inspiration from anime, with each character having big eyes that are accented by sharp lines. Daphne’s design, in particular, is cute and fits her bumbling personality. Additionally, Le does a fantastic job giving the book vibrancy. The series version of LA feels bright. The flashbacks and the ghosts themselves, however, are colored with a muted color palette. These visual cues help distinguish the dead from the living more clearly. Comics is at its heart a visual medium, so clever uses of color and art such as the coloring seen here are important.

Overall, Ghosted in L.A. #2 features a lot of elements any good YA drama should including romance with a few supernatural twists. And like I predicted in my previous review, this second issue shows the series has found its footing. As Daphne continues to grow closer to the ghosts in the house, her life gets more complicated. I look forward to upcoming issues in the series. If you are a fan of teen dramas or YA romance, like Riverdale, this is definitely a comic for you.

Ghosted in L.A. #2 is available on August 13, 2019.