REVIEW: ‘Silver Surfer: Ghost Light,’ Issue #1

Silver Surfer: Ghost Light #1 is the start of a new series published by Marvel Comics, written by John Jennings, art by Valentine De Landro, colors by Matt Milla, and letters by Joe Sabino. A family moves into a strange house in the quiet town of Sweetwater. And as the parents go out, the children investigate the shed in the garden. And something in the town connects to the Silver Surfer.

The setup of this issue is fascinating, focusing the comic on something other than the Surfer for almost an entire chapter. The book has the air of a sinister horror comic, with an intriguing mystery and a supernatural element creating an unnerving atmosphere. The exposition is done quickly, with a lot of explanation to set the scene and the backstory of the family leading up to their move. It could be considered clunky, but it sets the scene nicely.

As soon as the knowledge of something hidden in the shed is revealed, the tension activates. The comic leads in with a bad dream that is unsettling from the start. When the children venture out, the comic becomes much more sci-fi, but it is in a 70’s feel where the horror elements remain clear. It’s a quiet issue for a while, but it suddenly erupts with noise and energy, making what might have been an expected final page quite surprising.

The most notable aspect of the beginning of Silver Surfer: Ghost Light #1 is that the title character is almost nonexistent for the majority of the issue. Instead, the focus is on this young family, most crucially Toni. The oldest child of the family, it is her whose bad dream jump-starts that tension and journey of discovery. This part of the family seems normal and relatable, but there is clearly a secret within it.

As mentioned before, the dialogue can be a bit clunky when setting up the general story. Still, it actually benefits the plot more by getting so much of the backstory out because the rest of the comic needs that creepiness to live in the present. The past is still key to the whole book, with unwritten history pivotal to the mysteries that have already been sown, especially when they involve such an enigmatic character as the Silver Surfer. 

The art is fascinating. De Landro uses these extremely thick lines for almost all of the comic. Even with the heavy line weights, the details are specific and immaculate. The house is new to the family but not empty, with a natural sense of being lived in. And for the unnatural aspects of the story, it gets even creepier. The technology and superpowers look weird and alien, intensifying the sci-fi part of the comic when needed. Silver Surfer is brilliantly captured, the inking cutting through an outline to portray his features. That inhuman look is also seen on another character, to perhaps an even greater extent.

The colors are crucial to maintaining an atmosphere. Like with much of the issue, the shades are normal and grounded in reality within the house and Toni’s new life. But it is when things go weird that the colors come to life. The glow that comes from Silver Surfer is iridescent and stunning. Energy comes across superbly, with hints of Jack Kirby to it. The lettering is also excellent, with precise attention paid to the word balloons to really highlight specific tones, such as sarcasm, with the bottom of the balloon almost dripping off the words.

Silver Surfer: Ghost Light #1 has the opening signs of something special. Leaning somewhat into horror is different for this character, but the idea behind using it for this first issue is really interesting. Having someone else be the focal point rotates the perspective of the series and of the character in general. The art is something different as well but is wonderfully expressive. It will be fascinating to see which tonal direction this comic goes in with the actual inclusion of the Silver Surfer and other comic book characters.

Silver Surfer: Ghost Light #1 is available where comics are sold.