Sunday Splash Page #195

 

"Giant Spiders, Why Did It Have to be Giant Spiders?" in Five Ghosts #2, by Frank J. Barbiere (writer), Chris Mooneyham (artist), Lauren Affe and S.M. Vidaurri (colorists), Dylan Todd (letterer) 

 

I reviewed volume 1 last year, but in brief, Fabian Grey's a thief, sorry treasure hunter, who mucked around with something he shouldn't have and gained the power to call on the abilities of five fictional characters. Unfortunately, his sister's also lost in some other realm, and he's trying to find her.

It's definitely done in the vein of the old pulp stories, with a lot of those elements. The treasure hunter who hides a core of decency down deep. Hidden treasures, monsters, airships, the city of Shangri-La. And at the end of the first volume, Nazis. Wouldn't be a party without the chance to kill some stinkin' Nazis.

Mooneyham's art reminds me a bit of Sal Buscema (or maybe Ron Frenz inked by Sal Buscema), and a bit of Russ Heath when he was drawing DC's war comics. Very square-jawed characters, sharply outlined against the backgrounds. More broad emotions, deep shadows when Fabian's in a brooding mood. Affe and Vidaurri use a lot of brown and tan for colors most of the time. Not dull, I wouldn't describe the coloring as muddy, but mundane. Which helps when Fabian starts tapping into the Dreamstone, or encounters something strange or fantastic and they switch to unearthly pinks and greens. More of a contrast.

It's a little odd, because I liked the first volume of Five Ghosts enough to keep, but I haven't made any effort to track down the other 13 issues yet. I'll probably get around to it, eventually.