"Toxin: Part 1 of 6"
Writer: Steve Albertson
Artist: Jacob Elijiah
Publisher: Image Comics
Plot:
In the post-apocalyptic city of Chi-Nova an ass-kicking female bounty hunter takes on a group of terrorists planning to unleash a deadly new virus.
Comments:
Okay, so maybe the name Ghost Spy sounds a little like a villain from a bad episode of Scooby Doo. None the less, this blood soaked new foray from Image Comics, carries itself reasonably well. In terms of originality Ghost Spy #1 doesn’t offer much; its futuristic setting reads like a demented fusion of the Matrix and Mad Max, with a jolt of cyberpunk thrown in for good measure. The story opens with a bang, taking off like Carl Lewis on crack, but after about the fifteenth brain splattered death it quickly becomes apparent that there isn’t much substance to the issue. Nor for that matter is there any real character development or plot.
In fact, the narrative is pretty choppy and the story is at best minimal filler to propel the next action sequence, and at worse a confusing and meandering tale with little direction. The reader ends up feeling like someone who has wandered into a cocktail party three hours too late, wondering what the hell everyone is talking about and why half the room has died of anthrax. Seriously, it’s that confusing. That being said, it’s still an entertaining read, thanks in part to the stunning artwork of Jacob Elijiah. Elijiah’s work is, in a word: breathtaking, blending the best of Japanese manga with an organic style reminiscent of street graffiti. The action sequences are incredible, from hand to hand combat on a nighttime rooftop, to a monstrous tank battle through ruined city streets; there is an amazing kinetic style and energy to the panels. The art alone is reason enough to pick up the book and it’s complemented by a freaking gorgeous coloring job, proving yet again that Image is heads and tails above the competition in terms of production quality.
In the end, Ghost Spy manages to carry itself reasonably well, if only terms of being a well-drawn and mindlessly entertaining action title. There’s enough beautifully illustrated disembowelings, decapitations and explosions to satisfy even the most gore-starved readers, but hopefully future issues will start to develop some sense of characterization, along with a coherent plot and setting. After all there’s more to a good comic book than a psychotic cyborgs head exploding…even as entertaining as it may be.
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