CBR Ghost OMNIBUS: Vol. 5

And here's the final of the volume of the original series!

Like this series? Check out these following Ghost-related reviews:

Ghost OMNIBUS Vol. 1 - Vol. 2 - Vol. 3 - Vol. 4
Ghost and The Shadow / Ghost/Hellboy / Ghost/Batgirl
Ghost (2013) Vol. 1: In the Smoke and Din - Vol. 2: The White City Butcher

Comic title: Ghost OMNIBUS: Volume 5
Art by Ryan Benjamin, Chris Brunner, Lucas Marangnon, Moncuse, Mike Henry & Francisco Ruiz Valesco
Written by Mike Kennedy & Chris Warner

Published by Dark Horse Comics
From 2014
Lineup Ghost
Format: Omnibus-sized Trade Paperback collecting the 2nd Ghost series issues #12-22 and features from Dark Horse Presents Annual 2000 and Dark Horse Extra.

One of Dark Horse Comics' most original series, Ghost was always a different series compared to all the rest of their 90s over-the-top series like, say, X. I would even say alongside The Mask it was in fact one of their better original creations.

Following a dip in popularity the series went though by the end of "volume 1", in 1998 Dark Horse retooled Ghost into a series of miniseries. This approach would allow to keep the book in print and avoid a cancellation in the middle of a story arc.

As we saw in the 4th Omnibus, the series was now specially designed in the form of several "mini-arcs" that spread across ~3-4 issues, sort of predating how comics are published nowadays with trade paperbacks in mind. The also wanted the artwork sexier.

After leaving Ghost-creator Eric Luke left the character in the hands of writer Chris Warner, Mike Kennedy would take over the series for these last few issues.

The series was finally concluded after 22 issues of this second run.

When we last left Elisa Cameron, she just figured out her past and now knows what happened her to turn her into the enigmatic Ghost.

Elisa wasn't just a reporter as we first thought she was, that was only a cover story. In fact she used to be part of a task force, The Furies. She finally knows the experiments she went through, which left her "in between worlds" of sort.

Meanwhile this monster called Silhouette took control of the body of her sister Margo and has now been bringing over entities from "the other site", taking over the body of different people to grow an army. Silhouette is using help from Dr. Trouvaille, the mad scientist who developed the tech to transfer bodies and minds. Trouvaille himself might be dead but he's still inhabiting his decomposed body through his armor. Since acquiring Scythe's operation Silhouette has turned their forces into ghost hunters and sent them after the spirits roaming Arcadia city.

How does Elisa figure into all that? She must protect Margo who's now a ghost like her! Thankfully she can count on the help of Concordia and Peter Neville to battle on all these fronts.

Finally, Elisa defeats Silhouette for good and she can return Margo back to her body!

Now living with her resurrected sister, Elisa must face the last remaining threats, such as this strange Trio of modified soldiers, a crazy psychopath who stole some of the juice that "ghost" people and one last confrontation with the demon Cameron Nemo! (And we even get to see one last crossover with everyone's favorite wannabe Punisher, X!)

It's an all-out war on all fronts!

As the series reach its conclusion Elisa gets to face all of her threats in this last volume.

It was a fairly dense omnibus, as Mike Kennedy takes over Chris Warner for the end (who only returns for a small Dark Horse Presents feature). But Kennedy as able to tie everything in the end and bring a natural ending.

I'm not sure I'm please with how convulsed the origin of Ghost became - tieing supernatural, science-fiction and fantasy alike, because that's what superhero comics love to do. I would have love to see the series only stick with the supernatural as it originally started (but I guess that's why we now have a reboot). I kinda miss the earlier mystery tone the series had...

The original Ghost series ends with some quieter calm last issues that bring back some fan favorites like Cameron Nemo.

The art is kind of all over the place. Although main regular artist Ryan Benjamin does a fantastic gorgeous job whenever he's on an issue.

Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion.

Kind of convulsed and messy just because how crazy the series ran in all sort of directions near the end. But this is it. The end of the original Ghost!

I really recommend you Check it Out if you were a fan of the original series. At least to get proper answers and a somewhat decent ending.

It's a pretty decent finale all things considered. At the very least we're finally able to get some answer and see the entire big picture before the series reached its end (I'm not entirely sure that's what Eric Luke originally had in mind.. but there you have it!)

I give it:

2 / 3 FlamingCarrots!