GHOST MACHINE (ONE-SHOT), by Image Comics on 1/24/24, teases six tales to marvel and delight when comics’ latest creator-focused publisher entrances readers with science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
The Details
- Created by: Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi, Maytal Zchut
- Colors by: Brad Anderson
- Letters by: Rob Leigh
- Cover art by: Gary Frank (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: January 24, 2024
Is GHOST MACHINE (ONE-SHOT) Good?
Published by the brand spanking new comics publisher of the same name, GHOST MACHINE (ONE-SHOT) gives readers interested in the latest collective of top-tier creators a sampling of characters and genres in store for the future. Some titles (Geiger) have made their way to LCS shelves over the past year, while others (Redcoat) are glimpsed here for the first time.
For all the hype and excitement about a new Publisher focused on top creators producing top-quality work, does this sampler live up to expectations?
Geiger
An irradiated man wanders the wastelands of America in the future, searching for a cure for his condition. When Geiger encounters a man looking for help who offers a cure in exchange, the walking nuclear reactor sets off to find the one man who was like him and regained his humanity.
Geiger isn’t a new title (originally published in April 2021), but Geoff Johns brings the titular character to Ghost Machine as one of the foundational titles to kick things off with a bang. The tease is short, but Gary Frank’s art is phenomenal as always, and Johns maximizes the page space to tease the full #1 as well as set up the next character, Redcoat.
Redcoat
Simon Pure is a rough and rowdy scoundrel and a gun for hire, who also happens to be immortal, known only as Redcoat. Geiger is warned that the Redcoat is one of the many mercenaries hired to get him, but before we get that far, we see the varied historical figures the Redcoat encounters during his many centuries of existence. Some of them just might surprise you.
Geoff Johns’s second creation in this anthology looks and reads like one of the more rambunctious side characters from Highlander lore, with a healthy dose of historical fiction as the background. Who knew young Einstein was into sorcery? The short shows off an intriguing central character with gobs of rakish charm, but the tease isn’t enough to sell you just yet.
Rook: Exodus
On a distant space colony called Exodus, Wardens wear helmets that give them control of the animals they represent. When war breaks out in the colony, and the corporations pull their support, the Wardens must band together, flee, or kill each other to survive.
Geoff John’s third entry in this teaser anthology leans heavily into science fiction with a world that blends nature and technology, getting you as close to a Transformers: Beast Wars feel without the robots. The preface page and setup scenario with Rook rely on Jason Fabok’s art to pull you into the story, but there are enough interesting ideas to get you to want to know more.
The Rocketfellers
A family from the 25th century is sent back in time to our present as part of a futuristic protection program. Can the Rocketfellers get used to 21st Century life enough to keep a low profile and avoid forces from the future that want to kill them?
Focus on situational humor with action and mystery, Peter J. Tomasi’s take on a typical suburban family from the future was surprisingly fun when a simple family dinner out turns into a car chase via mistaken identity. That said, the mystery comes from the who/what/when/where/why of their present predicament, so we’ll see where it goes.
Hornsby & Halo
Zach Halo and Rose Hornsby are typical 12-year-olds who happen to be at the center of a cosmic truce between Heaven and Hell. When angelic Zach is raised by a demon family and demonic Rose is raised by a family of angels in a quiet suburban town, the powers of creation hope their exchange program will ensure peace for millennia to come… unless puberty mucks things up.
Peter J. Tomasi and Peter Snejbjerg’s suburban fantasy tale has potential, but you don’t get much from this short beyond the titular characters getting competitive during a baseball game. Most of the description above comes from a notes page, so there wasn’t much to this short that will sell you into coming back.
Hyde Street
Hyde Street exists in that place between fantasy and reality where even the simplest child’s smile holds deadly intent.
Rounding out the anthology sampler is Geoff Johns’s foray into fantasy horror. You get a Tales From The Darkside vibe from the death of a movie producer whose rude behavior comes crashing down on him, but it’s not quite clear what this series is about. The atmosphere is promising
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s GHOST MACHINE (ONE-SHOT) About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Since this is a teaser anthology, see the descriptions above.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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GHOST MACHINE (ONE-SHOT) gives readers a teasing taste of things to come from snippets of forthcoming titles primarily written by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi. The samples run the gamut from science fiction to horror and amusing hint from this one-shot.
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