The Paybacks #1 Written by Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal
Art by Geoff Shaw
Colors by Lauren Affe
Letters by Michael Heisler
Cover by Geoff Shaw and Lauren Affe Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: September 16, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99
A beautifully self-aware new series from Dark Horse Comics answers the question: What happens to superheroes who miss their loan payments? The Paybacks are sent as repo men. Goodbye, super-car, jet-sub, and invisible plane. The tropes are familiar, yet the writing of Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal is smart and the characters, original. The Paybacks #1 pays off.
Five Ghosts #2 The Haunting of Fabian Gray, Part Two
Written by Frank J. Barbiere
Illustrated by Chris Mooneyham
Colored by S.M. Vidaurri
Additional Colors by Lauren Affe
Logo and Graphic Design by Dylan Todd
Cover by Chris Mooneyham Image Comics
Release date: April 17, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99
Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray began as a Kickstarter campaign for a comic book mini-series from author Frank J. Barbiere and artist Chris Mooneyham. Thankfully, Image Comics made a wise move and picked this fantastic series up, giving the creators a chance to tell their story to a broader audience while granting readers the opportunity to get lost in the adventure. This is exactly what happened to me when I read issue #1, and I was equally pleased with Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray #2.
In March, issue #1 introduced us to Fabian Gray, a treasure hunter who had a misfortunate accident with an artifact that left him “haunted” by the ghosts of five literary characters. While gaining a channel to the ghosts’ abilities, Fabian wields these powers to his advantage while on various quests; however, the haunting aspect seems to come at random times, leaving Fabian both without his powers and temporarily incapacitated. These bouts include the voices of the ghosts screaming throughout his mind, and if that isn’t enough, there are evil forces at work that want to find and use Fabian for their own personal gain. (The second printing of issue #1 is out on April 17.)
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press