Graphic Novel Review: Five Ghosts vol.1: The Haunting of Fabian Gray by Frank J. Barbiere

Five Ghosts, Vol. 1: The Haunting of Fabian Gray by Frank J. Barbiere

Genre: Pulp Fiction, Adventure
Series: Collects Five Ghosts #1-5
Publisher: Image Comics
Publication Date: September 18, 2013

A tragic turn of events resulted in a Dreamstone embedding itself in adventurer Fabian Gray’s chest. On the plus side, he now can call upon the abilities of the five literary ghosts trapped within the Dreamstone to aid him in his treasure hunting.

The comic is written and drawn in a retro pulp fiction style and when Fabian Gray is first introduced, we immediately get to see his ghosts in action, conveniently aiding him in his daring feats. My first real introduction to pulp fiction was A Princess of Mars, where readers are frequently reminded of how awesome the manly main character is. I feared I’d be subjected to the same with Fabian Gray, but after the dashing introduction, we discover Gray might not be so awesome and that his exceptional powers come with a heavy price. Gray’s connection to the Dreamstone means that others, including the Nazis, know of him and are now hunting him.

The art took some time to grow on me. I liked the pulp style and layout, though the art itself wasn’t as clean as it could have been. Eventually, both story and art settled in to a comfortable groove. I appreciate the depth Barbiere attempts to give to the character, though the lessons Gray learns during his trials do take a bit of a leap. Still, with everything now established in the first volume, I think the story has a lot of potential to go places, with lots of opportunity for exciting adventures. Hopefully we’ll learn why these particular ghosts have manifested for Gray and what his personal connection is to them.

With thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.