Ghost Cage #2
Doyle and Sam meet new allies and understand even more about Karloff’s plot in Ghost Cage #2, by writers Nick Dragotta and Caleb Goellner, art by Dragotta, cover colors by Frank Martin Jr., and letterer Rus Wooton. This issue is a bit slower-paced than the last one but no less of a great read.
Doyle’s modification of Sam works, but they are attacked by the terrorist. Sam ignores Karloff’s order to leave Doyle, leaving the terrorist to deal with the next enemy, Fossil, causing an explosion that damages Ohm. Karloff sends Mascot to enlist the help of Quixote against Sam and Doyle. When they get to him, Quixote chooses to lash out at Karloff, willingly giving his power to Sam. Karloff exhorts Doyle to kill herself, and she refuses, destroying the computer that he used to communicate with her. Instead of attacking them, the terrorist catches up to them and smashes the computer to bits. She reveals herself as Karloff’s daughter, and the three of them prepare for their final confrontation.
Ghost Cage lives and dies by its art and never disappoints. Dragotta’s stylized figures and sometimes almost grotesque stylings are at their best in this one. Fans of East Of West got a glimpse of it, but this book really goes all out. His eye for design is nearly unmatched, and there’s a kinetic quality to the pencils that really make the art pop. Black and white is an interesting choice in today’s industry for a mainstream comic, but it works for this one so well. Seeing Dragotta’s art with no embellishment but inks are beautiful.
Dragotta and Goellner have the manga thing down pat. The book’s dialogue is a mixture of earnest emotional storytelling and manga-esque technobabble, but it still gets the point across. This issue reveals more about Karloff’s goals, which are cliche for this type of story but work perfectly, does a little background work on Doyle, and just tells an exciting story at every turn.
The visuals are the key to this book, making the story really pop. It’s easy to lose one’s self in the art, but the story is still delightful. It adds heart to a story that is rather formulaic but still works even better than one would expect.
Ghost Cage #2 is a visual masterpiece with a pretty great story. Dragotta and Goellner take a rather standard manga plot and make it into something special, a story that every reader should experience. The last issue is still forthcoming, but it should be amazing.
