Hungry Ghosts #1

Hungry Ghosts #1 See below for preview images

Credits:
Story: Anthony Bourdain/Joel Rose
Art: Alberto Ponticelli/Vanessa Del Rey
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Cover Art: Paul Pope

This is the first issue of a four-issue anthology.  It is written by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose.  I have to be honest, I think Bourdain is an arrogant ass.  (Personally, I like Andrew Zimmern better but, that’s just me.)  That being the case, I was a little apprehensive about this series.  I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

In this issue, we have a group of people who have gathered for a dinner party.  It’s obvious that these people are less than thrilled to be with each other.  Still, they are together for whatever reason.

The host of the party suggests a game to be played.  Each of them sits around in a circle and take turns telling ghost stories, each trying to top the person before them.

The stories are extremely short…like children’s campfire tales.  They are decent short stories though.  They seem to have a fable type quality to them, as if there is a lesson to be learned from each tale.  (Maybe there is, maybe not.  I can’t say for sure.)

It’s a little difficult to follow though.  I do think it could have been written a little better with more fluidity and substance.  The whole issue seemed kind of choppy and almost thrown together at the last minute.

The artwork isn’t bad but, honestly, I’m not a huge fan.  Some of it is okay, however, some seems more like sketch work rather than fully finished art.  It’s definitely stylized and different.

I will be getting issue #2 soon.  We’ll see if this gets any better.  Right now, it seems a little corny to me.

RATINGS
Overall 2.5/5
Story 3/5
Artwork 2/5