Ghost Machine is a new shared universe imprint from Image Comics introducing characters and titles! The name of course refers to a mind in a machine. The term began with philosopher, Gilbert Ryle’s Concept of Mind (1949), which has the mind apart from the body. It is a 64 page anthology with eight titles and about twelve creators! The cover by Gary Frank has the time traveling hero of Redcoat with signature redcoat and modern gas mask, center is the heroine, Dire Wolf, the Warden in Rook Exodus, with black suit, wolf mask that controls animals, and guandao-like weapon, and then the black-hooded Geiger with skeletal head and hands burning green!
There is a one page intro, “The Unnamed”, that is set “twenty-five years from now.” This splash page by Gary Frank has four little ones around a campfire asking their grandpa about the “Glowing Man.” They have blankets and all wear the helmets of NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) suits. Grandpa narrates that the man became a monster to save his family. He shifts into a flaming green skeleton. This is written by Geoff Johns, who is the writer for five of the eight titles, with Gary Frank art. They created the character of Geiger in the six issue limited series in 2021. The look is similar to the Batman villain, Doctor Phosphorus, who was introduced in Detective Comics #469 (1977), but with a cloak.
He takes out two dampening rods to attack men in yellow radiation suits with automatic rifles. Grandpa mentions the Wastelands so this must be an apocalyptic world. One of the men, who is in medieval knight plate armor with a sealed visor and blue gloves, asks for mercy from Geiger’s two-headed wolf. There was a DC hero named the Atomic Knight from Strange Adventures #117 (1960). In Greek myth, there was a two-headed dog, Orthrus, and a similar creature, Dioskilos, in Clash of the Titans (1981). Here it looks like a mutated, black wolf. The man says he can help with a cure. The man who has turned into a monster on the run is something out of the Incredible Hulk tv show. In a splash page, Geiger pauses his attack as the dog gnaws at the man’s armor.
The man says there was someone like Geiger who was radioactive, but has become human. An interesting sci fi premise with a radioactive man in a post-apocalyptic world. Geiger has lost everything and the man says that people are after him including President Nash, to debut in First Ghost #1, and Redcoat. This leads to Redcoat’s story by Johns and artist, Bryan Hitch, which introduces the many historical figures he had met. This includes Benedict Arnold, Redcoat says he is also an immortal, Albert Einstein who wants to know about magic, Davy Crockett whom Redcoat says is known by the Sasquatch! There is also the The Northerner, who he had met in the Civil War, and Annie Oakley! The Northerner first appeared in Junkyard Joe #6 (2023).
Then, we get the smiling face of Simon Pure, Redcoat! There is of course an immortal that live across time with Highlander (1986). Redcoat is more of a hapless, almost comedic figure which is like the immortal Armstrong who debuted in Archer & Armstrong #0 (1992). Still, he has the devil-may-care attitude of Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood. We get a long panel of Redcoat facing a commander, Washington?, wielding lightning and a sword, he faces the rifles of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. Redcoat tries to be glib with the rifles almost at his face, but still he is shot! He says he sees things after his death. In this case, it is his father who is drunk, saying he will die without anyone noticing. Maybe it is Redcoat’s destiny to make his mark. Love the cinematic touches with Hitch's art.
He was a young boy in the shack with flies swarming around and his father slaps him. Redcoat moves through time, 1776, 1846, with people surprised at his awakening, but finally he wakens in 1892 in trouble! Grandpa picks up the story with the man in armor telling that the evil men do comes back to them. Geiger leaves, but “Nuclear Knight” would follow him. Grandpa by the campfire says that “men and women of myth” are connected by war. We see Redcoat about to attack Washington, his weakness, attacking people who are set in history?, the Northerner, and a robot, Junkyard Joe, in current military fatigues simliar to G.I. Robot from Star Spangled War Stories #101 (1962). Muddy Davis was introduced in the Junkyard Joe 2022-2023 limited series. Grandpa calls these unknown heroes, The Unnamed.
There is two pages of The Unnamed showing the timeline of their stories that are in The Unknown War confronting the Great Evil. The next world is Rook: Exodus by Johns and Jason Fabok. A brief title page explains that on the terraformed planet, Exodus, a farmer is a Warden, controlling animals. I do like the animal power like Beastmaster (1982), but more sci fi here. The “world’s engine” stopped and a war broke out. A splash page introduces Rook, his Warden helmet with red eyes, and guns. Next to him is another Warden, Swine. He wears tusks and spikes with his helmet and rifle and runs with his pigs turned warthogs. Rook blames Swine for their predictament and the Warden says his pigs found the wreck.
They leap off a cliff edge before a sabertooth tiger-like beast. Great action shot with moody sunset colors by Brad Anderson. I like the squealing sound of the pigs. Rook shoots at the predator that just growls for some reason as he falls. The duo plunges into a river and then reach on dry land. Rook inspects the cockpit hinge that is cracked. He says that this will be dangerous when they get to the atmosphere. Swine says that he wants to stay on Exodus. He says he wants to look after his drift of pigs. Swine also adds that Dire Wolf is building a community if the Wardens join together. I like Swine’s hopeful outlook. For some reason with sci fi and pigs, I think of Pig Killer in Mad Max: Thunderdome (1985). Rook dismisses the idea, the reluctant hero-type, and instead looks out to ruined city. We see the sign for the city, New Home, as flocks of rooks fly overhead! One page sets up a villain wearing a Warden helmet about ot begin the War of the Wardens! A great set up for a sci fi tale and I like the animals. There are ten animal Warden helmets in the Rook: Exodus teaser page. This title interests me the most from this story and the characters.
The next group of titles, Family Odysseys, is by writer, Peter J. Tomasi. The first story, The Rocketfellers, has art by Francis Manapul. It begins with the father, Roland, asking about the safety of his family. He is communicating with his brother, Reggie, in the future as a hologram. Reggie tells about the search for a villain named Vertex. Roland and his family have to stay in the past until Vertex is found. He turns from the futuristic canopy in his garage as Reggie brings up the Time Zone Protection Program. A fun twist on the witness protection program with the change of identity made sci fi with an escape into the past. I have a feeling Vertex will find them in the past Terminator-style! Roland walks up the stairs to tell his family, the Rocketfellers, that he is ready to grill some burgers. This includes his son, Richie, who is working on a jet boot, and his wife, Rachel who hangs upside down working on a star map! Also, his father, with bionic leg, and mother, who has a blue hologram projector, they are playing Call of Duty!
Finally daughter, Rae, who is busy with a handheld game as the family dog, Rex, pulls her on a wagon. All of them want different types of burgers. A family all with names starting with R! Roland collects all of the devices so the family can have a proper dinner. He doesn’t get happy looks from everyone, funny! He packs the fam into the VW van, they all want to go to different restaurants, so Roland decides on an Italian place. Typical family moments! Roland checks the side mirror to see a red car behind them. Rae asks about Gammie Rosie and Roland distractedly says her battery was low, she interacts through the android since Rosie is still in the future! I like goofiness of the Rocketfellers. He suddenly speeds up and mentions that they are being followed! Roland leaps the VW bus from some trees, grandfather Rodney throws a basketball at the car!, and Rachel has to help stop the van! They stop right before a passing train! The man from the car walks up. Rachel is ready to send him to the 25th century with her ray gun! This is a fun sci fi comedy!
Hornsby & Halo is by Tomasi and artist, Peter Snejbjeg, which is about two families, but with a supernatural twist! It is set in Warwick, New York where we se the home of the Hornsbys. The upbeat father tries to wake up his twelve year old daughter Rose. She is still groggy with sleep. Her dog, Tucker, is there. She had nightmares of every batter hitting a home run from her pitches! He goes over their rules about baseball. Rose crosses her fingers with a flame behind her back. A little demon in her. At the Halo house, Zachary , the same age as Rose, is practicing his swing. His cat, Pepper, watches. Zack breaks the neighbor’s window which makes his shouting mother happy. She wants him to change into his uniform and will leave him at the field if he doesn’t hit a home run. The switching of good/evil children with evil/good parents is something that was in Jack Kirby’s Fourth World. It first appeared in New Gods #1 (1971). I like the heaven and hell twist on it. Rose is about to pitch with Zack at bat.
She throws a fastball streaking with flames. This warps and melts Zack's bat! Zack strikes out and then Rose is up at bat. She hits the ball like a demon and Zack leaps in the air like Angels in the Outfield (1994)! The umpire, Sidney, has a secret. Hornsby & Halo is a funny, childhood rivalry that is stretched to supernatural levels! Hyde Street is the last installment that has two pages of advertisements that was in Silver Age comic books. I do like the name of the horror collection hinting at Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel. This was a technique used by Alan Moore in his 1963 Image Comic limited series from 1993, the 30 years seem like an interesting mirror. They do hint at sinister charaters and concepts in the Hyde Street titles like Mr. X-Ray glasses and The Devour Diet Plan. Hyde Street is by Johns with art by Ivan Reis. A boy scout is reading the ads in The Rocketfellers comic book. On a Dallas, Georgia street, a businessman, Mr. Green, is ranting about the small town.
The boy scout offers to help him since he had helped an elderly woman find the baby she orphaned as a teenager, very creepy. Mr. Green walks away, closeup on the boy scout’s silver amulet with a boy’s face, then he blows on a whistle. It causes his dog’s eyes to turn red! The dog follows Mr. Green, as we see a city with dark clouds overhead, and then hideous creatures shambling from the darkness! The narration points out that at everywhere there is a Hyde Street. Something like a Twilight Zone, a twisted version of reality. Devour follows next by Maytal Zchut and Reis. It has a small Fat Free shop in Dorian, Colorado, 1983. A full figured women enters the shop and the owner promises to help her get to her “true self.” The woman says nothing has helped her since she had her daughter. The shop owner shows her a jar of Devour. Is this simliar to Stephen King’s Thinner (1984)? It returns to Mr. Green where he tries to chase off the dog and meets a dark fate! Ghost Machine presents many entertaining visions of sci fi, time travel in action and comedy, plus horror!
Four Warder Helmets out of Five!
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