Plot Summary
With the double Statues of Liberty incident now public knowledge, both Ghostbusters teams face mounting political pressure. The Mayor and Walter Peck hold a press conference, during which Peck alludes to the ongoing dimensional crisis.
At the Firehouse, Egon Spengler briefs the combined team: the ghost from Ghostbusters 101 Issue #2 and the Manhattan Ley Lines are confirmed as the root cause of the dimensions being pulled together. Crucially, the problem does not involve a sinister beam of light aimed at the sky. The solution requires both teams' technical minds to collaborate and build something capable of neutralizing the Ley Lines, possibly with the help of positively charged Psychomagnotheric Slime. Kylie Griffin proposes drawing out the ghost first before neutralizing the lines.
Meanwhile, the 101 students continue their training exercises, and Erin Gilbert suffers a panic attack traced back to Gertrude Aldridge ecto-projecting on her in the 2016 film.
The combined team travels to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. There, the ghost of author Herman Melville manifests, followed by a massive Moby Dick Ghost. Peter Venkman notes the distinction between Moby Dick (a sperm whale) and a killer whale; Jillian Holtzmann refers to the creature as "Willy." Patty Tolan identifies three celebrities buried at Woodlawn: musician Miles Davis, former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and musical comedy actress Marilyn Miller.2
By the issue's end, the team has a plan: draw out the ghost and neutralize the Ley Lines using positively charged Psychomagnotheric Slime.1
Characters
Original Ghostbusters
2016 Ghostbusters
101 Students
- Garrett Parker
- Evan Torres
- Cait Banner
- Zoe Zawadzki
Other
- Walter Peck
- Mayor Bradley (2016 film)
- Herman Melville (ghost)
- Moby Dick Ghost
- Vigo (referenced)
Equipment Appearances
Both teams' gear appears throughout the issue, including the Proton Pack, Ghost Trap, PKE Meter, Giga Meter, Containment Unit, KUD Meter, and the Slime Blower guns from Ghostbusters II. The 2016 team's Proton Pack, Proton Pistol, and Containment Unit also appear. Egon Spengler is seen using his Casio Micro-Mini Calculator from the first film. Holtzmann raises the question of why wireless traps have not been used, a concept previously seen in the 88 MPH comics and Ghostbusters: The Video Game.1
Covers
Regular Cover: Features Janine Melnitz, Kevin Tanaka, and Kevin Beckman. Janine wears the Compact Pack; Kevin Beckman rides his Ecto-2 motorcycle. This is the fifth of a set of interconnected covers, with the map continuing Central Park from Issue #4's cover. The April solicits of this cover were the first visual clue that Kevin Tanaka is an amputee (his below-the-knee prosthesis is a modern running blade type).1
Subscription Cover: A homage to American Graffiti (1973). The yellow car on the left carries Tiyah Clarke and Winston Zeddemore, with the car itself nodding to Ghost Buggy from the Filmation Ghost Busters. The crowded scene includes Peter Venkman, Special Agent Melanie Ortiz, Kylie Griffin, the Rookie and Ron Alexander, the Ghost Smashers, Kevin Beckman with his stock photos, Erin Gilbert, Abby Yates, Walter Peck, Ray Stantz, Jillian Holtzmann, and Louis Tully by the Containment Unit. Lady Slimer and Slimer from Answer the Call ride in Ecto-1. The Ecto-1 license plate reads "Bustin'" in place of "Cruisin'" from the original poster. Near Egon and Janine at the top center, Janine's jacket is marked "84," a nod to the first film's release year. Ron Alexander wears the Compact Pack. Vehicles include Kenner's The Real Ghostbusters Fire Frighter and Ghost Sweeper, Trendmasters' Extreme Ghostbusters Ghost Blastin' Buster Bike, the Ecto-1 (2016), and the Ghost Smashers' Ghostmobile. Near the vehicles, Psychomagnotheric Slime and the Animated Toaster appear.
RI Wraparound Cover: The front features Erin Gilbert as seen in Chapter 4 of the 2016 film, returning to the Kenneth P. Higgins Institute after being fired from Columbia University. The back shows a close-up of Peter Venkman as the team approaches the Temple of Gozer in the first Ghostbusters film.
Development
- December 21, 2016: Erik Burnham revealed that Issue #5's cover would feature Janine Melnitz and the Kevins.
- January 12, 2017: Burnham mentioned writing a solicit for 101 that promised the threat in the series would not include a sinister beam of light aimed at the sky.
- April 19, 2017: July solicits included the regular cover and logline for Issue #5.
- May 12, 2017: Dan Schoening posted a work-in-progress image of Holtzmann.
- May 22, 2017: Editor Tom Waltz posted a panel of the 101 class.
- May 23, 2017: Schoening posted a work-in-progress image of Kevin Beckman.
- May 29, 2017: Schoening posted a work-in-progress of Holtzmann at Van Cortlandt Park.
- May 31, 2017: Schoening confirmed in an interview that he was just finishing pencils on Issue #5.
- July 14, 2017: Schoening posted a panel featuring Holtzmann.
- July 25, 2017: A cover, credits, and five-page preview were posted publicly.
- August 22, 2017: Luis Delgado posted an unlettered version of page 15.
Easter Eggs and References
The issue is dense with references to Ghostbusters lore and broader pop culture, a hallmark of Burnham and Schoening's work on the IDW series.
- The TGI Fridays interior in panel 1 of page 1 is taken from Chapter 16 of the 2016 film. Chalk writing reads "...Question, Yes is the answer. Right, Ray?!" referencing Winston's reply to Ray after Gozer's blast in the first film.
- Director Paul Feig appears in the bar scene, along with Ghostbusters fan Eric Hollis (identifiable by a black beanie).
- A news ticker references ABS News from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Egon on the Rampage." Mayor Bradley then changes from the Ghostbusters II mayor to the 2016 film's Mayor Bradley, with the ticker shifting to NY1 News.
- Janine's outfit in page 2 comes from a deleted scene of the first film showing her talking with Egon Spengler while he works on equipment.
- The Sony 4K AX33 handycam from the 2016 film is visible in panel 4 of page 3. The 101 students wear gear from across the franchise: Garrett's blue cap is from Ghostbusters II Lobby Card No. 7, Evan wears Ray's cap from Ghostbusters II Chapter 14, Cait wears Abby's Helmet from the 2016 film, and Zoe wears the Aura Video-Analyzer colander. The Mattel Rowan's Ghost toy appears on top of a computer.
- The KUD Meter Kylie Griffin uses in panel 5 of page 3 is from Ghostbusters II's sweep of the Manhattan Museum of Art.
- A corkboard in the Firehouse includes a Ghostbusters II sweepstakes entry from an Australian BP and Coca-Cola promotion in 1989, a Scorpio Products International door hanger from Marvel UK's The Real Ghostbusters comic series, The Real Ghostbusters school theme box art from a 1987 McDonald's promotion, and the Alberta Ghostbusters' logo on a business card.
- The Dimensionometer from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Egon on the Rampage" appears in panel 2 of page 4.
- Herman Melville's line "From Hell's heart, he has come for three" echoes Captain Ahab's monologue from Moby Dick Chapter 135.3
- Peter mentions John Bonham's "Moby Dick" drum instrumental from Led Zeppelin II.4
- On page 10, a Bandai Ghostbusters Toy Line logo appears partially visible, and Ali El-Baluu's Irksome Rug from Ghostbusters: The Video Game appears on the ground.
- Abby in page 11 is surrounded by suits based on the VR helmet, haptic vest, and blasters from Madame Tussauds/The Void's Ghostbusters: Dimension experience (launched late 2016). The device she holds is modeled on the Belt Gizmo eyeglass case by Dollond and Aitchison Group.
- Green highway signs on page 6 reference North Interstate 87 and Exit 12 of the H. Hudson Parkway.
- Woodlawn Cemetery's Jerome Avenue gate appears in page 7, along with a sign for Van Cortlandt Park (New York City's third largest park).
- Egon Spengler uses his Casio Micro-Mini Calculator from the first film in panel 4 of page 19. In the same panel, a box contains NOW Comics' The Real Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #6, and an Imp from the The Real Ghostbusters episode "Janine's Day Off" sits in front.
- Kylie mentions Psychomagnotheric Slime on page 20. Ray alludes to events of Ghostbusters 101 Issue #1 and mentions Coney Island.
- The in-universe lore pages at the back of the issue (pages 23-24) cover entries from Ray's Occult Books, Tobin's Spirit Guide (referencing John H. Tobin, Gozer, the Cult of Gozer, and Ivo Shandor), the Spates Catalog (referencing Harry Houdini and H.P. Lovecraft), The Book of Curses (mentioning the Moaning Stones of Tangalla from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Moaning Stones"), and Stott's Spectral Almanac (referencing a pattern of bogeyman-related manifestations linked to Kylie Griffin's research from the IDW Volume 2 ongoing series). The "Stott's" name is a nod to artist Rachael Stott, who contributed art on Ghostbusters International #6. The condensed Tobin's Spirit Guide mentioned is a nod to the Insight Editions book co-written by Burnham himself.
- On page 2 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #7, Peter makes a similar crack about Holtzmann's gray hairs, mirroring a joke on page 17 of this issue.
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
