Plot
When the animals at the Central Park Zoo begin speaking and demanding their freedom, New York City faces a supernatural crisis unlike any other.1 Egon Spengler and the Extreme Ghostbusters rush to the scene, unaware that one creature is orchestrating a larger scheme: using possession to drive the zoo's animals to attack humanity in revenge for their captivity. The story is set in 1997, both the broadcast year and the in-universe setting of the Extreme Ghostbusters series.2
Cast
Main cast:
Supporting: Nervous Nelly, Frankie, Len, and the human form of Le Maison from the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Home is Where the Horror Is" (page 2). Peter Venkman appears in a surprise cameo at the Firehouse, wearing the suit from The Real Ghostbusters episode "The Collect Call of Cathulhu." A purified Vigo tapestry and a framed portrait of Dana Barrett are visible in the background of that scene.1
Antagonist: Animal Possessors, led by an unidentified entity.
Equipment and Locations
The Extreme Ghostbusters deploy Proton Packs (including Proton Pistols and Proton Canisters), a P.K.E. Meter, Ghost Traps, and a flashlight.1 Roland's flashlight is the same model used in The Real Ghostbusters episode "The Grundel."
The story moves through the Central Park Zoo, the Firehouse, the New York City Public Library, and a bar called the Nut House. The New York Public Library's banner displays the years 1911 and 1997: the Main Branch dedication ceremony was held on May 23, 1911,3 and 1997 is the in-universe year of Extreme Ghostbusters.2 Egon also references the Containment Unit during the investigation.1
Development
The issue's development was documented through a series of social media posts by the creative team and editorial staff over several months:
- November 22, 2018: Jim Beard hinted he had joined a new licensed project.
- November 26, 2018: Beard's story pitch was accepted.
- December 11, 2018: Editor Tom Waltz previewed 2019 Ghostbusters publishing plans, sharing early cover thumbnails.
- December 14, 2018: Waltz publicly confirmed the mini-series format: four weekly issues in April 2019, each starring a different Ghostbusters team with a different creative team. Issue 4, starring the Extreme Ghostbusters, was confirmed for April 24, 2019, written by Beard and Keith Dallas with pencils by Tim Lattie and colors by Luis Antonio Delgado.
- December 16, 2018: Dan Schoening posted rough thumbnail work for the Cover RE.
- December 23, 2018: Beard declared the script finished; Dallas confirmed he spent the final three days completing it.
- December 27, 2018: The script was approved.
- January 11, 2019: Waltz posted the April solicitation.
- January 12-30, 2019: A series of work-in-progress pages were shared by Waltz and Lattie, including layouts of the team at the zoo and at the Firehouse.
- February 7, 2019: Lattie posted a work-in-progress of Eduardo Rivera and confirmed he was nearly finished drawing the issue.
- March 14, 2019: Waltz announced the issue was off to the printers.
- April 19, 2019: Waltz posted an unlettered page teasing a surprise cameo.
- April 22, 2019: Luis Antonio Delgado posted his favorite colored panel from the issue, showing Egon and Janine observing possessed animals.
- April 23, 2019: A five-page preview was released.
- July 15, 2019: IDW announced that all four convention cover variants would be sold as a bundle at San Diego Comic Con, Booth 2729.
Covers
Cover A (Tim Lattie) features Egon Spengler and Janine Melnitz alongside a 1997-updated Tobin's Spirit Guide, the Extreme Ghostbusters' equipment, the Kenner Firehouse set, Ecto-1, the Trendmaster Ghost Blastin' Buster Bike, and a gallery of ghosts including the Spawn of Achira, Boney, Eyeball, Flyer, Gremlin, Sylphon, Slimer, and Pagan.1
Cover RI (Anthony Marques, J. Bone) places Slimer alongside the full Extreme Ghostbusters team. The group's staging and poses are loosely based on the ending of the Extreme Ghostbusters title sequence and character designer Fil Barlow's title artwork.1
Cover RE (Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado) is a dense ensemble piece featuring Gu Mo, Achira and her spawn, Duophanes in his true form, the Vathek (Crainiac, Corpuscle, and Gristle), Piper, Ravana, Slimer, Kahlil, a donkey ghost, a Leprechaun, the Jersey Devil, Ecto-1, and the full Extreme Ghostbusters team. Its staging also references the Extreme Ghostbusters title sequence.1
Trivia
- The Dramatis Personae section provides in-universe biographies: Egon's mentions his hobby and The Real Ghostbusters; Garrett's alludes to his failed attempt at writing, a reference to the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Deadliners."1
- The possessing entity quotes Matthew 6:28 ("Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow")4 and the folk song "Home on the Range" ("Where the deer and antelope play").1
- Page 2 features Frankie, Len, and the human form of Le Maison from "Home is Where the Horror Is." Egon refers to butterflies using their scientific name.1
- Page 3 features a zoo worker delivering the line "Who you gonna call?"1
- Page 4 contains a poster for Syren from the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Sonic Youth," and the team is shown in their civilian clothes, which first appeared in "Darkness at Noon, Part 1." Garrett mentions the soap opera General Hospital and the country Ecuador. Eduardo alludes to Milli Vanilli, a German pop duo founded in 1988.51
- Page 5 includes a sign referencing Extreme Ghostbusters character designer Fil Barlow. Egon alludes to past encounters with possessed animals, including the events of The Real Ghostbusters episode "It's a Jungle Out There."1
- Page 6 references reincarnation, a subject that arose in The Real Ghostbusters episode "Moaning Stones."1
- Page 7 features Roland carrying the flashlight model used in The Real Ghostbusters episode "The Grundel."1
- Page 8: Eduardo Rivera mentions the fictional Doctor Dolittle; Kylie mentions the Toledo Zoo in Ohio.1
- Page 9: Egon alludes to the Containment Unit.1
- Page 10: The New York Public Library banner displays 1911 (the year the Main Branch dedication was held)3 and 1997 (Extreme Ghostbusters' setting).2 Roland delivers another "Who Ya Gonna Call?" beat. Peter Venkman appears in his suit from The Real Ghostbusters episode "The Collect Call of Cathulhu," with the purified Vigo tapestry from Ghostbusters II and a portrait of Dana Barrett visible in the background.1
- Page 12: Roland mentions the Darwin Award.1
- Page 14: Garrett delivers his signature catchphrase from the series: "Brooklyn in the House!"1
- Page 16: A Stay Puft Marshmallows poster appears behind Eduardo.1
- Page 19: Luis Antonio Delgado's recurring "15" easter egg appears on two bottles in the background.1
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
