Covers
The issue shipped with a main cover (Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado), a retailer incentive (RI) cover by Roberto Goiriz, and a subscription cover by Tristan Jones, who posted a work-in-progress of the subscription cover on January 30, 2014.
Development
Dan Schoening previewed a cover on February 20, 2014 and hinted that "the Ghostbusters find themselves on Hart Island, and in big trouble." On April 16, 2014 he praised the script using the hashtag "thehammer." On May 9, 2014 he posted a sketch of Kylie Griffin from a page he was working on.
On June 17, 2014, Erik Burnham and Dan Schoening confirmed in an interview that Vigo and the Scoleri Brothers would appear in the issue; a five-page preview was included. A further preview including the cover and credits was released on June 24, 2014. Luis Antonio Delgado posted unlettered versions of pages 7, 12, and 16 on July 24, 2014.
Gozer's Ivo Shandor design on page 7 originates from an unused concept for the first film, in which a form of Gozer was to have been portrayed by Paul Reubens as a kindly-looking man in a nondescript suit and tie. Dan Schoening had previously considered the same design for the character Idulnas during Volume 1.
On April 2, 2015, the regular cover of this issue appeared in the prize basket during Ernie Hudson's appearance on The Today Show.
On page 18 of Ghostbusters 101 #6, an image from this issue (page 16, panel 3, depicting the Hart Island battle against Vigo) was reused with Abby Yates appearing in place of Ray just before he entered another trance state.
Easter Eggs and Continuity Notes
Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado packed the Firehouse and lab scenes with references spanning the entire franchise:
Page 1. Ray wears the outfit from the first film in which he greets Dana Barrett at the Firehouse. Gozer briefly takes the form of Ray's Spirit Guide, then its first movie form.
Page 2. The Ghost Smashers last appeared together in Volume 1 Issue #15. Jenny, Lou, and Dani wear charcoal jumpsuits with Ghost Smashers branding and name tags in the logo's color scheme.
Page 3. Dani references Blood Rain, Tiamat, and Vigo. Lou references blues artist Robert Johnson and his "Cross Road Blues" album, alluding to the myth that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil for his talent. Ron is again in Chevy Chase's "Yes, it's my real name" T-shirt. Ron's suggestion to bring in Jenny, Lou, and Dani echoes a similar suggestion Ray Stantz made in Volume 2 Issue #9 that was denied by Walter Peck.
Page 4. Louis Tully wears the skull cap Ray Stantz wore in Ghostbusters II (Chapter 14).
Page 5. Luis Delgado's "15" easter egg appears on panel 2. The Stay Puft Marshmallows sign from the first film remains visible near the Firehouse. Egon and Kylie's clipboards display pages from the first film's script.
Page 6. The Vacuum Polarization Rings from Ghostbusters: Legion appear behind Egon and Kylie. The "Brain" chart from Egon's lab in the Institute for Advanced Theoretical Research (Ghostbusters II) is visible. Behind Kylie is the Dimensionometer from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Egon on the Rampage," and the Ghostbusters II version of the Ghost in a Can drink. The computer screen shows the Tobin's Spirit Guide search interface from The Real Ghostbusters episode "I Am the City."
Page 7. Gozer takes on the appearance of Ivo Shandor.
Page 8. Ray's lines riff on his speech to Gozer in the first movie. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man appears briefly, as does the Necrotic Stay Puft from Ghostbusters: Infestation Issue #2, and his burning form from the first film.
Pages 10-11. Yuppie Water (from RGB "Short Stuff"), Slime Blower guns, a Kenner Ecto-Plazm, and the Milton Bradley Real Ghostbusters Board Game and Pinball Game are on the shelf. The Dimensional Inverter, the Indian Earth Spirit computer image (from RGB "Follow That Hearse"), a "Basic English" sign (from the film Stripes), two Ghostbusters II VHS tapes, a Mood Slime canister (Ghostbusters II), a photo and glasses belonging to Kylie's great-grandmother Rose, the Runes of Kahlil (from Extreme Ghostbusters "Casting the Runes"), Tarot Cards (from EGB "The Infernal Machine"), Kylie's journal (from EGB, destroyed in "Ghost Apocalyptic Future"), and the computerized Tobin's Spirit Guide screen from RGB "Not Now, Slimer!" are also visible.
Page 11. Louis offers Dana Cheese-Its, a food referenced in the first film.
Page 12. Peter alludes to Judge Wexler from Ghostbusters II. The Scoleri Brothers make their official debut in the ongoing comic. The four ghosts near Vigo are from the purple Kenner Ecto-Plazm.
Page 13. Melanie carries the Proton Pack variant Proton Pistol from Extreme Ghostbusters. She makes a Scooby-Doo reference. Vigo calls himself "the Sorrow of Moldavia" and refers to Peter as "The Vandal," a callback to Volume 1 Issue #14 where a stick drawing of a cat appeared on the Vigo painting.
Page 14. Peter exclaims "Daaah!" in the manner of his reaction to the Library Ghost's ectoplasm in the first film.
Page 17. Gozer is joined for the first time by all three minions simultaneously.
Page 18. Egon works with 1.5 Twinkies on the table. He uses the Miniature Slime Blower from Volume 2 Issue #10.
Page 20. Egon's foot locker is based on the Harold Ramis tribute Dan Schoening and Luis Delgado posted online earlier in 2014. Items visible include: a Ghostbusters II logo picture, a framed copy of The Atlantic Monthly (from the first film), Cheese-Its, a Chomp bar, a Slinkie (referenced in the second film), a Ghost Trap, a Mood Slime jar, a P.K.E. Meter, an annotated Tobin's Spirit Guide, Twinkies (partially obscured), and a picture of the No-Ghost icon. On top of the footlockers are: the box of contaminated suits from RGB "Citizen Ghost," a Real Ghostbusters Play Shaving Kit, a dinosaur toy box referencing the surnames of Ghostbusters Wiki administrator mrmichaelt and Jesse Sosa (character artist on Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Realistic Versions), a Kenner Ecto-1 box, and extra Firehouse light covers. In the stairwell box is a copy of the 1986 West End Games RPG "Ghostbusters: Hot Rods of the Gods."
Pages 22-23. The Harold Ramis tribute spread was drawn by Timothy Lin.
