Extreme Ghostbusters: Talk to the Animals Comic Review

There is no doubt IDW Publishing has served Ghostbusters fans well over the years, especially since the advent of the Ghostbusters ongoing dream team of Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado started working together regularly in September, 2011.

While IDW has explored the Ghostbusters franchise in-depth like no other, this final IDW Ghostbusters 35th anniversary issue marks the first comic exclusively dedicated to the Extreme Ghostbusters team of Egon Spengler, Janine Melnitz, Roland Jackson, Garrett Miller, Eduardo Rivera and Kylie Griffin.

Extreme Ghostbusters, now streaming on Hulu, was an excellent yet short-lived cartoon series that debuted in 1997 consisting of 40 episodes including a two-part reunion with The Real Ghostbusters. Egon Spengler, who still lives in the Ghostbusters Firehouse and teaches a paranormal studies class at Columbia University ends up recruiting his pupils and forms a new Ghostbusters team as New York faces a new wave of supernatural infestation.

In the final 35th anniversary Ghostbusters issue, writers Jim Beard and Keith Dallas do a wonderful job capturing the spirit of the Extreme Ghostbusters team and artist Tim Lattie fuses his unique style with original series designer Fil Barlow, as he did in several amazing variant covers for IDW's Ghostbusters: Crossing Over. Luis Antonio Delgado shows his brilliance by capturing details including the glow of the PKE meter and high contrast proton streams featured in the animated series.

The story finds Egon Spengler and Janine Melnitz on what could be considered a casual date at the Central Park Zoo. The Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon series acknowledged the romantic tension between Janine and Egon, which of course started in the original film and continued throughout the Real Ghostbusters cartoon series, in a more evolved way. Egon seems to be more receptive to relationships in this series and is less aloof than his Real Ghostbusters counterpart. While at the zoo, the pair notice some very odd behavior from the animals, who seem to be possessed. Egon implores the zookeeper to shut the exhibit down immediately and quickly calls Ghostbusters HQ for backup on his anachronistic flip phone. Just moments before the call we get a glimpse of the GBHQ interior and, as if straight out of an episode of Extreme Ghostbusters, the familiar tension of Kylie Griffin and Eduardo Rivera takes center stage while Roland Jackson and Garrett Miller attempt to play a peaceful card game. Before they know it, Dr. Spengler's students are ultimately called down to suit up and head out to the Central Park Zoo.

While the team is united and equipped at the zoo, Egon takes readings while discussing theories of possession and reincarnation with the group. While honing in on what they believe to be the source of the disturbance, all of the animals escape the zoo. With the help of Dr. Peter Venkman, who makes a surprisingly welcome cameo in this issue, the team heads to a local tavern for the final showdown.

Overall, this issue is a testament to the underrated Extreme Ghostbusters series and leaves you wanting more. While Ghostbusters: Crossing Over writer Erik Burnham did a great job bringing back the Extreme Ghostbusters team alongside fellow multi-dimensional residents of 14 N. Moore, it was great to finally read an issue dedicated to the Extreme Ghostbusters time-space-reality. Jim Beard, Keith Dallas, Tim Lattie and Luis Antonio Delgado are a fantastic team and ended IDW's 35th anniversary Ghostbusters event on a high note. The final panels of the issue are especially heartwarming.

Now is the perfect time to head to your local comic shop and add IDW Ghostbusters to your pull list. If you like to keep all of your comics on your iPad or Kindle, subscribe to IDW Ghostbusters via comiXology. Pick up all of the IDW Ghostbusters 35th anniversary issues and get ready for the highly anticipated Transformers / Ghostbusters crossover hitting shops this summer!

Preview the first 5 pages of Extreme Ghostbusters: Talk to the Animals below.