For those who still don't know, The Other Side #3 came out today, not the 31st as originally reported. Here's my review:

Story: 6/10
The overall story still has me roped in, as I just think they have a great thing going overall… something we've never really seen before, at least in this dark of a tone. This issue's story, however, is pretty bad. I get that its setting things up for a big finale issue, but damn… the dialog issues have not improved at all throughout the story. Its still the same obvious, too much detail, dumbed-down-for-the-reader dialog. The demon in the beginning was just painful, complaining about being hungry and wanting the boy's soul? Winston's side story is too sappy for my liking, although I think this is, again, a dialog issue. Him running into an ex in the afterlife isn't the problem, its the sappy, obvious, here-we-go-again type of stuff.

Art: 7/10
The art hasn't changed much throughout the story, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but its not great either. I still think that Ray looks like a teenager, and that Spengler's hair looks like a weapon. Really, its just a different style. It doesn't detract from the reading experience, but it doesn't really add to it either.

Overall: 6/10
I had pretty high hopes for this issue, given the fact that I thought the first 2 were pretty good and that the story was flowing well. We hit some bumps in the road here, and the dialog has officially started to wear on me. It feels like they're pantering to the reader, and giving every possible detail in the dialog, rather than letting the reader make connections for themselves. That's a major problem. The dialog does not feel natural. I understand the Ghostbusters use terms that most of us wouldn't in every day life, but there is an overuse of them here, followed by a dumbed down explanation for the reader. That was painfully obvious in this issue, whereas in the past 2, it wasn't. This issue is EASILY the worst of the 3 so far, in my opinion.

Here's hoping they close out this mini-series with a great fourth issue in a month, as I think they have a good first story here to build off of in the future. Can't wait to see what happens, although I must say, once the GBs get out of purgatory, the issue may feel rushed, if it doesn't happen fairly early on.

It's gotten worse?! You're kidding!

Someone get Tokyopop on a monthly forthwith!

SPOILERS!

Actually, I thought this issue was a significant improvement over the previous two. Peter and Winston actually sound like themselves, and the story is finally going somewhere. I was a little surprised that J. Edgar Hoover apparently got into Heaven, but I guess I'm just too judgmental. And **finally** Janine shows up… only to get knocked unconscious after a couple of pages.

Has anyone else noticed yet that the word balloons for the Ghostbusters and Jiff, the little boy, are all still solid white while the other ghosts' are transparent? A hint that those characters aren't permanently dead, methinks…

The first issue had me rushing to the shop. Second issue, not so much. Third issue…I've already lost interest. So to hear that it has supposedly gotten worse!? Not good. I gave my first two issues to my brother, for nothing. That's saying a lot because I normally want everything Ghostbusters, but this doesn't feel like Ghostbusters to me.

I thought IDW would come out with a strong offering, but this is not even close to the 88MPH book, which I thought was a lackluster effort as well. However, the 88MPH book had those good ole ghostbusting moments and the characterizations that this book just seems to lack completely. And I'm not a fan of the art. And for $3.99, it's hard to swallow.

I told my shop to hold it for me, so I'll get it out of my commitment to the shop but I'll send issues 3 and 4 to my brother to complete this series. I really hate to be so negative, but I don't have really anything positive to say other than the first two covers were cool. If IDW were not to publish another series, I'd actually be okay with that.

Meh, at least give it a chance. If you're already buying it, just read it before passing it off to your brother. My opinion isn't end all be all. Only two people have reviewed it, and one thought the exact opposite of me.

Yeah, I am reading them, and I will read the next two just to see where this goes. But I don't plan to buy anymore, assuming IDW does another series. They would have to bring on a new writer at the very least.

I personally enjoy the series. It's no Legion Series, but it's definately a change of pace. It's written like a comedy (which is what the movies are…) apposed to the Legion series being much darker and serious (which I have absolutely no problem with btw, LOVED the series!). I try and imagine it as the 3rd GB movie (since it was kind of going to be like this) and keeping that thought in my mind brings a smile to my face and helps me appreciate the jokes more.

The dialogue is a bit straight forward, but I think (and hope) that come next issue we will see an improvement :0).

The only thing I have a problem with is the lack of the equipment! It's almost as if they only make appearances :0/. This is a Ghostbusters comic and I have yet to see actual Ghostbusting go down (aside from the kind of scene in Issue 1). But I take it that they are saving all of that for the big finale in Issue 4.

I can't quite grade it just yet because the series isn't complete, but I'm hoping come next month, they'll end it pretty well.

Crossing the Streams;132871
I personally enjoy the series. It's no Legion Series, but it's definately a change of pace. It's written like a comedy (which is what the movies are…) apposed to the Legion series being much darker and serious (which I have absolutely no problem with btw, LOVED the series!). I try and imagine it as the 3rd GB movie (since it was kind of going to be like this) and keeping that thought in my mind brings a smile to my face and helps me appreciate the jokes more.

The dialogue is a bit straight forward, but I think (and hope) that come next issue we will see an improvement :0).

The only thing I have a problem with is the lack of the equipment! It's almost as if they only make appearances :0/. This is a Ghostbusters comic and I have yet to see actual Ghostbusting go down (aside from the kind of scene in Issue 1). But I take it that they are saving all of that for the big finale in Issue 4.

I can't quite grade it just yet because the series isn't complete, but I'm hoping come next month, they'll end it pretty well.

I can get on board with the thinking that the equipment will make a big appearance in the last issue. But care to explain exactly what makes you “think” the straight forward dialogue will change in the next issue? I can see hoping, as we all must be at this point (I know I am), but in order to think that's going to change, you have to have some reason as to what makes you think a change is coming when its been that way for all 3 so far.

I would have thought that a lot more people would have said something about this already. Are people gettig this book late or are they just not into it enough to write something? Anyway I thought this issue was alright. I think the coolest part of the book was seeing another demon in action. I'm not sure about Peter's crazy powers. It seems like Peter acts like the Dave Coulier (spelling) persona of Peter Venkman in this story. I just don't see Bill Murray or Lorenzo's Venkman running after demons and decapitating them. I did kind of like seeing some more indepth stuff with Winston. Writer's usually give him the shaft, so it's nice to see him do something different. I think that even though I had a lot of complaints about the first issue, my head is in a different place with this one. More of indifferent, but positive. Maybe it's because I“m currently burying myself in RGB episodes that I'm in a good mood.

I would say though that after reading these three issues I think that they should have used this story down the line somewhere. I think for a first storyline with a new company they shouldn't have hit us with something so different. I think that they should have developed there characters a little and let us get used to them so that we'd feel more for the GB's. They kind of don't act like themselves so for me it doesn't seem like they are in any kind of fix that I really want to see them get out of. If they actually did die and went to heaven I wouldn't really care because it seems like this whole thing is just a random story.

Here's some things I've been thinking about though. They should have had like 2 prior stories so we could get use to these guys. THey should have had something big going on, like every now and then we'd see these super mafia ghosts discussing how they were planning on killing the ghostbusters, and then after issues of planning and discussions they should have killed them. It's just crazy to think that after fighting Vigo and Gozer a couple mafia bosses could go ”alright kill the Ghostbusters" and two pages later they're dead. It should have been a bigger scheme. If ghosts could just pick up machine guns and shoot the guys why didn't ghosts just do it a long time ago?

I hope that these are selling well though. Despite the complaining I really hope that they continue with an on going and do something worthwhile with the guys.

-Gary

Doctor Venkman;132875
I can get on board with the thinking that the equipment will make a big appearance in the last issue. But care to explain exactly what makes you “think” the straight forward dialogue will change in the next issue? I can see hoping, as we all must be at this point (I know I am), but in order to think that's going to change, you have to have some reason as to what makes you think a change is coming when its been that way for all 3 so far.

That's just me trying to keep hopes for the next issue. I like to think positive. The positiblity of it changing is slim to none, but I do enjoy the comic so I don't want to rag on it too much.

P

weepel;132877
Here's some things I've been thinking about though. They should have had like 2 prior stories so we could get use to these guys. THey should have had something big going on, like every now and then we'd see these super mafia ghosts discussing how they were planning on killing the ghostbusters, and then after issues of planning and discussions they should have killed them. It's just crazy to think that after fighting Vigo and Gozer a couple mafia bosses could go “alright kill the Ghostbusters” and two pages later they're dead. It should have been a bigger scheme. If ghosts could just pick up machine guns and shoot the guys why didn't ghosts just do it a long time ago?

I totally agree with you there I did feel kind of like “what?! who kills off the GBs in the first issue?! After everything that they have gone through, THIS kills them?!” A build up would of been a great idea and route to take. I think maybe they wanted something to just shock and catch the reader after the first issue and that's exactly what happened (at least for me).

When it comes down to it, after all of the nit picking and some what complaining, its still a fun comic to read.