GHOSTED IN LA #1
Writer: Sina Grace
Artist: Siobhan Keenan
Colorist: Cathy Le
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Rating: 8/10
Over the past couple years, I've really grown a new love for slice-of-life comics. So when I saw GHOSTED IN LA by Sina Grace and Siobhan Keenan, it immediately caught my eye. To those of you that know my reading tastes, this may seem a little out of the realm of what I usually read. But there was just something about it that screamed out to me, "You gotta check out this book". Well, after reading this first issue, I can comfortably say, that I made an excellent choice. Not only is this a great slice-of-life comic, but it has a supernatural spin which makes it that much more interesting.
GHOSTED IN LA focuses on Daphne Waters as she moves to LA with her boyfriend, much to the dismay of her BFF, Kristi. After spending a week in LA, and having it not live up to her expectations, she stumbles across a strange mansion. The catch, it's owners are an eclectic group of ghosts. Daphne is an instantly likeable character, she has problems that are easily relatable. She makes decisions based on emotion like many of us do, only to be let down or disappointed. But that's not to say, this story is just about her being miserable, oh no, Sina Grace infuses so much humor in this story and has a clear grasp on Daphne's "voice" making her likeable, funny, and endearing.
While this book does have a supernatural aspect to it, that's not what makes this story special. It's following this young girl and she moves across country to follow a boy, and what follows next. Remember that BFF I mentioned, she told Daphne moving was a huge mistake. Well, Kristi ended up being right about Daphne's boyfriend, but she never could have guessed what else would transpire. After dealing with one let down after another, Daphne ends up at an empty mansion full of ghosts. Instead of running out in fear, she decides to stay and become their friend, she feels like she "belongs".
Siobhan Keenan's art is an absolute delight. She injects a huge amount of humor and youth into the story. Her expressive faces and clear sense of fashion, just add to the beauty of this comic. Not to mention her designs for each of the ghosts, which might be one of my favorite parts.
Cathy Le's colors are the perfect compliment to Keenan's art. She helps set the tone with each page exquisitely. She goes form the dreary opening pages to the bright streets of LA. Her colors invoke a sense of joy and enthusiasm with every scene.
While I love supernatural books, I have to admit that I would still read this book even if that aspect was taken out. Grace has created a book I didn't even know was missing in my monthly pulls. This is exactly the slice-of-life comic that I enjoy reading. A book starring your average person dealing with your regular day-to day problems, while also having a touch of humor. Plus, the supernatural part doesn't hurt either. if you're a fan of books like SNOTGIRL or GIANT DAYS then this is one book you'll wanna check out. But either way, this is a wonderful slice-of life comic that I think anyone will enjoy.