A retrospective of Ghost Machine, the collective of comic book talent, shows that 2024 was a pivotal year for the collection of comic creatives, which is proving itself a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry by providing creatives, such as writers, artists, letters, colorists, and others ownership and innovative space and giving fans a range of tales transcending the usual caped superheroes–not that there’s anything wrong with caped superheroes, mind you!
What do the critics have to say? If Screen Rant is any indication, they headlined their story “#1 is the Epic Start to 2024’s Hottest Imprint.” An auspicious introduction to the art of the comic book universe.
The comic collective had an agenda for 2024, and it began with, fittingly enough, a 64-page special that provided an array of treats with Film Rant claiming “The Unnamed” is an Intriguing and Gripping Universe-in-Progress. What is The Unnamed? It’s the tale of the protagonists of a range of tales traversing epochs in US history from the Revolution to the fast-approaching future circa 2050. The premiere introduces the reader to The Unnamed Universe, an intricate world with scaffolding supporting the gifts of Johns and Gary Frank in Geiger and Junkyard Joe.
Redcoat
For a character of a different caliber, consider Simon Pure, better known as Redcoat, a mercenary fighter of dubious character–yet one who is now immortal, in a fan favorite that unites Johns and fellow G. Machine creative, Bryan Hitch. A natural brawler since the US was born, Pure’s undying status is an undying pain to his adversaries and the man himself. Yet Redcoat, a master of attitude, takes death, incarcerations, and problems in stride.
Rook
“Rook: Exodus,” captures in six pages of seat-of-your-pants-tension the fate of the future of a terraformed planet, where Rook, a one-time, erstwhile farmer, is trying to return home as evil antagonists attempt to take over the planet!
Hyde Street
This horror-locus and focus location is both a street and a world. Yes, Hyde Street is the universe, co-created with writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis, that unites incredible scope and thoughtful narrative action, the supernatural and the suspenseful. Hyde Street–it’s the street where one lives–we hope!
Family life
The Rocketfellers, a fun and thoughtful story brought to you by the plentiful talents of Tomasi and Manapul, is a tale both concise and expansive, one that revolves around the Rocketfellers, a family who are time travelers from the future who have to go back to the past upon entering the witness protection program–with Time Zone protection.
Hornsby & Halo by Tomasi and Snejbjerg is based on meeting cute–like your family. Storyline: angelic and demonic offspring swapped infants as a part of a cosmic truce. Now entering their teens, this is a whole new level of tensions, hormones, weird families, and other problems of the coming of age–of the eternal being.
2024 was an exciting time to be a reader and a fan of comic book art, with the arrival of G Machine, a significant creative comic cooperative.
