Written by John Ostrander
Art by Jim Aparo; Kelley Jones; Todd Klein; Carla Feeny; & Digital Chameleon
Cover Art by George Pratt
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for March 1994, it’s entitled “Call to Blood.” In Northern Ireland, an explosive terrorist act sparks a rainy night confrontation in a pub between cousins-in-law, Michael and Eamus.
In a nearby cemetery, Jim Corrigan converses with one of its ghosts. Michael confronts the culprit of his wife and young child’s tragic murders: his brother-in-law, Dennis. Dennis wishes to murder Michael, too, until the Spectre intervenes. The cemetery’s spirits torment the Spectre with Corrigan’s own personal demons.
In San Francisco, Zatanna Zatara (fresh from her recent Come Together mini-series) joins the Phantom Stranger; Etrigan the Demon; and Inza Nelson’s Doctor Fate to face the Spectre.
In the Irish cemetery, the Spectre destroys Dennis. Furious that the Spectre usurped his own vengeance, Michael retaliates by cursing the Spectre, with the fury of all the Corrigans long-buried there. In Jerusalem, the mystic Ramban is consulted by Father Richard Craemer re: the Spectre.
REVIEW:
Capped by a well-played plot twist, Spectre # 16 is a minor gem. Not only does writer John Ostrander carefully continue the build-up to the Spectre’s meltdown, but this issue is compelling in its own right. Jim Aparo & Kelley Jones’ artwork provides capable support, as a re-invigorated Zatanna’s sequence is a standout. With all its cast’s intriguing viewpoints of morality, this issue definitely proves worth the read.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a two-page letter-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
