Fritz Baugh continues his reviews of the IDW Ghostbusters on-going series for Still Playing with Toys, here's Fritz with the latest - spoilers are abound, so you've been warned...

It seems a bit pyrrhic now, with the news that #20 (#36 in the total on-going series) will be the last issue of the series. But with #17, we reach a double milestone of endurance. In addition to finally getting a #17, something that hasn't happened to an American Ghostbusters comic since 1989, the total issues of IDW's ongoing series now beat the number of issues of NOW Comics' ongoing series. 16+17=33. 28+4=32. Sure, I could add in the 3-D Special (which was effectively Now's V2#0), the Annual, and the 3-D Annual, but that still means IDW will beat them with #20.

I think that's a big part of why this commentary is so late-- knowing I'll only be doing it three more times after this makes me want to hold onto it just a little bit. Like I'm prolonging it somehow. But I'm really not so here we go:

As "Mass Hysteria" begins it's second half, we're with Ray, Venkman, and Winston on the ECTO-8, where Ray is having another dream sequence with a ghost that looks suspiciously like John Belushi... but then it turns, just before Venkman slaps him awake, into Slavitza Jovan. This... doesn't seem like an auspicious sign, does it?

Now awake, we see that in addition to the three regulars are Mel, Whatzisface, Ron, and Ron's three former fellow Ghostsmashers, now sporting flight suits in the Ghostbuster style, but with the Ghostsmasher logo and the nametags in Ghostsmasher purple. Why are they there? Oh, you know, Vigo's escaped from the painting (which they never explained how he popped back into in the first place) and he's apparently on Hart Island.

Egon and Kylie, meanwhile, are studying Dana and Louis, and Dana makes small talk by asking Egon about Janine. Egon dodges, and Dana mentions Janine dodges those questions too. Hah-- Dana's only really been in the loop twice over the last 10 years, and even she notices.

God damn it, I hope we get some resolution in the next three issues.

Anyway, back at Hart, Ray is having another narcoleptic episode, and this time he sees Pee Wee Herman, and then the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. If it's not Gozer trying to talk to him, it's certainly something trying to convince him it is Gozer.

GBHQ: Egon and Kylie realize that Vuul and Zinz Clortho are still hiding inside Dana and Louis.

Hart Island: Vigo shows up, and he's brought the Scoleri Brothers. This is really mystifying--we saw those two assholes get sucked into ghost traps, and presumably taken downstairs and flushed into the Containment Unit. Ray certainly thinks they should still be there. It's enough to make one wonder... anyway, Vigo the Butch is especially mad at Venkman, probably for trying to paint that fluffy white kitten into the painting near the castle. We know you miss Snowball, Vigo, but don't take it out on our heroes!

... Especially after Ray gets into another conversation with Pee-Wee Gozer, and images of Zuul, Vinz Clortho, and Idulnas appear. Idulnas... you know, last we saw of that guy, he was being dragged off by the Peoplebusters/Collectors... while the Ghostbusters were the first beings to escape them, it doesn't mean they're the last.

GBHQ: Kylie sprays Dana and Louis with mood slime in hopes of driving out Vuul and Zinz Clortho... but it doesn't work. It not only doesn't work, it allows the servants of Tiamat to re-dominate the pair, turn them back into giant bird-things, and go on the attack!

This... is really not good.

Another solid issue.

(sigh) And only three more to go.