Independent Propaganda

Reviewed by Matt Butcher/ Writer for Independent Propaganda

You can purchase both SCHOOL: A GHOST STORY #1 and SCHOOL: A GHOST STORY #2 at the Independent Propaganda Store

Whats this? New literature in my mail box? A manila envelope sitting atop my new back issue order from Mile High Comics? I tear the envelope, just so I could put all my comics in a pile. However, the contents of the envelope intrigued me on sight, far more than what I already knew was in the Mile High box.

The envelope contained the first two issues of Brian Defferding’s School: A Ghost Story, published by Deftoons! out of Appleton, Wisconsin. These comics were differently sized than I was used to, 8 by 8 square, and that seemed to stand out, as if telling me it was different.

Initially, the art struck me. Although listed as black and white, I’d have to say that it was darkly shaded, as if the white actually highlighted the black. That is a rare and wonderful occurrence, and perfectly appropriate in a comic that boasts a title with Ghost Story in it. While the figures are not done like some new hot shot artist for the major companies, they are done extremely well for the overall look and feel of the book. Defferding shows that he knows what he can do artistically to great effect. He is not limited at all and uses what he has to brilliantly portray his subject.

The story here is about a dead girl named Lindsay. She comes back as a ghost one year after her murder and is confined to the building of the new elementary school that went up while she was gone. Mystery compounds upon mystery as we first fall into the secrecy of her brutal death and then the obscurity of her powers and limitations as a ghost. We find her fighting soul eaters of the dead and getting saved by three other dead people in cloaks and smiley masks. Her three new compatriots of death lead her on a sort of tour of the realm of the dead, traversing bridges that gap whole areas, while telling her more about this realm of death. In the end, it will come down to Lindsay figuring out for herself what really happened.

Ultimately, this book is extremely atmospheric and compelling. It is a style all its own, from the lettering on the page to the gritty shading on the faces. The story is gripping in a way that makes me truly care about Lindsay. I really want subsequent issues because I simply have to know what happens to her and how and why she was murdered. I don’t want to dive into my Mile High back issues for fear that I don’t find anything quite so good as School.

About The Reviewer: MATT BUTCHER would love to hear from you. Visit his inane website The Butcher Shop and leave a comment somewhere.