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REVIEW: Ivory Ghosts #1
Book Title: Ivory Ghosts #1
Book Description: “Ivory Ghosts” begins in Namibia with our primary character, Dr. Catherine Sohon, finding herself a long way from Wyoming. She did her research for her PHD at Yellowstone. Now she’s trying to work the elephant census for the Wildlife Investigation Agency. Dr. Sohon hasn’t received a very warm welcome. She got a flat tire driving in. None of the local authorities knew she was coming. They are being nice; but keeping their distance. The party line is obsolete technology and unreliable mail service caused the breakdown in communication. Is it truly a case of broken lines of communication? Are Namibian authorities involved in the poaching of elephants? Time will tell.
Book Author: Caitlin O’Connell
Book Format: Paperback
Publisher - Orgnization: Kymera Press
Publisher Logo:
Illustrator: Debora Carita
- Story(3.8)
- Interior Art(3.8)
- Cover Art(4.2)
- Dialogue(3.5)
- Mechanics(3.5)
- Editing(3.5)
Summary
I’m thrilled that “Ivory Ghosts” #1 gives us another strong female lead character. With a PHD, Dr. Sohon is clearly book smart. The fact that she’s a pilot that puts herself in potentially dangerous situations in the name of her field of study makes her more of a badass than Indiana Jones.
In case getting another great female character onto the indie comic scene isn’t enough of a reason to look into “Ivory Ghosts”, this book focusing on real world problems should be. With the amount of poaching that is taking place there are a great many creatures on the verge of extinction it’s good to bring this to light.
Gorillas are being hunted for their hands. Elephants are being hunted for their feet and tusks. Rhinoceros horns are coveted because some people believe that consuming ground up horns is an aphrodisiac.
The punishment for poaching in some countries is death. The payout if a poacher can bring back a trophy is more than they would make in a lifetime. In their eyes, the reward outweighs the risk, especially if they are able to bribe an official before a hunt.
I love the wildlife in this cover. The detail is exquisite. With the amount of books set in space or a city, wildlife is something that isn’t seen often in comics that aren’t associated with “Tarzan”, “Sheena”, or “Groo”. The change of pace is appreciated, especially with it being relevant to the story.
The artwork on the interior pages is very well done. The line work and coloring put the reader on the backroads of Namibia. I liked the panel with the elephants on the plains. It shows us just how serious this issue truly is.
As a geek on a budget I would strongly recommend checking out “Ivory Ghosts”. We get a great story, well done artwork, and real world issues that don’t stay within the confines of the pages of a comic book.
You can get your copy of “Ivory Ghosts” at: www.kymerapress.com.
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