Haunting Comics: Where To Go After The Ghosts Have Been Busted

Between the recent release of "Ghostbusters: The Video Game" and re-release of the original "Ghostbusters" films on Blu-ray, fans of the 25-year-old franchise are feasting on a rare bounty of well-timed nostalgia. But with the initial buzz starting to wean as viewers relive their youth and players complete a new title, it's a good time to start digging in for the long, dark wait for "Ghostbusters 3" with a healthy supply of GB comics. Thankfully, there's plenty to be had.

There are plenty of other GB comics sprinkled through the past two decades worth checking out, namely the Marvel and Now Comics' extended series, but this motley list gives addicts a decent starting point before setting out to cross the streams of collecting by haunting online auctions, torrent sites and antique malls for every last comic book incarnation of the property
Filmation's Ghostbusters (First Comics)

Before Egon and company got down with Ray Parker Jr., Bob Burns and Larry Storch starred in an incredibly goofy 1975 television series with a dude in a rubber suit pretending to be a female primate. Smelling money, Filmation followed the success of "The Real Ghostbusters" with their animated sequel to the live action series in 1986 and a comic in 1987. To be fair, it starred an arguably more diverse group of paranormal investigators (they had females on the team almost twenty years before "Extreme Ghostbusters" did), which helps elevate them above simple copycat fodder.

Ghostbusters: The Other Side (IDW)

While battling the ghosts of famous mafia figures, the GB team finds itself trapped in purgatory. The adventure may seem a bit far-fetched at first, but when compared to Rick Moranis' demon-possessed conquest of Sigourney Weaver, it's pretty much in just the right ballpark.

Ghost Busters: Ghost Busted (Tokyopop)

The multi-volume series by Nathan Johnson and Matt Yamashita breathes a kind of new life into movie continuity by adorning its trademark humor and action with manga story-telling sensibilities. Traditional fans don't have to worry, though, despite an exaggerated look, character models are somehow more realistic than in "The Real Ghostbusters" animated series.

The Real Ghostbusters: This Ghost Is Toast (Titan Books)

Reprinting Marvel UK's original "The Real Ghost Busters" comics in a convenient (and affordably priced) digest size, Titan Books takes older fans back to their roots and gives new readers a flat-color touchstone to a bygone (but still relevant) era in busting.