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Frank Gallows is an alcoholic ghost hunter whose day goes down the pan when he accidentally sends Garth Hale, a boy who’s still alive, to the afterlife that is Ghostopolis. Garth soon finds that being alive in a world of spectres, will’o’the’wisps, mummies, goblins, skeletons, zombies, and bogeymen has its ups, in the form of special powers, and getting to meet the ghost of his Grandfather. Also, its downs, in the form of the evil overlord of Ghostopolis trying to destroy him. Frank tries to rectify his mistake by following Garth into the spirit world, with help from his ex-girlfriend Claire.

The story has some wonderful moments, from the opening pages where Garth is trying to gross his Mother out, to Frank’s relationships with the ghosts he’s exiling, to rioting mummies and skeletal horses acting in a lovable manner. The story moves along at a good pace, with all the characters learning something from their quest to get Garth safely home, and being changed by it: visibly in the case of Garth’s Grandfather.

TenNapel produces characters that you instantly warm to, fighting against their own foibles and hang-ups. The art is cartoony, but with highly expressive faces, and a lush colouring job. The characters design are all distinct, and the art focuses very much on the characters. However, Ghostopolis itself an intriguing backdrop and a good sense of movement comes through in the fight scenes.

Overall, highly recommended as a fun, all-ages graphic novel