Ghost Station Zero #1

Story by: Antony Johnston
Art by: Shari Chankhamma
Publisher: Image Comics

When I think of a good spy-thriller comic, it should contain certain elements to keep me intrigued. These elements include: a fun lead character, sprawling action scenes, fun locations and a plot worth following. In Ghost Station Zero, the return of the super-spy Baboushka in her second outing, Antony Johnston helps tick a lot of the previous criteria.

By now, a lot of us will know who Baboushka is even if you have not read her first adventure in the collected edition Codename Baboushka vol. 1: The Conclave of Death. The reason? Well, Baboushka just made her silver screen debut in the movie Atomic Blonde. Knowing of this connection, I was intrigued going into this first issue of her second adventure - as I am one who missed her first go around in comics.

Johnston opens his second series with a slightly troppy situation wherein we find Baboushka dealing with human traffickers with an ensuing motorcycle chase. Though this type of opening has been done a million times, it is a fun way to introduce the reader to Baboushka: she is a skilled spy with a licence to kill who is not afraid to use it. This scene also helps to set up that she is not alone within her world, and that she has outside help from a man behind a computer screen named Gyorgy. From what little is shown of him, he seems to be her handler while she is out in the field.

The story picks up though when Baboushka is tasked by an American Mr. Clay to discover old Russian Ghost Stations. He directs her to head to Switzerland where she is to investigate the disappearance of a fellow agent who had been inquiring about these Ghost Stations. And from there, the story takes off.

On art, Chankhamma does a pretty good job at showing us the real intensity of the motorcycle chase as well as the quieter moments as Baboushka arrives at the ski resort in Switzerland. His art reminds me a bit of Moritat with matted colouring. The facial features he gives the characters take some getting used to, Baboushka being the only character that is given any real attention.

In the end, this was a fun first issue to Baboushka’s second adventure. Though I had my reservations with some of the art and a by-the-book plot, I’m still interested to see where this goes.