Ghostopolis Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
A page-turning adventure of a boy's journey to the land of ghosts and back.Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
Series: Ghostopolis
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX; 1 edition (July 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545210283
ISBN-13: 978-0545210287
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.2 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #16,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #45 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Comics & Graphic Novels #5259 in Books > Reference
I've been a fan of Mr. TenNapel's work for many years. Books like "Gear" and "Iron West" are among my favorite graphic novels and my copies bear fuzzed corners and worn covers earned by countless loans to friends and family. The mix of funky (sometimes vaguely naughty) humor, dynamic action and underlying (and usually spiritual) moral lessons make for a potent, readable mix in most of his books.In the interest of fairness, I must admit that I have, on occasion, been put off by some of the more blunt and humorless manifestations of political or religious messaging in some of his work. Most notably, "Earthboy Jacobus" - an otherwise rollicking and bombastic adventure - was ruined for me by the overt and mean-spirited political commentary that is shoehorned into the beginning of the book. It's the only one of Mr. TenNapel's books that I won't loan out. Thankfully, such lapses are rare."Ghostopolis" is a great read. It's filled with the kind of humor and heart and action that Mr. TenNapel is so adept at delivering. The story is a lot of fun and is certainly safe for young adult readers without pandering to them either. The initial set-up and establishment of the Ghostopolis as a setting are wonderful. The cast of characters is diverse and distinct and the reader will be hard-pressed not to feel invested in their adventures. That being said, after the rather luxurious trip through the first 3/4 of the book, the VERY end of the story winds up feeling a little rushed by comparison. A lot of loose ends get tied up in the final pages and it sometimes feels like things are being glossed over.When the story gets "spiritual", it does so with an obviously Christian tone, but in a way that's quite moving - even for a reader like myself who doesn't share the author's beliefs. Mr. TenNapel delivers a Christ analog that only makes a couple of brief appearances, but in the process presents a clear and powerful portrait of what (I assume) the author finds attractive and compelling about his own faith. It's not a wishy-washy "Jesus-as-hippy" presentation, either. It has a macho kindness that really stood out and impressed me. If I HAD to believe in a God, I think I'd probably want it to be Mr. TenNapel's.Artistically, it is (as expected) gorgeous. My only complaint is that the coloring detracts from Mr. TenNapel's fantastic illustration. It's a minor complaint, to be sure, but I strongly prefer to absorb great line-work directly - without having it muddled by post-production coloring and effects.
I totally enjoyed this book. Who can resist having a pet skeleton horse. It did not have too much violence. Just plain fun. The sense of humor in it was wonderful. I was looking for something for Christmas for a boy who likes "sci fi stuff" and I think I will get him this graphic novel. It's the first I have read of this author but I think I will want to read more!
I've enjoyed "darker" animated movies such as, "The Nightmare Before Christmas", and "Coraline", and when a friend of mine recommended this book on the basis that it had a similar vibe to said movies, I decided to give this graphic novel a look. What followed was a very unique peek into the afterlife, and one boy's quest to escape it.Garth is dying of an incurable disease. But that turns out to be the least of his problems when a paranormal secret agent named Frank goofs up in his pursuit of a literal "night mare", and ends up accidentally teleporting Garth to the afterlife. Once there, he must tame a skeletal horse and traverse the various lands of the dead--befriending the various quirky residents, including his grandfather, all while trying to find a way home. At the same time, Frank and his ghostly girlfriend Claire are in hot pursuit to get the boy back safely (as well as save his job), while evil forces close in on Garth...for the boy now has special powers as long as he remains living in the land of the deceased.The story is pretty engaging; always twisting and turning and leaving you in suspense as to what'll happen next. Garth starts out understandably depressed over his situation, but his adventures in the afterlife teach him to make the most of the time he has...and that there actually might be a ray of hope for him after all. Frank, oddly enough, serves as the comic relief; always bumbling with his job, and reacting to almost everything with a deadpan sense of humor. The villain seems to start off as one note, but in the final act, we get a major twist that changes everything you thought you knew about him.As for the artwork, it takes on a rough, scratchy look that compliments the dark atmosphere very well, with highly detailed scenery and backgrounds. But don't think that everything is doom and gloom--there's plenty of uplifting and funny moments to be had as well--mostly stemming from the odd people, monsters, anthropomorphic insects, and other weird denizens of the underworld.If you're a fan of Tim Burton, and/or macabre humor, give this graphic novel a look. I'm now interested to see what other works the artist produced.
Ghostopolis
