By Dustin Cabeal

I wanted to start off with a joke about my interest in this comic being used up like natural resources, but I’m afraid the quality hits too close to home for this comic. Nick Dragotta is a talented artist. I could stare at the pages of this comic all day as they are wonderful. The visuals of the mecha/monster versions of energy resources are still a wonderful idea on paper, but the story execution has delved into predictable and erratic.

Predictable you say? Yes, it was not even remotely a surprise that it was crazy old guy’s daughter. Less surprising was the fact that crazy old guy is alive and looks shittier than his hologram self. I saw Prometheus as well, this isn’t new. It doesn’t have to be new, but the story does very little to make it relevant. We’ve had a handful of panels with the daughter, but I’m supposed to care about her reveal? Why? I don’t. I barely like Doyle and she won’t stop talking so would I care about a daughter character?

And everything with Doyle becomes less and less interesting as its developed. The one co-worker we’ve been introduced to is killed by page 3 or 4 after confessing his love for her. I laughed. I assumed that was the emotion that the creators were going for because its frankly stupid otherwise. If it’s not played for humor, then I don’t understand the tone of this comic. Actually, I don’t understand the tone of this comic. Is it all being play for a laugh? Doyle tells us she doesn’t have time for love which makes dudes death seem all the more pointless. She lost the farm and is working to earn it back. Her loyalty is being exploited and spit back at her from Holo-dad invalidating her entire character motivation. Two issues in I might add. I still don’t know her or like her as character. The other characters are not likeable, but that doesn’t make Doyle likable by default. I’m not rooting for her because she’s less shitty.

Another reason that I can’t wrap my head around the tone is the wind creature Quixote. Great play on the story and a well-developed character right out the gate. He’s likable, his motivation and exit from the story are all moving and fitting for what is introduced for the character. It’s not fitting with the rest of the story. It doesn’t match the reveal of the daughter who goes from assassin to daddy issues in the course of taking her helmet off.

There are two stories fighting each other here, which makes sense given there’s two writers. One has a sick sense of humor and wants crazy battles with energy monsters. The other wants to go into the geopolitical nature of energy around the world, what it means to the people and planet and where it’s going in the future. Cyclops future energy guy is that future and he’s done nothing to make me believe in him.

At first the idea of fighting energy monsters was clever and interesting, but there’s so much exposition and pompousness to the writing that it’s no longer the case. It’s trying to sound smart and failing to do so because the story isn’t strong enough. There is no focus, and the pace is frantic. These two underdeveloped issues could easily be five to six well developed issues. I feel like at this point he’s going to fight Solar and Batteries who are somehow twins or lovers in the next issue.

The art is gorgeous. Again, I could stare at this book all day and find it enjoyable, but it’s not fun to read. I feel preached out and all I wanted was to see the Eyeball fight some cool monsters. I want to like Doyle, but as she continues to talk, I end up thinking, “no one is this stupid right?” Even the ghost mascot is looking at her like she’s a bit to thick in the head. Love it or hate it, but there’s little chance of me coming back for more of Ghost Cage. If you find yourself digging it, that’s great, just don’t waste your breath telling me why.

Nick Dragotta
Caleb Goellner
Rus Wooton
David Brothers
Frank Martin Jr.

Score: 2/5