Brody's Ghost
Encyclopedia
Brody's Ghost is an American graphic novel
, written and drawn by Mark Crilley
, and published by Dark Horse Books
. Prior to its release, four preview stories appeared in Dark Horse Presents
on MySpace
, from January to April, 2010. Book 1 was released in July 2010, and Book 2 in January 2011.
Talia- A girl who contracted leukemia
at age 16, and apparently died soon after. For some reason, she has been locked out of heaven until she can identify and apprehend the Penny Murderer. She cannot physically interact with the material world, though she says every ghost has one specific way they can do so. Her thing is breaking glass. Because she can't catch the killer herself, she needs someone living to help her. She spent her first five years as a ghost looking for someone who could see her, and Brody was the first ghost-seer she encountered. So, in spite of his initial reluctance to get involved, she refused to take "no" for an answer. After she saved him from a street gang called the L47s, he agreed to let her introduce him to Kagemura.
Kagemura- An ancient samurai
ghost, who is a site spectre: a ghost attached to a specific location; in his case, Shinshoji Temple. Kagemura has his own reasons for agreeing to train Brody, and has no interest in Talia's reasons. While he trains Brody to unlock his psychic powers (or "Greater Senses"), five demighosts who work for Kagemura train Brody in various styles of combat.
Nicole- Brody's ex-girlriend, a waitress at a swanky restaurant called Arturo's.
Gabriel- Brody's best (and only) friend, who he describes as one of the few honest cops.
Soku- a ghost with long, pointed limbs, whose combat style is speed.
Chi- the most humanoid of the demighosts, whose combat style is about strategy and intellect.
Ran- a flat-bodied ghost with elongated limbs and no head, whose combat style is chaotic and unpredictable.
Gi- a small ghost with a round body and several short, pointed limbs, whose combat style is deceit.
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, written and drawn by Mark Crilley
Mark Crilley
Mark Crilley is an American comic book creator and children's book author/illustrator. He is the creator of Miki Falls, Akiko, and Brody's Ghost. He is also noted for his instructional videos for drawing in the manga-style.-Akiko:...
, and published by Dark Horse Books
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. Prior to its release, four preview stories appeared in Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, from January to April, 2010. Book 1 was released in July 2010, and Book 2 in January 2011.
Characters
Brody- A young man who has given up on making any real effort in life, since being dumped by this girlfriend, Nicole. Brody is mostly a mellow guy, but he sometimes has a problem with his temper. One day he meets a ghost named Talia, who wants his help finding and apprehending a serial killer known as the Penny Murderer. Because he can see her, she believes he has untapped psychic powers that will allow him to hear "death echoes" at the scenes of the crimes. So, she introduces him to a ghost named Kagemura, who trains him to unlock his powers. He also gives Brody a weapon called the "kanazuchi" (a sort of Kanabō).Talia- A girl who contracted leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
at age 16, and apparently died soon after. For some reason, she has been locked out of heaven until she can identify and apprehend the Penny Murderer. She cannot physically interact with the material world, though she says every ghost has one specific way they can do so. Her thing is breaking glass. Because she can't catch the killer herself, she needs someone living to help her. She spent her first five years as a ghost looking for someone who could see her, and Brody was the first ghost-seer she encountered. So, in spite of his initial reluctance to get involved, she refused to take "no" for an answer. After she saved him from a street gang called the L47s, he agreed to let her introduce him to Kagemura.
Kagemura- An ancient samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
ghost, who is a site spectre: a ghost attached to a specific location; in his case, Shinshoji Temple. Kagemura has his own reasons for agreeing to train Brody, and has no interest in Talia's reasons. While he trains Brody to unlock his psychic powers (or "Greater Senses"), five demighosts who work for Kagemura train Brody in various styles of combat.
Nicole- Brody's ex-girlriend, a waitress at a swanky restaurant called Arturo's.
Gabriel- Brody's best (and only) friend, who he describes as one of the few honest cops.
Demighosts
Kyo- a large, muscular ghost whose combat style is brute strength.Soku- a ghost with long, pointed limbs, whose combat style is speed.
Chi- the most humanoid of the demighosts, whose combat style is about strategy and intellect.
Ran- a flat-bodied ghost with elongated limbs and no head, whose combat style is chaotic and unpredictable.
Gi- a small ghost with a round body and several short, pointed limbs, whose combat style is deceit.