Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were a reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

For our first trip into this anthology we will look, naturally, at the first story. Tom DeFalco is a name any comic fan should know. A writer and editor for Marvel, DC, Archie, and others, DeFalco is well-known in comic circles but until now I have never read any prose work by the man. Turns out I’ve been missing out.

Ghost Story

by Tom DeFalco

The story is told from the point of view of William Jurgans, a man who, as a child, came to Africa against his will by his missionary parents who seemed too busy teaching the Word to the locals that they forgot to care for their own son. (This means they failed as parents and missionaries if you ask me.) William ends up running with the wrong crowd, ending up allied with a criminal named The Charmer. Together they’ve pulled a series of crimes, and their latest is getting some guns from gunrunners and selling them to a warlord. However, they run afoul of “The Ghost” and Jurgans is the only one to escape. In a bar he tells his story to a man who turns out to be You Know Who. I won’t spoil the ending if you haven’t read it.

I loved this story. Despite a few typos, I was really drawn into the story. DeFalco gives each character a voice (the ones that speak) and I can hear them clearly in my head. While I prefer them to be the exception rather than the rule (we’ll see what the other writers went with), I do enjoy a story told from the criminal being chased by the hero from time to time. What brought them to this point? What will they do when they ultimately confront the guy in the costume? You want them to lose, but there’s something about them that makes you hope they reform after the experience.

The standout character for me was actually “Bulldozer”, a big man (they have to find a domesticated water buffalo because he’s too big to ride a horse) who studies his tarot cards and is well familiar with the legend of the The Ghost Who Walks. I heard his voice almost as clearly as William’s, especially his desire to avoid the border to Bangalla. “No Bangalla, us.” So for our first story, it was well done. I’m looking forward to seeing if the other writers can match or surpass DeFalco’s tale.

Next Time: Aaron M. Shaps’ “Encounter On A Jungle Night”

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