Spectre Deep 6 by Jennifer Brody and Jules Rivera

Turner, 2020

ISBN-13: 9781684424139

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Spectre Deep 6 tells the story of a diverse team of black ops called “Spectres”, an elite squad of soldiers who died in the line of duty and were reanimated by military scientists as ghosts. Their mission is to carry out various illegal or secret missions for the United States government in exchange for day passes to “haunt” their previous lives. When the team takes care of a target, the victim simply appears to have had a stroke, heart attack, or other naturally caused death. Unfortunately, these missions also exhaust the powers of the Spectre team, rendering them needing “recharge”. The spirits are locked in containment, located in a secret military bunker under Area 51 ((of course) when they are not on duty.

Brody and Rivera include a diverse cast of characters for Spectre Deep 6. Captain Bianca Vasquez was an undercover agent who died as she was searching for her missing husband. Now she is a member of the six-person Spectre squad, and during her day-pass time, haunts her daughter, who is in a foster home as a result of both of her parents being missing or dead. John Song is a sarcastic Asian-American soldier with a volatile temper. The cat-loving Kim Masters is a Black agent who takes no crap. Bart Bartholomew, who was a surfer in his former life, loves video games and deeply misses his best friend… and the feeling is mutual. Kacey Flame is a beautiful pink-haired transgender woman who haunts her old place to keep those who she cared most for out of her old space, in case they can’t accept her for who she wanted to be in life. James Sparks is a Black former aircraft engineer who discovered some nasty secrets his boss was keeping, and which resulted in his death. At times, the teammates most definitely do not get along, as their personalities clash over personal ethics and codes of honor, but they always manage to get the job done. Once Bianca’s missing husband Zane enters the picture, things get more complicated.

The story was a bit slow going at first, but after the first chapter the pace picked up considerably. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy a good sci-fi ghost story. The characters are well-developed in such a short time, and Brody and Rivera devote plenty of space for readers to get a handle on the characters and their motivations. Recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Editor’s note: Spectre Deep 6 is a nominee on this year’s final ballot for the Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.