Flagler's Few, Volume 2 - Lost Souls of Savannah

Writer and artist Andre Frattino takes a quick detour from his Flagler's Few regular cast to spotlight the ghost that was seen in the first book - Victor, the guitar-playing ghost.  Frattino provides a rather detailed backstory for Victor - not necessarily his life, but rather his death and his after-life.

Lost Souls of Savannah tells the story of Victor's journey - his journey to find a way to get his life back, but also his journey of self-discovery and the darkness that resides within him, now that he is dead.  While the first graphic novel brought together the team of ghost-hunters through mishaps and a bit of fun, this one takes a more serious turn.  Victor is told by a Hoodoo priestess that he can regain his life if he first collects five souls that haunt the streets of Savannah, Georgia.  Desperate to become solid again, Victor agrees to the deal.  With the help of the priestess's son, a would-be writer, and a young photographer, Victor tracks down the five souls that will give him back his humanity.

Or will they?

Frattino provides a few twists along the way that will make the reader question the characters and reminds readers that inside of everyone there's both good and bad - it's up to each individual to choose which path he or she will take.  In fact, there are two huge twists as the story winds down, and they provide a very satisfying ending to Victor's backstory.  The story is a nice change of pace following the action packed first graphic novel and definitely showcases his talent as a writer.

The art actually feels a little less refined than the first book - and I wonder if that isn't because Frattino brings in inker Ryan English to "bring his pencils to life," as he indicates in his introduction to the story.  Personally, I think Frattino's art already shined; however, perhaps writing, drawing, inking, and lettering a book like this might be a bit taxing for one person, so I can forgive the fractional depreciation of the art. And maybe English is a very talented artist in his own right; I just don't think their combination necessarily works so well together.

I bought this book (as well as the third one) at the same time as the first book, so it also has a personalized drawing in the front, with the creator's autograph - this time, depicting me holding the all-important lantern (you have to read the story to understand what the lantern's significance is).  While the books can be bought online, I'd suggest finding Frattino at a convention so you can get them personalized this way - it makes them all the more special.

RATING:  7 union sharpshooters out of 10 for telling a good ol' fashioned ghost story from the ghost's point of view!