IDW's Ghostbusters To End in September

IDW's Ghostbusters ongoing series -- named one of ComicBook.com's 10 best series in 2012 -- will end in September, the publisher announced today via Facebook.

The series will wrap with the end of the "Mass Hysteria" arc and the final issue will, as you'd expect, feature variant covers by artists who have worked on the one-shots, miniseries and ongoing series with acclaimed writer Erik Burnham.

The acclaimed series, widely regarded as one of the best licensed titles currently in print, will end as a result of low sales, artist Tristan Jones suggested via Twitter this morning...

@DreamerM At the end of the day, comics usually come to an end because of sales. If more people had it on their standing orders at shops...

— Tristan Jones (@TRexJones) June 19, 2014

...but spirits (no pun intended) seemingly remain high among the creators.

"Ghostbusters has been, bar none, my favorite job in comics. I was in sync with my collaborators from day one, working on characters we all love," said series writer Erik Burnham. "And I was happy that so many readers got what we were going for: fun, pure and simple. In fact, since news of the announcement, many have come forward to tell me that this book got them into (and back into) comics, and that means a LOT to me. It's good to be the gateway to a medium."

He added, "While #20 is the end of 'Mass Hysteria' and is billed as the final issue, the world is a funny place. Final could mean the end, or it could simply signal a mere break before the universe surprises me with another chance to hang out with the boys (and girls) in grey. I won't know until something happens... or doesn't. The suspense is killing me. If the call comes to return, I'll be ready. If it doesn't, I'll be grateful to Sony and IDW for allowing me to enjoy my work THIS much. I'll also be grateful to Tom Waltz, Dan Schoening, and Luis Delgado for putting up with me for so many years. I don't want to go, I admit it. I loved this plan – er, book – and I was excited to be a part of it!"

Such a relaunch wouldn't be surprising; Ghostbusters has enjoyed a lot of mainstream attention of late, with plans to get Ghostbusters III underway seemingly picking up speed. In recent days, the 30th anniversary of Ghostbusters' theatrical release and the 25th anniversary of Ghostbusters II have both passed.