Fewer issues really give you a good jumping on point as much as Hoax Hunters #9. It’s a one shot comic that perfectly illustrates the premise of the title in a creative way. So, if you haven’t been following the story, pick this one up as a start.

The Hoax Hunters — Jack, Regan, Ken, and Murder — have brought their online investigative web series to the haunted Laramie Home in Minnesota, where Mr. and Mrs. Laramie were mysteriously murdered twenty years ago and their daughter’s malevolent ghost is rumored to roam the halls. Neighbors hear moans late at night. The walls supposedly drip blood. It’s time to see what is actually true about this supernatural sight.

The creative spin the issue takes is in its format. The first half of the issue is the episode seen as the Hunters film it. Murder is never seen on camera, since they obviously want to hide the existence of an astronaut whose consciousness is shared amongst a flock of crows. The three other team members narrate their investigation. They find suitable answers to all the mysteries — red wallpaper paste dissolving down the walls, a little girl’s spooky portrait, a nest of cockroaches causing noise, and other inconsequential oddities. No ghost here. Let’s pack up and enjoy some tacos. Hoax Hunters out.

However, flip the issue around and the reader sees the behind-the-scenes of that same episode, ghosts and all. As the team discovers and then cleverly edits out of their footage, there is a very angry ghost turning up trouble in the Laramie Home, and she doesn’t pull any punches.

While the story has a less than satisfying ending, what I liked about the issue was how it showed what the Hoax Hunters were all about: investigating strange sightings and “proving” them false in the hopes of keeping curious bystanders far away. Connecting the two sides of one story moment by moment was a fun exercise. Plus, it’s a pretty funny issue.

If you thought The Ring needed more laughs, you might dig Hoax Hunters #9.