A new origin story for the cosmic vigilante! Greed and corruption flourish in the Galactic Federation territories in Space Ghost #1 by Dynamite Comics!
SPACE GHOST #1
Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Editor: Joseph Rybandt
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 1st, 2024
Previously in Space Ghost: Space Ghost started as a superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions that ran in the 60s. He fought pirates and hijackers with his sidekicks, Jan, Jace, and their pet monkey, Blip. After being a talk show host on Adult Swim, DC Comics revamped him as a comic book character. Now he gets a new story and series by Dynamite!
Space Ghost #1 starts with the space colony Omicron being attacked by pirates! Doctor Jarrod Keplar and his two kids, Jan and Jace, are requesting assistance. As they prepare to run, Jarrod is shot and killed, and the two kids, with their pet monkey, run for their lives. The kids hide, and they see Space Ghost appear suddenly to fight the pirates. Not knowing who Space Ghost is, they take the opportunity to run.
They soon find Galactic Patrol Brak and Sisto, who are just as corrupt as the pirates. When they realize that Blip is worth a lot of money, they plan to kill the children. Space Ghost shows up again, and Jace runs. Sisto runs after Jace while Brak fights the Space Ghost. Jace manages to kill Sisto by starting a Jet Engine in her face. Meanwhile, Jan gets a shot off on Brak’s subsonic grenade, allowing Space Ghost to get the upper hand. Jace and Jan share a sad revelation that their father is dead, and Space Ghost promises to help.
I have vague memories of the TV show. I remember a channel dedicated to Hanna-Barbera shows called Boomerang, and I remember the Adult Swim bit as well. When I picked up Space Ghost #1, I hoped for a comic I could read with my kids and maybe introduce something new. However, I was shocked when the first few pages involved an on-panel death followed by a deadly action sequence. While there isn’t blood or gore, there is a lot of fighting and violence. So much so I wasn’t willing to share the comic with my six-year-old. When I did my read-throughs, I had to reframe my headspace. This comic is sad; at its core, it presents itself as a story that features a lot of action and tragedy, where even kids have to kill to survive. While I can try to focus on the kids’ bravery in a difficult situation, this origin story doesn’t have many upbeat moments, which is a rough tone to start a series. But I am intrigued. I want to know if we will return to the cartoon style I am familiar with or if it will stay gritty. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is good, but I wasn’t expecting this tone and style.
The art is incredibly well done. Space Ghost isn’t a striking figure to me, but this character was dynamic on the page. With detailed art, unique backgrounds, and varied facial expressions, this was a joy to look at. Sometimes, though, the art and color felt a tad overwhelming. Excellent job by the creative team.
Overall, I will be following the title as it comes out. I want to know more about what happens next and if the tone will lighten up or remain in this gritty reality. But this isn’t something I will share with my elementary school kids; I’ll wait a few years. 4 out of 5 stars for Space Ghost #1!
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Space Ghost #1
I expected a Saturday Morning Cartoons-type comic in Space Ghost #1, but instead, I got an engaging but tragic, grim origin story about how the title character met his sidekicks.
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Writing8
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Art8
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Coloring8
