Evil flourishes among the stars. But one man, one cosmic vigilante, stands against those who would prey upon the defenseless. Your Major Spoilers review of Space Ghost #1 from Dynamite Entertainment awaits!
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: August 13, 2025
Previously in Space Ghost: The Guardian of the Spaceways returns for more evil-thwarting action, kicking off with the first appearance of a classic Space Ghost villain! As Space Ghost and Blip fight to defuse a hostage situation on an amusement park planet that’s been hijacked by the villainous Toymaker, Jan and Jace are confronted by a mysterious figure from their past… a meeting that will shake the Ghost Planet’s team to the core!
THE TOYMAKER RETURNS… FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!
On the faraway planet of Playtopia Prime, a group of tourists interested in seeing the greatest games and toys in the galaxy find themselves captured, trapped in a cosmic claw machine that’s rigged to explode in one hour. Their only hope is Space Ghost… but the Guardian of the Spaceways has likewise been captured in one of Toymaker’s deathtraps, and things are looking grim. Elsewhere, Jan and Jace are the guests of a man who claims to be their last living relative: Dr. Henry Contra. (If you’re a Space Ghost completist like I am, that might have made you gasp out loud.)
As the Keplar twins come to terms with their estranged family, Space Ghost finds that having partners isn’t all bad when Blip breaks him out of captivity. Faced with the possibility of defeat, Space Ghost makes a bet with his foe: A single game for the lives of all the captives. If Space Ghost wins, everyone goes free. If Toymaker wins, then Space Ghost will give him access to the greatest treasure of all: The Ghost Planet, including every single device, gadget, and souvenir from his adventures!
AN ODD AESTHETIC
The design of Space Ghost himself, as well as the overall visual language of the cartoon and Alex Toth’s designs, is incredibly clean, simple, and graphically bold, but every single revamp or relaunch of the character in this century rejects that. This issue is no exception, as Space Ghost’s costume is a swirling blue-green mass of shadows, wrinkles, and inexplicable lighting, and every surface is cross-hatched and shaded and (in my opinion) over-rendered. It’s very off-putting visually, and things are made more disturbing by a garish color-scheme that has no actual white and strangely low-contrast blacks. The story works somewhat better, balancing the awkward, quiet domestic moments with Grampa Contra against the madness of Toymaker’s murder world. The decision to use mostly villains from the 1981 Space Stars revamp of Space Ghost is interesting as well, allowing us to see the likes of Tempus, The Toymaker, and… that other guy. I just wish that the visual aesthetic and the tone had more in common with classic cartoons.
Also, I hope they give us Teen Force.
BOTTOM LINE: LIKE THE CONCEPT, NOT SO MUCH THE EXECUTION
All told, the high points of Space Ghost #1 are good, but aesthetic decisions once again make it hard to love the end product, even while the story gives Jan, Space Ghost, and Blip(!!) wonderful character moments, wrapping up to a slightly-below-average 2 out of 5 stars overall. There’s a lot to love here, despite my problems with the art, and I suspect I’ll be back next time for more.
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SPACE GHOST #1
There's still some awkwardness to the dialogue and characterizations, and the combination of the puzzling art and the unpleasant coloring choices make it something of a chore to get through, even if it's (mostly) worth the trip.
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Writing5
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Art4
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Coloring3
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