Review by C.J. Bunce
Originally a Hanna Barbera character that became the impetus for the animated superhero TV genre that took off in the 1960s, Space Ghost got his own reboot in the 1990s as a has-been superhero hosting his own late night talk show Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. Originally airing on Cartoon Network and later Adult Swim, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast was a series with its very own style of humor, featuring the animated superhero interviewing real-world guests via a television monitor to the right of his desk. A new comic book series begins this week featuring the cosmic hero, but it’s not the comedy version, despite this great cartoony cover variant option:
Perhaps the definite modern take on Space Ghost can be found in Joe Kelly, Ariel Olivetti, and Alex Ross’s epic graphic novel (still in print and available here). But Dynamite Entertainment’s new Space Ghost goes beyond his origin story with a gritty new story.
The first issue is a must-read for fans of any incarnation of the character. David Pepose’s storytelling is strong, enough to support the action-heavy artistry of Jonathan Lau, which is a mix of less-detailed backgrounds and more splash page set-ups for Space Ghost heroics. We meet the superhero in the wake of a surprise attack on Space Colony Omicron, home of scientist Dr. Jerrod Keplar and his young children, Jan and Jace, as well as their pet monkey, Blip. Space Ghost’s arch-enemies Brak and Sisto are back like you’ve never seen them before.
Space Ghost Issue #1 is the reason to return to comic books if you haven’t read one in a while. The kids are smart. Readers won’t know what to make of the monkey Blip yet. Lau’s images of Space Ghost are right up there with Alex Ross’s cover artwork and posters featuring the character. And the villains arrive in surprise fashion–it’s a lot of great content stuffed into only 32 pages. Make no mistake: this Space Ghost is a great superhero at the beginning of a promising sci-fi superhero plot.
Here is the marketing information for the series:
Greed and corruption flourish in the darkness between stars. With the territories of the Galactic Federation spread far and wide across the vastness of space, pirates and hijackers ransack the distant colonies with cruel disregard for the innocent scientists living within them.
Yet there is a cosmic vigilante who metes out justice throughout the galaxy, bringing vengeance to those who prey upon the defenseless.
Some say he is a policeman who has abandoned the strictures of the law. Others say he is a phantom, the sole survivor of a war-torn planet. And those who have survived his wrath claim he is more a force of nature, able to bend the very elements of Creation to decimate his enemies. They call him the SPACE GHOST – and his adventures begin here!
Twenty cover options are available, all variants with or without logos, with foil, metal, sketch, all black, and black and white options, featuring art by Francesco Mattina, Jae Lee & June Chung, Bjorn Barends, and Michael Cho. Here are some of the variants:
And if you missed them, you can stream all the episodes of the classic comedy series here at the Adult Swim website for free. The Bee Gees, Weird Al Yankovic, Jim Carrey, Alice Cooper, Billy Mumy, Mark Hamill, Lassie, Catherine Bach, Jimmie Walker, Bill Nye, Goldie Hawn, Charlton Heston, Steve Allen, Michael McKean, Tom Arnold, Bob Costas, Conan O’Brien, Tenacious D, Willie Nelson, and William Shatner all appeared in Space Ghost’s interview seat, plus many others.
Arrogant and cocky, sometimes zapping his guests to oblivion, Space Ghost’s style was very similar to David Letterman’s, but even closer to Stephen Colbert, who wouldn’t have his own interview show until years later. Space Ghost’s questions aimed to confuse the interviewee. All in, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast aired for ten years. His guests featured a varied list like no other show except possibly The Muppet Show.
Don’t miss out on the first issue of a fantastic new comic book series. Add Space Ghost to your pull list at Elite Comics or your local comic shop now!
