SPACE GHOST VOL. 1 #9
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
STORY: David Pepose
ART: Jonathan Lau
COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Francesco Mattina
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2025)
Rated “Teen”
“Invasion of the Space Armada!”
Space Ghost is a superhero character created by the American animation studio and production company, Hanna-Barbera Productions. The character first appeared in the Saturday morning cartoon series, “Space Ghost,” which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1966 to September 1967 for 20 episodes.
In his original incarnation, Space Ghost was a superhero whose base of operations was a small world known as “Ghost Planet.” He fought super-villains in outer space with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Jace, and their monkey, Blip. His main weapons were power bands he wore around his wrists and lower arms; the bands fired off multiple energy beam-based attacks, including heat, cold, and force, to name a few. Space Ghost could also fly, survive in space, and turn invisible (his “Inviso Power”). He also had a space ship known as “the Phantom Cruiser.”
Space Ghost sporadically appeared in various comic book publications over a fifty year period. Dynamite Entertainment has just launched a new Space Ghost comic book as part of its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Entitled Space Ghost Volume 1, it is written by David Pepose; drawn by Jonathan Lau; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Taylor Esposito. In the new series, twins Jan and Jace Keplar and their pet monkey, Blip, meet that legendary cosmic vigilante known as “the Space Ghost.”
Space Ghost Volume One #9 (“Invasion of the Space Armada!”) opens on Cetia-7, the Galactic Federation Homeworld. Having defeated the Space Ghost, General Metallus has launched a full-scale invasion of Cetia-7. When the planet falls, it will make the sound of an empire being born, an empire under the iron rule of Metallus. Don't count your empires before they hatch, Metallus, because you can't keep a good hero down.
Meanwhile, Jan, Jace, and Blip continue their valiant effort. Believing Space Ghost to be dead, the children and their pet monkey are determined to save as many people as they can. Can Space Ghost's young allies hold on until help arrives?
THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Space Ghost #9, Volume One is a recent issue that I have received.
Writer David Pepose has closed his two-part battle royale between Space Ghost and one of his most powerfully dangerous adversaries, Metallus, with enough power to light up a galactic homeworld. Pepose is so good at this Space Ghost comic book writing thing that I am starting to believe that if Space Ghost has a canon, this comic book stands right behind the original 1966-67 TV series.
Artist Jonathan Lau art makes Pepose's powerful script into all-powerful comic book storytelling. His art is textured and beautiful, dark and dangerous, and brings sexy back. Nothing Lau does as an illustrator is ordinary; his art leaps off the page and dazzles my imagination. It makes you believe that this is the great battle for the survival of the Galactic Federation ever.
Andrew Dalhouse's lovely colors bring new meaning to conflagration. Intergalactic planetary destruction usually only looks this good in movies with the help of CGI. Letterer Taylor Esposito goes symphonic with his fonts. I can feel the sound his lettering imparts.
I'm having a blast reading Space Ghost Volume One, dear readers. I am running out of words to praise this, but I won't run out of desire to read it.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series will want to read Space Ghost Volume One.
A
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
https://x.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment
The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
-----------------------
As an anonymous Space Ghost dork I have to inform you Space Ghost dose have a canon including the original series, Space Stars, the 90s comic. Coast to Coast, Coast to Coast's spinoffs, and recently Jellystone. Also this comic doesn't really fit into that canon because of the drastic changes to the characters. Like compare Lokar from original series, Coast to Coast and the Dynamite comic and while the first two are the same character the third isn't
ReplyDeleteWhat I said about a "Space Ghost canon" was nothing more than a rhetorical flourish, but I get that a "Space Ghost dork" would take it literally. I actually don't give a crap about the canons that fans fashion out of popular entertainment and pop culture. If Space Ghost has a canon, it is simply the creation of individual opinion. If I were to bother creating a Space Ghost canon, I'd certainly put this comic book in that canon. Unless the ghosts of the people behind the original series contact me via a spirit medium and tell me I'm wrong, I'm not letting go of my opinions comparing this wonderful comic book to the original TV series.
ReplyDelete