Dynamite Entertainment started the Space Ghost run back in early 2024 and I was on the fence about picking it up. I enjoyed Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, but not quite as much as the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon (and the two are vastly different). However, my appreciation of writer David Pepose (The Devil That Wears My Face and Moon Knight: City Of The Dead) was enough for me to give it a shot. 11 issues later, I'm more sure than ever that starting the series was a great decision.
Space Ghost creative team:
- Writer: David Pepose
- Artist: Jonathan Lau
- Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Space Ghost has a ton of intergalactic action and violence mixed in with emotional moments between Space Ghost, Jan, Jace, and even their monkey, Blip. And just when you think things can’t hit you in the heart harder, you’re proven wrong. That leads us to the most recent issues, 10 and 11.
Space Ghost No. 10 was a classic “a mysterious person came from the future to stop events of the past” storyline. While you may have guessed who was behind the mask of Space Spectre, it didn’t matter. David Pepose brought his normal A-game to allow the reveal to still feel worth it. Then there was the ending that led to issue 11 where S.G. himself is put in more danger than he’s ever been in. Considering he’s almost died multiple times throughout the series and was helpless as his family was killed, that says a lot.
I was lucky enough to get an early look at Space Ghost 11 and it was another banger of an issue. I won’t spoil any of this issue, but a few things should be noted. First among them is that Space Ghost is a badass who should be acknowledged among the toughest characters in comics. Second, Jan and Jace are amazing partners (not sidekicks). They don’t just fly around as distractions to the villains. They’ve been the reason Space Ghost and thousands of citizens haven’t died. Lastly, their villains are among the most unique.
The beings that Team Ghost fights have hints of characters we’ve seen before, but their personalities and ways of using their abilities are what separates them from others. For example, we can look at Space Ghost No. 6 with Moltar. His seismic and lava weapons aren’t new, but the way he wields them combined with his motivation, personality, and how he was defeated makes him incredibly original.
David Pepose has shown that old-school characters can get an upgrade without changing the essence of the character too much. He’s respecting the source material while also giving new readers something original. As someone who appreciates the people who helped make comics what they are today, it’s good to know there are creators who respect those who came before them and the readers who purchase the content. I can't wait to see what he does with his upcoming series Captain Planet and Speed Racer.
David Pepose is also writer Cable: Love and Chrome with artist Mike Henderson. Captain Planet will feature artist Eman Casallos (Jennifer Blood) while Speed Racer has artist Davide Tinto (Avengers United Infinity Comic).
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