You’ll be drawn into this issue of Space Ghost from the very first page. There’s a dastardly enemy showing a lack of compassion for an animal. Then you’re immediately dropped into pure chaos as the villains (Zorak, Moltar, Black Widow, Metallus, Creature King, and Brak) plot their next step. Everything is on fire, Space Ghost is bleeding, and you don’t know how they’re going to get out of this situation. It’s pure excitement. All of that happens on the first three pages, and it keeps getting better.
Space Ghost No. 12 creative team
- Writer: David Pepse
- Artist: Jonathan Lau
- Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
During Space Ghost No. 11, our hero was beaten close to death by Zorak, Moltar, Black Widow, Metallus, Creature King, and Brak. This left Jan and Jace to help their mentor to his feet. To make it more difficult, they had to do it quietly and without their ship or resources. Yet, it didn’t seem as overwhelming as the first time the trio (with Blip) faced them in the previous stories. Looking back at issue No. 12, it makes sense. That's due to great character development throughout the series.
One of the things I love about David Pepose’s Space Ghost is that none of the heroes are left out of the fight. In some comic books, it takes a special circumstance for younger ones to be a big part of the story. Even in the case of Batman and Robin in their early days, there were a lot of stories in which Dick Grayson was in the back while The Dark Knight did all the work. Or, even worse, Dick was captured and used as a bargaining chip.
Here, all three heroes (Space Ghost, Jan, and Jace) are useful. I’m sure I’ve said that before, but it was more obvious in this issue. You could see that they've all gotten better with time. The younger heroes were forced to grow up quicker than they should, and Space Ghost became a better leader and reliant on his teammates. This is a far cry from when they couldn't trust each other when the series began.
Issue No. 12 was their biggest test because it wasn’t just a regular fight. They weren’t just outnumbered and overpowered. Ghost Planet was about to explode, and one wrong misstep could have killed them. Thankfully, in this moment, they were smarter and craftier than their attackers. And, as always, Jan and Jace did it with style as Space Ghost does it with intensity.
"But when it comes to Space Ghost...? He doesn't know the meaning of the word impossible."Jan
This is one of the things that’s great about this series. Whether they win or lose, they learn something. Sometimes you’ll see characters repeatedly make the same mistakes. As an avid comic book reader, that can be frustrating. That's not happening in Space Ghost. The heroes don’t just learn, they get better. It’s the only way to have a realistic victory. However, this issue didn’t have a happy ending.
Normally, David Pepose’s issues of Space Ghost don’t end without a cliffhanger. Like the cartoon, things usually ended with things wrapped up. Not this time. Something happens that leads readers to wonder if everything is over for Space Ghost, Jan, and Jace. There’s even a chance that the universe is coming to an end.
"Get the hell off my planet!"Space Ghost
Before you say that ending the universe is dramatic, remember two things. First, this isn’t the DC or Marvel Comics universe; things can come to an end. And, if it’s done right, it could become an iconic finale.
Second, the destruction of the universe doesn’t mean everything will be destroyed. In issue No. 9, adult Jace as Space Spectre returns to the past to prevent something from happening in the future. He fails his mission to stop his sister from dying. As he's pulled back to the future, he tells Jan to prepare because they don't have much time. Whatever he failed to stop could be what happened on the final pages of Space Ghost No. 12.
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