In Review: Space Ghost Vol. 1 #1

Synopsis: 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!

The Story

When his lab comes under attack from Pirates, Dr. Jarrod Keplar sacrifices himself to give his children Jace, Jan, and their pet Monkey a chance to live. While Jace, Jan and Blip their pet monkey do whatever they can to evade the pirates. They also must stop the pirates from getting hold of Blip who has a prototype A.I. technology implanted in his head, which makes him smarter than the average monkey.

Thankfully for Jace and Jen. Space Ghost arrives on the scene and throws a bit of a beating to the pirates.

The Artwork

Jonathan Lau does a great job of the artwork in this book. He gives Space Ghost and the various other characters a slightly edgier appearance than what I remember from the 1960s Hanna Barbara cartoon series, which I first saw in the 70s. I loved the red color wash used toward the end of the book when we see Space Ghost finish the job of beating the pirates.

Overall

David Pepose gives us a wonderful origin story that reveals how Space Ghost first meets Jace, Jan and Blip and winds up being a guardian figure for them. However, this version of events is somewhat more edgier and updated for today’s audiences. The death of Jace and Jens father at the start of the book is particularly jarring. In short, this first issue is all out action from beginning to end and I look forward to seeing what Pepose does next with these characters.