Out of all of Dynamite and Warner Bros.’ recent comic book offerings, Space Ghost by David Pepose and Jonathan Lau has stood out above the pack. Its mix of unconventional family dynamics, sci-fi trappings, and clever updates to the Space Ghost mythos has made it a comic worth reading alongside Pepose putting his spin on other classic cartoons like Captain Planet and Speed Racer. Space Ghost (Vol. 2) #1 continues the trend, while launching a brand new “season”.
The approach that Pepose and Lau take to Space Ghost (Vol. 2) #1 is genius: while Space Ghost battles the Toymaker, his adopted children Jace and Jan have a surprise reunion with their grandfather, Doctor Contra. The entire issue cuts between a conversation and a conflict, and it lets Pepose showcase Space Ghost at his best. He blows apart the Toymaker’s inventions with ease, and pushes himself to the limits to save the day. It’s the perfect display of his resilience and his heroism, and the fact that space monkey Blip plays a role in saving the day showcases that Space Ghost will always lean on his friends and family when he needs them.
The same is true of Jace and Jan, as their grandfather wants to take them into his care. They resist, but it’s less out of wanting nothing to do with their own flesh and blood and more to do with Space Ghost doing everything in his power to take care of them. It’s this mix of emotion and action that’s made Pepose’s run on Space Ghost worth checking out. At its core, this is a book about family.
Dynamite Entertainment
What else makes Space Ghost #1 stand out? Lau’s art. The sequences where Space Ghost takes on Toymaker’s machines is pure superheroic goodness; he smashes through metal, he shrugs off electricity, and he stands triumphant at the very end. In contrast, the Toymaker’s “Toys'” are absolutely terrifying, from a massive deck of cards that shatter reality to children-shaped robots full of lethal weaponry. Lau also balances this out with flashbacks to the previous volume of Space Ghost, meaning that readers can catch up on Space Ghost’s previous adventures without having to pick up the past series. They should still pick it up though; it’s a good read.
Rounding out the art duties are Andrew Dalhouse on colors and Taylor Esposito on letters. Dalhouse makes sure Space Ghost is the standout, giving his signature black and yellow cape and white bodysuit an almost ethereal glow; this has the effect of making Space Ghost look like, well, an actual ghost. Esposito picks his letters for maximum effort, letting the quiet fury of Space Ghost’s words serve as the opposite of the Toymaker’s bombastic speeches.
Space Ghost (Vol. 2) #1 is a great jumping on point, featuring plenty of action and family dynamics that made the previous series such a great read. Whether you read the first volume or this is your first introduction to Space Ghost, you’re in for a wild ride.
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