Writer: David Pepose
Art: Jonathan Lau and Andrew Dalhouse (colorist)
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Price: $4.99
Release date: September 11, 2024
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THE DISPATCH
Last issue, we saw that Space Ghost’s archenemy Zorak had returned and he had taken Space Ghost’s young partners, Jan and Jace, hostage. In Space Ghost #5, Space Ghost will stop at nothing for their safe return. This issue definitely has some intense moments, such as when Jan and Jace are attacked and tortured by the guards. Although most of it is unseen, the kids get put through many difficult and potentially traumatic situations in this issue that good have lasting impact on them for the remainder of this series. Even though Space Ghost was reluctant to allow Jan and Jace to work with him at first, this issue shows his character development as it shows that he truly cares for them as a father figure.
Despite not knowing his full backstory yet, it seems that this version of Space Ghost feels a sense of survivor’s guilt at the loss of his family and wants to try to make up for it by being a sort of surrogate father to Jan and Jace. Zorak is power mad and wants to use Space Ghost’s power to his advantage in order to bring forth his god, Lokar. For fans of the original Space Ghost cartoon from the 60’s, Lokar was an actually a minor villain from the show. He didn’t interact with Zorak in his original appearance, so it’s interesting to see the connection between them here, given their bug-like similarities. The two characters are a great combination and prove formidable opponents for both Space Ghost and his young allies.
ART
The art in Space Ghost #5 is consistent with the previous issues. Space Ghost, Zorak, Jan, and Jace and Blip are similar to how they appeared in the original cartoon, but Lokar is strikingly different. While he is more of a cartoony humanoid insect in the cartoon, in this story he appears much more like a giant mutant insect. There are a lot of explosions and energy blasts, making this an exciting comic visually as we see the action unfold on the page. The page where Space Ghost tosses aside Zorak’s minions while confront Zorak does a good job of showing the juxtaposition between the hero and the villain. One of the final pages shows Jace walking away from Space Ghost, Jan, and Blip. Despite victory being achieved, it has taken an emotional toll on Jace.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Space Ghost #5 does an excellent job of reimagining Space Ghost villains like Zorak and Lokar. It also presents heavy emotional challenges for the likes of Jan and Jace, and expands upon the characterization of Space Ghost and shows that he cares about the safety of the kids. What will become of Jace now after the events of this issue? Will he continue to help his sister and Space Ghost?