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'Spaaaaaaaaace Ghooooooooooooooost!' A Gen-Xer remembers that battle cry. A Gen-Xer remembers seeing the black-cowled ghost of the space-lines kicking aliens butt with his two sidekicks and pet monkey. Ok, that does sound really corny and stupid, but ya know what, it was a LOT of fun when we grew up. I still remember watching SG fire all sorts of funky energy beams from his power bands with more functions than Batman's utility belt! The amazing powers of the inviso-belt! Ah, and the Phantom Cruiser! What wasn't to like when you're under 14? No, the episodes weren't complicated, and 'realism' didn't mean anything, it was silly fun. And for you 'Cartoon Network' fans SG made a comeback as a talk-show host in 'Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast'. Who woulda thought? In the end, SG became a fun, goofy character.
Until now. DC has the rights to the Hanna-Barbera characters, and they decided to do a Space Ghost mini-series. At first, it seems natural to do something fun. A comedy-type series like the legendary Giffen ‘Justice League' run. After years of seeing the Phantom of the Nebula turned into a pop-culture straight man, it's to be expected.
Ah, but NEVER assume the expected. This mini-series delved into one area fans didn't get into; SG's origin. Where did he get all of this stuff? Where did that goofy costume come from? What's with the kids? Well, Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti accepted the mission to take-on these questions, and do it with a VERY serious look at this cartoon icon.
The story is the umpteenth take of a western. Space Ghost was a Special Ops cop who is double-crossed by his 'comrades'. He's left for dead on an 'abandoned' planet, which happens to be home of the best weapons designer this side of Q. Butt-kicking weapons + getting your butt kicked by your turncoat 'buddies' = SERIOUS payback. Sounds pretty simple, but the end result is an amazing comic series.
One of the first eye-catching things about this mini-series is the artwork. Olivetti uses paints just like Alex Ross, but he's NOT Alex Ross. Rather then reproduce the photo-realistic style, this is more of a cartoon-ish look but without being so cartoonish things look silly. The vision of the future is a nice combination of giant spires and long corridors we've seen in most sci-fi. The beauty of the design, however, is the new look he's given to these classic characters. Space Ghost is in his classic cowl and silly costume, but this time it's not just a hood; it's an executioner's hood. A few poses are done from behind, with just the glowing eyes... a VERY unsettling and gorgeous peek at SG. The best part, however, was his re-handling of Zorak, one of SG's rogue's gallery. Rather then the goofy looking praying mantis, the alien is transformed into a giant, lumbering insectoid. Be afraid.
Next is Joe Kelly's writing. As I mentioned, this isn't a continuation of the tone of the 'toon. This is a VERY modern take on the SG mythology. Lets be honest here, the cartoon was waaaaaaaaaaaay corny... ok, that’s an understatement. Sure it was the product of it’s time, blah, blah, blah, but it wouldn’t play well now. Rather then simply continuing the line that Hana-Barbera started, Kelly started from scratch and created an origin that explained EVERYTHING about this character. Everything from the funky suit to the weapons all comes together in the story. Also the character Kelly creates isn’t the clean-as-a-whistler guy from the ‘toons. No, this guy is driven by a deep, dark need for revenge. Remember the old quote about never staring too long at the abyss before is stares at you? Oh boy... too true in this story.
Cont. on p. 2