Space Ghost #1
Originally presented at Comixtreme.com.
Quick Rating: Good
Title: Crucible
The origin of Space Ghost begins!
Writer: Joe Kelly
Art: Ariel Olivetti
Letters: Richard Starkings
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Alex Ross
Publisher: DC Comics
Review: People who come to this comic expecting the jolly, goofy talk show host that’s become a hit on Cartoon Network are going to be sorely disappointed. However, people who pick up this book looking for a far-flung space opera, this just may be the comic book for you.
Thaddeus Bach is a husband, a father-to-be and a warrior hoping to work his way up as part of an interplanetary police corps, the Eidolon. When he starts to achieve his dream, though, he finds out that dreams may turn into nightmares.
If there’s any downside to this book, it’s that it may be a bit too dark. It’s not a “mature readers” book of any sort, but even in his adventure cartoon days, Space Ghost was never this serious. There’s not even any real comic relief to break this up - it’s a hardcore crime drama in space.
The art, though… WOW. Ariel Olivetti handles all the art solo, and does a fantastic job. A lot of the backgrounds and effects are clearly computer-generated, and the rest appears to be fully painted. The figures are strong and imposing, the spacescapes are beautiful.
Perennial cover artist Alex Ross contributes (what else?) the cover to this issue, and it’s a great one, even if it does suffer from Irrelevant Cover Syndrome (which is permissible for first issues), but I think I rather like the artwork inside even better.
This is a good comic, one that’s exciting and beautiful to look at, even if the story itself isn’t terribly original. The question is, will it fly with the hardcore Space Ghost fans? We’ll see.
Story: 3.5/5
NOTE: This series got better and better with each issue and wound up being a surprise hit. Can't wait for the inevitable sequel.