Space Ghost #7 - Dynamite Entertainment

SPACE GHOST No. 7, November 2024

Definitely managing to keep this ongoing series’ storylines refreshingly different, David Pepose’s twenty-two page plot for Issue Seven of “Space Ghost” must surely have thoroughly entertained the comic’s audience back in November 2024 with its heartfelt spotlight upon Blip. True, Jan and Jace's pet primate is admittedly changed into an English-speaking animal for the vast majority of this publication in order to help facilitate its readers understanding him. But such is the American author’s convincing delivery of the Creature King’s nefarious Encephala-Ray, that few onlookers won’t be convinced by the Robo Corp built beam’s temporary transformation; “Don’t worry, old friend -- You’ve taken care of me long enough. Now it’s my turn to take care of you.” 

In addition, this book’s basic narrative of “our human heroes” being imprisoned upon a mysterious planet where its intriguingly eclectic menagerie of beasts rule with an iron paw proves incredibly enthralling; especially once it becomes clear that the titular character’s powerful wrist gauntlets are apparently no longer functioning. Coupled with the disconcerting notion that the cosmic vigilante is rapidly degenerating into some sort of lesser-functioning sub-human, and events really do not look too bright for “Hanna-Barbera Productions” costumed creation.

Furthermore, Blip isn’t simply depicted as being some all-powerful protagonist either. But rather still a somewhat physically frail Capuchin monkey who very much needs the help of a badly-battered Jace, as well as a sizeable slice of luck, to succeed in toppling the tower housing the aforementioned Encephala-Ray. This vulnerability arguably makes the tiny sidekick’s mission all the more exciting, and genuinely suggests the possibility in the mind’s eye that the little fellow could actually fail at any moment.

Lastly, it’s difficult to find any fault with Jonathan Lau’s artwork for this periodical, with “the resident artist at Dynamite Entertainment for more than a decade” appearing to take a page out of Jack “King” Kirby’s notebook when it comes to quickly creating a wealth of varied and colourful extra-terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, the first splash page to feature the so-called Creature King upon his throne, surrounded by multi-eyed monsters and a wooden cage filled with ragged-looking people, instantly establishes that the Space Ghost has landed on a world unlike any other he has so far encountered.

The regular cover art of "SPACE GHOST" #7 by Francesco Mattina