Space Ghost

by Joe Kelly

The masked avenger of the cartoon spaceways has been a popular character since his introduction to television in 1966. Since then, people have wondered who he is, how he got those power bands and why he protects the galaxy from evil. Now his story is told for the first time ever. Learn the tragic circumstances that led to his donning a cowl and his first battle with arch nemesis Zorak.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Comics Manga

Library Binding

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space Ghost was always one of my favorite cartoons as a child. Kelly and Olivetti certainly do him justice here. The story is a bit grim and gritty but I enjoyed it. It tells Space Ghost's origin and how he meets Jan and Jace along the way of fighting Zorak. Olivetti produces some of the best art of his career, playing off the color palettes set forth in Alex Ross's covers.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and fantastic art drive this collection. There is a lot of great action here as well. Space Ghost was one of my favorites as a kid. The story foes him justice here. Well done.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic comic adaptation of this cartoon hero. Great read. Very recommended

[Joe Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Kelly - writer
Ariel Olivetti - illustrator

This is an excellent book! Great writing from Kelly, this book has a solid story with strong characterization and a satisfying character arc for ol' S.G. The art by Olivetti is beautiful; the muted watercolors are evocative of classic Flash Gordon-style fantasy while still seeming fresh and new. Just really great stuff.

5/5 Recommended

[Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved Space Ghost as a kid. It started when his look just grabbed my attention for whatever reason. From then on, I was a fan! This was a fun read and a book I’ve been after for quite a while. Glad to finally know his origins!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't the same as I remembered.

First of all, the cool beginning narrative and the spooky music was missing... obviously.
And they made it a bit too grown up. Even though the too grown up parts were pretty cliché.
The art was OK, even though the main characters were drawn pretty much like refrigerators on legs and the kids just looked like miniature grown-ups... and where was the monkey?

So many childhood memories torn to shred, still, I think I'll be looking up the original animated episodes sometime soon.

I guess this just proves that you can't go back home again.

[Jemir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This "Year One/ Batman Begins" style rendering of the origin of Space Ghost (whom many of a certain age know primarily through the light hearted cartoons we either first run or syndicated repeats) impressed me from start to finish. The Alex Ross 'covers" aside (his art serves more as 'chapter dividers" in the collected edition) the interior art coupled with Joe Kelly's tight writing tell the untold tale of a virtuous Space Ranger who is set up by his corrupt colleagues, sees his loved ones harmed before him and left for dead. The set up alone is a showstopper but when you add it with the "man against the elements" theme he has to go through before becoming the hero we've come to know (and the clever way his teen sidekicks Jace and Jan are worked into the narrative) you have a layered, enjoyable, read.

[Zach Rust · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s kinda surreal reading this miniseries. After only really knowing these characters from their comedic reinterpretations on Space Ghost: Coast To Coast, I honestly forgot that the original source material was meant to be played straight.

Unfortunately, the story being presented in this mini is rather rote. The plot is a series of cliches that ultimately ends up rather underwhelming. That being said the art by Ariel Olivetti, best known for his work on series like Cable and Punisher: War Journal, is excellent as always, delivering on the action and spectacle.

[Rob Caswell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was disappointing.

Oops. I jumped the gun. Let me rewind. First, if you don't already know this collection tells what's supposed to be Space Ghosts' origin story. The book's art is quite accomplished and extremely clean, finished in colors that feel both crisp and subtle at the same time. The artist is clearly skilled in figure work, but I felt the scifi design elements left something to be desired. Perhaps the most discouraging aspect was that the original Phantom Cruiser design - easily as classic as, say, the starship Enterprise - was nowhere to be found. Instead Space Ghost flies in something that is, at best, a shadow of the original.

This will probably surprise no one, but the most exciting and masterfully crafted element of the volume is the collection of Alex Ross covers that graced the serialized volumes. That's the stuff!

Now back to my opening line about major disappointment. For me the writing on this book was a total fail. The dialogue was pompous and ponderous, the plot cliche, and the action largely predictable. I would like to think this is not the canon tale of SG's origins. Even Lucas' prequel movies did a better job of meeting my backstory expectations. The only element I admired was making Zorak a hive mind. Cool touch. But the rest left no footprints in my brain whatsoever. My feeling is that it wasted some pretty fine art resources.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

So very disappointing. Joe Kelly was the genius behind Deadpool's first major run. He's a guy who can blend comedy and standard superheroics.

Space Ghost is a a character who was postmodernized into a talk show host and self-parody.

Anyway, the blend should be about some novel way of treating the superhero origin story.

(I think I got most of these words wrong.)

But what we get here is the standard Robocop/Batman thing. (Plus dashes of Judge Dredd and the Green Lantern.) I'm not even sure it makes internal sense. I think there is a character about whom the narrator says, "And I never saw so-and-so again." And that character comes back.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny enough--Space Ghost never had an origin story. This story is quite well-done, but unfortunately, I don't think it's tonally works for the same character as "Coast to Coast".

This kind of the dilemna of reconciling Batman '66 with the Dark Knight Returns. I think Joe Kelly is criminally underrated and I loved Olivetti's painted style, but it's hard to suggest this to someone who is a fan of the character, since I'm not sure it fits.

[Vail Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good a hero origin story as any from both mainstream comic book universes, and I'm kinda bummed he will always be more fondly remembered as a late-night talk show host.

[Βαλάντης Δοξάκιερ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was always fascinated & amazed with the character of Space Ghost(the costume more specifically & the name space ghost) even though before I read this graphic novel book(which I have had already done a month ago) so here is what I have to say about the character himself & the plot & story of this graphic novel book that shows us how space ghost came to be the space ghost since I have had read this graphic novel book origin of this cosmic space superhero(I mean this is the origin how space ghost & his companions adopted children) absolutely very good entertaining & fascinating exciting intriguing & interesting story & origin about Space Ghost & his adopted companion children superhero partners but all in all an Absolute EPIC Imaginary, Heroic Emotional Meaningful Dramatic & Hopeful Tale that The Space Ghost deserved all along all this time(& should have had an origin before even in the TV & particularly THIS origin story of his & his companions) from the moment this character make his appearance in pop culture & most particular in cartoons in 1960's themselves.

I absolutely find it quite fascinating & very exciting both the whole graphic novel book: the story, the plot(even though the plot could have been just a little bit better & well done & well executed but It's alright because this graphic novel book origin of Space Ghost is not bad, awful, horrendous or even terrible at all but absolutely very, very good & really well executed & narrated), the drama & the emotional moments & inspirational hopeful theme, atmosphere, vibe & tone are all very, very good & very, very well executed, even the characters themselves & the action & especially the illustrations & the character designs/art style(oh my dear goodness the design of The Space Ghost is outstanding & superb in a hot kind of way.

The huge muscular enormous body of Space Ghost is soooo divine, sexy, handsome, attractive & pleasant to the eyes to see that every single time that I was looking at it while I was reading this graphic novel book it made me even more gay -though I am always bisexual attracted towards males even more than females- The Character Designs & Artwork/Illustrations of The Brazilian or Hispanic artist Ariel Olivetti are so magnificent & divine majestic pieces of art & entertainment that even if you are straight/gay/bisexual or transsexual male/female or whatever else & way more fixated to watch & enjoy completely every time I am on the internet or when I am reading a comicbook or a graphic novel book with the illustrations & character designs of Ariel Olivetti in it).

Seriously I can't never take my eyes off these divine muscular illustration character designs of his even to this graphic novel book itself.

Ariel Olivetti is a fucking damn genius & auteurs specifically to the way he designs & tells or continues a story of a comicbook/graphic novel book or a novel book even by just having a simple, complicated colorful or white panel without any kind or trace of a dialogue or a monologue with just drawing a character or even a face with any expression on it.

The artworks themselves are all very, very good & most importantly entertaining & captivating as a whole very much a lot.

I am incredibly quite entertained & pleased so very much with this graphic novel book as a whole very, very much a lot & I hope Ariel Olivetti returns to draw/illustrate another Space Ghost Series or even write & illustrate a limited or a monthly Space Ghost Comicbook or Graphic Novel Series all by Himself because he is doing a very, very divine & outstanding majestic work with his epic, heroic, attractive & sexy expressional imaginary art style as soon as possible please.

My result overall is 5 STARS as a whole completely & the character himself & this story deserve these 5 STARS completely.

Space Ghost needs & deserves rightfully so just like many other Characters like him his own live action movie franchise or series show with a good or very good, well made budget, script & cast & crew & production even more comicbook or graphic novel series such as this one the sooner the better because characters like him or even himself are far more thrilling & entertaining captivating characters & stories/adventures as a whole than most of the marvel & DC characters & most of their comics/movies/shows/games as a whole level.

[HowardtheDuck95 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I thought this was decent. I didn’t really have any specific expectations going in, just that I generally dig Joe Kelly’s work, and I’d seen some of the 60s show, and of course Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

I think its tone is kinda misguided though in that very 2000s way. For some reason he thought Space Ghost needed to start off like Training Day by way of S Craig Zahler. The fridging (and I don’t use that term often, it’s accurate here) really starts it on a sour note, but it is one that makes you compelled to see how it handles it. It’s certainly a choice to try to take an old Hanna Barbera cartoon and make it oddly grim and gritty. I don’t think it made for a bad story but I’m not sure who the audience was supposed to be for this. It does feel kinda like it’s fishing for a film adaption in that sense, appealing to those “make it more adult” tastes.

The art is neat, though you can see the digital corner cutting. Olivetti’s figures look great, like Space Ghost is chiseled from stone, and the Zorak species has a neat, modern update. The environments…some of it looks…asset store. It kinda has a European comics vibe.

The Zorak stuff is probably the smartest modernization here, making them legit terrifying in some ways. Still just a little cheese though.

Honestly the Alex Ross covers in the back are so good this book is worth that alone.

I look forward to seeing what David Pepose does differently with his take!

[Philmore Olazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story follows Thaddeus Bach, a man who loses everything dear to him, including his family and unborn child, after trying to play by the rules within the police force known as "The Wrath." Thaddeus witnesses firsthand how this group, which is supposed to enforce justice, ends up behaving no differently than the criminals they are meant to combat.

Believed to be dead, Thaddeus's apparent demise is commemorated with a public funeral alongside his wife. However, he is saved by Salomon, a resident of a desolate planet devastated by a powerful war that left advanced technology behind. Thaddeus adopts this technology and dons a new suit, setting out on a path of vengeance against The Wrath and their ruthless leader, Temple.

As he embarks on his mission for revenge, Thaddeus encounters two significant events that shape his journey. First, a hive-mind entity named Zorak threatens a planet, prompting him to intervene. Second, he becomes the guardian of two orphaned boys named Jan and Jace, offering him a chance at fatherhood that he had previously been denied.

Throughout the story, we witness a profound transformation in Thaddeus. He evolves from a bitter and vengeful man into one filled with hope and a willingness to help those less fortunate than himself. This transformation is at the heart of the narrative, making "Space Ghost" a remarkable story with stunning artwork that complements its themes and character development.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have zero exposure to the actual Space Ghost cartoon, so most of my experience with him as a character is from either Space Ghost Coast to Coast or Cartoon Planet (which I really rather enjoyed). I knew that he came from a cartoon, but hadn't actually seen any, so my concept was mostly that he was a superhero of some kind that was in space, could turn invisible, and had power bands to zap things with, as well as some familiarity with a few villains from the series. That's apparently all I really needed to get started with this book, which is something of a gritty origin story from DC comics, but I felt it also had some pulpiness and the Zorak parts in particular had a certain resemblance to John Carter stories, which I found interesting. There are certainly recycled elements here, as in many superhero stories, but I thought it was well-executed, and I'm curious whether Space Ghost was ever actually used in other DC comics in any way beyond this. I kind of doubt he is, but I think it would be interesting if he were.

[Centauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never knew the backstory of Space Ghost, and I do not know if this was really the origins from when the character was created all those decades ago. If it was, there was a good job never hinting at the guy being a brutal jerk that realized much too late that peace was a better option.
This warlord space cop (exaggeration, yes, but hopefully it sets a mood) lost everything and caused others to lose everything in his pursuit of revenge. It was an entertaining story, but it is in that same group of "don't tell me everything of their legendary backstory because the mystery is more powerful" tropes that ruined Wolverine. I was okay with just a guy who wanted to fight evil no matter what; a person who was good because they were surrounded by evil and wanted to be in opposition to status quo. I did not need a vengeance story from the POV of a space cop who was corrupt and rough on the edges.

[Mega · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this comic features those two kids in their proper superhero attire and flying out with Space Ghost, presumably to stop crime and all that, but....... that never happens in the comic. They are still just as lame and generic as ever, so that's a bit of a bummer for those that wanted to see them in action. Not me though, I couldn't care less about whether or not they fought alongside Space Ghost, cause he is just cooler then them.... can't help it if it's true. Either way, this series is over now, so what is the lesson of the day? That is you are gonna be throwing a party, make sure to invite everyone along so that nobody gets left behind. Don't be like Space Ghost here, who forgot to bring in Moltar in this whole series......... seriously, where was he?

Issue #6

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's do Space Ghost all srsly,ok!

What starts out as a generic space-opera revenge story ends as an ode to the original Alex Toth creation. It starts off like a lot of DC comics under Dan Dido, reveling in cruelty and "fridging" and other such toxic cliches, but Joe Kelly manages to find some humanity and the original honor of the character by the end.

Ultimately, it would be a pale comparison to classic Jim Starlin space opera, but Ariel Olivetti's artwork saves it... doing some wonderful modernization of Starlin and Wrightson, while layering in his own style... the coloring is magnificent.

Ultimately a fast fun read that does right by the character. Enjoy.

[Ernesto Juárez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superó mis expectativas sin duda, la historia del héroe caído en busca de su redención, el apegarnos a algo para sobrevivir y darnos cuenta que quizá eso es más dañino y a su vez encontrar otro sendero, buena introducción al personaje apegado a sus características clásicas y por qué su búsqueda por justicia, su origen, aunque ya se nos había dado uno con la serie "Future Quest" que personalmente me agradó un poco más por ser aún más simple, ésta no se queda atrás, y repito, simplemente son explicaciones que se tratan de dar al mito que es en el cosmos el relacionado a Space Ghost.

[Zachary King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have much of a frame of reference for Space Ghost, and someone who is more nostalgic for the character might have a different take on the book. But I found this one to be a little generic (especially the disappointing fridging that opens the book) but also engaging and fun. The art by Ariel Olivetti is unconventional for a space tale like this, especially considering how Evan "Doc" Shaner would take point on a ligne claire take for the "Future Quest" project a few years later. In short, I liked it more than I thought I would - for true Space Ghost fans, your mileage may vary.

[Stuart Wilke]

A thrilling retro sci-fi romp

As someone with basically no knowledge of Space Ghost, I went into this with only a little bit of positive word of mouth and some interesting looking screenshots, and found a fantastic origin story for a pulpy sci-fi hero and some truly gorgeous artwork that really elevated Joe Kelly's already very solid writing. Definitely recommended if you like a good, simple, but very satisfying superhero origin story. Looks like I should go check out that old cartoon.

[Jeff Silverblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have no idea who space ghost even is, i picked this up because it was cheap and the cover and title was awesome. It honestly pretty good!

the artwork is absolutely beautiful, i think its a good middle ground between traditional comic art and painterly Alex Ross style art, Ariel Olivetti knocks it out of the park

I am also a sucker for superhumans learning to become humans, the space ghost starts out seeking vengeance but later develops to be a good old fashioned hero

the action sequences were great, and it makes me genuinely excited to see the cartoon and i hope it lives up!

[Thomas Salerno · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don't like dark and gritty reboots of classic characters but for some reason this darker re-imagining of Space Ghost just worked for me. It's a story about standing up for what you believe in, it's about how a quest for revenge will ultimately destroy a person, and it's about overcoming tragedy and finding renewed purpose when life doesn't seem to make sense. A good superhero origin story and a good sci-fi tale overall.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space Ghost has always been one of my favorites, so I was glad to see him given a real backstory. I thought it was very well written and realistic, but there are a couple of things I would change. First, the cliche of his dead wife coming to talk to him. It seems a little out of place and lazy; I would he realized he was wrong on his own. Second, the story does a lot to say that vengeance and justice aren’t the same, but it never tells us why.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe Kelly is probably the best person to write this. Readers get to see how Space Ghost came to be. While this origin story isn't groundbreaking for the genre it is for the character. Ariel Olivetti provided very good interior work and the Alex Ross covers were a treasure. The story itself was just too predictable and by the numbers to be a hit though. Overall, a decent read that didn't push the envelope.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was impressive. This definitely isn't your father's Space Ghost. We finally get to see the dark origin of the classic space hero. I think this may be a little too dark and gritty for some fans of the Space Ghost cartoon, but I really liked this. The Olivetti painted art fit perfectly was well. It's too bad this was sort of a one and done series, as DC could have done more with this character, especially with this creative team.

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to say exactly why a super serious reinterpretation of a cartoon character who was never meant to be taken seriously actually works. Well . . . maybe it isn't so hard. The old cartoon show was fun. This much darker version is also fun. And that's really all that matters.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't find much to latch onto here. A man out for revenge becomes bitter and uses tools to extract revenge, while also finding a small measure of humanity again rescuing two orphans. Maybe if I had attachment to space ghost as a kid I would have liked this more

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I don't know who this book is for. It wasn't inventive enough to have any surprises for fans of the original series nor faithful enough to be nostalgic nor funny enough for fans of Space Ghost Coast to Coast and relied too heavily on character knowledge to be approachable for new fans.