“Yesterday’s” Comic> Space Ghost #4

“I shouldn’t have used the cheap Chinese knockoff Power Bands.”

Space Ghost #4

DC Comics (April, 2005)

“Eclipse”

WRITER: Joe Kelly

ARTIST: Ariel Olivetti

LETTERER: Richard Starkings

EDITOR: Joey Cavalieri

The “bugs”, the Zorathians, begin their attack but all Thad wants to do is kill Temple. Any Zorathians he takes down were just in the way, but he still gets their notice. He comes across two kids, Jan and Jayce, and reluctantly becomes their caretaker, trying to get them home and learning not to be a jerk. Meanwhile Temple is captured and brought before the Zorathian’s leader, Zorak, and they form an alliance to kill the man the kids refer to as a “space ghost”.

As a story: The art is still impressive given my usual dislike of the painted style in comics. The Zorathians as a hive mind makes sense given their nature and having them team up with Temple means all of Thad’s enemies come together.

As an adaptation: There are admittedly ideas I like, but it’s the tone that still turns me off. This being how Space Ghost meets Jan and Jayce and takes them in it works, as does the idea that the Power Band and Inviso Belt need time to recharge from ambient energy at some point. However, I’m not calling this version Space Ghost for a reason. Seeing him on a murder spree against people-eating bug creatures just doesn’t feel like the show I grew up watching in reruns or the sequel I watched on Saturday morning. (Yes, I like Space Stars, I don’t care what William Street thinks.) Watching Thad tell the kids off and Jayce being a coward next to his brave sister whom she treats as her little brother when they’re twins didn’t sit well with me either. It might make sense to the story but not the character.

What I think overall: I can be fair. The story itself is quite good, but it just doesn’t feel like a proper Space Ghost origin to me and it’s missing the fun of the show of my childhood. That’s why I’m reviewing it so differently and why I just can’t accept this take on the characters. Again, quality of work versus quality of adaptation.