Space Ghost Vol. 2 #4 is written by David Pepose and published by Dynamite. Artwork is by Jonathan Lau, colours by Andrew Dalhouse and letters by Taylor Esposito. Main cover art (left) is by Francesco Mattina.
Space Ghost Vol. 2 #4 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
In an effort to stop the perpetual feuding between the Crystalline Empire and the Kingdom of the Space Sharks, Space Ghost and the twins are guarding a summit between the two powers — only to have it derailed by a mysterious assassination attempt. With interplanetary war now looming, can the team track down the culprits in time to pull everyone back from the brink of annihilation?
Review
Things are getting political in the pages of Space Ghost this month as the team attempts to oversee a peace treaty signing. Writer David Pepose builds a tense and eventually dramatic scenario which depicts events not unlike those happening in the real world alongside the series’ typical space-antics.
This second volume of the series has really shown just how much gas is in the Space Ghost tank. Pepose has been able to illustrate how the character can break out from the confines of his own source material. In this case it’s getting down to business in protecting the peace not through fighting villains. But through simply maintaining diplomatic process. Now I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes thinking “Oh great so it’s going all political”. But the purpose here is not to preach ideologies. It’s to illustrate the delicacy of the political process and Pepose does that honourably.
Issue #4 finds Space Ghost, Jan and Jace hiding in plain sight on Planet Liquo. Looming above, the group watches as King Remora of the Space Sharks and Emperor Glasstor of the Crystalline Empire sign a peace treaty. The two species have long been at war and neither leader seems overjoyed at bringing peace. But both understand that an end to the fighting is what best serves both their people. The outward gesture of ending tensions is hoped to send a message to the universe that these two groups are ready for a bigger role in the geopolitical landscape. But a nearby sniper has other ideas and forces Space Ghost out of hiding to ensure both leaders’ safety.
The attack – and the reveal of Space Ghost, Jan and Jace – throws the situation into disarray, causing almost immediate escalation of tensions. It puts the two species in danger of obliterating each other but also finds Jace in the crosshairs. What’s brilliant here is how Pepose is still able to bring action to the table without overshadowing the social commentary. All the elements of the story snuggle up to each other really well to create an enjoyable reading experience.
With two outlandish species, a new planetary location and an explosive sniper attack to render Jonathan Lau is having a lot of fun this month. It’s a dynamic issue which is served really well by Andrew Dalhouse’s vibrant colours. The Space Sharks look more than shark-ish enough to live up to their name. Whilst the members of the Crystalline Empire could only look more shiny if this were printed on foil paper.
This is a creative team working completely in sync with each other and it pays off with one of the series most effortless stories so far.
Verdict
David Pepose skillfully balances political tension with classic space adventure, using Space Ghost to explore the fragility of diplomatic process without preaching. The creative team delivers one of the series’ most effortless and engaging stories yet.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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