Review: Space Ghost #8
From Dynamite Comics
After last issue’s cliffhanger, what's next? Check out my thoughts on Space Ghost #8 from Dynamite Comics.
For months, Space Ghost’s sidekicks Jan and Jace have grown closer to their long-lost grandfather, Dr. Henry Contra — but after an experiment goes tragically awry, Contra has been reborn with a murderous new personality as THE ANTIMATTER MAN! While Space Ghost is forced to create a dangerous new weapon to bring the fight back to this dangerous new enemy, can Jan and Jace find a way to reach their grandfather before it’s too late? Don’t miss the exciting conclusion of a two-part adventure that will shake our heroes to their core!
Written by David Pepose, Art by Jonathan Lau, Colors by Andrew Dalhouse, and Lettering by Taylor Esposito
After the huge cliffhanger last issue left us hanging, Space Ghost #8 delivers an issue built around hope, tension, and some genuinely heavy emotional swings. There are serious ups and downs throughout, and by the end, the dynamic of the Space Ghost family feels fundamentally changed, in a way that should make things far more interesting going forward.
Space Ghost himself is in a bad way after taking a brutal beating from the Antimatter Man. He’s battered, weakened, and clearly on the back foot, while Jan and Jace do everything they can to help. Unfortunately, it feels like Antimatter Man is firmly in the ascendancy here, executing a plan that steadily tilts the situation in his favour. The scope of what he’s setting in motion is worrying, with serious repercussions for countless innocent people. The guards and scientists he’s forced into service are trapped, left with no real choice but to go along, which adds an uncomfortable layer of moral pressure to the unfolding events.
What really elevates the emotional impact of the issue is the position Jan and Jace are put in. They head into this conflict with no idea that the Antimatter Man is a twisted, perverted inflexion of their grandfather. To them, he’s just another villain who needs to be stopped, and they fight him as such. As a reader, you know the truth is coming, and when it finally hits, it’s genuinely heartbreaking. That revelation lands hard and is handled in a way that really underlines the cost of this conflict on the family.
Despite everything, Space Ghost does manage to form a plan after a chance discovery, giving him a way to stand up to Antimatter Man. There’s a spark of hope here, but it’s clear that brute force alone isn’t going to be enough. Whatever it takes to win this fight, it’s going to demand more than just strength, and that sense of looming sacrifice hangs over the final pages.
This is a clever, well-constructed issue, balancing action with emotional weight and ending on a bittersweet note that’s sure to take its toll on the trio. You can feel that something has been lost, even as the story pushes forward.
Visually, the artwork is excellent throughout. The colouring choices and stylistic shifts are smart and effective, and the action sequences are dynamic and easy to follow. It all comes together to support the issue's tone perfectly, making this another strong chapter in what’s shaping up to be a very compelling run.
Get it at Forbidden Planet:
