The galaxy is once again at peace … but that tranquility cannot last for long.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist/Colorist: Ariel Olivetti
Letterer: A Larger World Studio
What They Say:
After the thrilling events of FUTURE QUEST, a new age of adventure begins! First up, Space Ghost and his young wards Jan and Jace team up with the Herculoids to rebuild the mighty Space Force. Will they rise again to become defenders of the galaxy? Or is there something lurking in the shadows ready to stop them for good?
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With the horrors of Omnikron now thankfully in the past, the universe can return to the peace and tranquility it once knew … or can it? All due to that frightful abomination’s rampage through Voranova, most of the Space Force was wiped out, and only due to the vigilance of one survivor and defenders of a distant world named Earth was it finally destroyed. Tutor Rachi then recalls a series of events which lead to the downfall of Quasar, the civilization which had reached a level of sophistication in which its robotic work force developed sentience, and revolted against their human masters. Leaving them little choice but to leave their home, these refugees fled that world and a few went to the sister planet Amzot, there to forge a new team of heroes named the Herculoids. But as pupils debate whether the protectors of the galaxy could have made a difference for that planet, they too also speculate if their legacy named Space Ghost might actually exist. The teacher will not entertain such rumors and quickly rejects the story, all to the relief a certain set of twin students, just before class is dismissed.
Siblings Jan and Jace, along with their companion Blip, leave the classroom a bit disappointed, knowing the truth behind the subjects discussed, but sad they cannot admit their participation. The young wards of the galaxy’s guardian realize they cannot expose their hidden occupations, but at the same time, they do want some credit for saving all of space. However as they ponder those glimpses of fame, those same rewards will also expose their classmates to the dangers of the job, even if they are future cadets of the Space Force. As they race back to the base, the man once known as Kyr remembers the past, his friends long gone, leaving him the only one to protect the vastness of the universe. But once his adolescent protégés arrive, he is now determined to remedy that situation – if not for the lack of power bands. With only three left of the several hundred which once existed, there is little chance they can manufacture more without the rare element required. Therefore the next destination for the Phantom Cruiser will be planet Amzot, home of their friends the Herculoids.
In Summary:
Just as we are wondering if there will be any more amazing adventures after a series like Future Quest, writer Jeff Parker surprises us with a brilliant continuation named Future Quest Presents: Space Ghost. The same character which fascinated readers with his leadership against Omnikron now takes center stage, with the help of Jan, Jace, and Blip. I always felt his defining persona was ignored for a majority of the previous title to make room for Jonny and his family, all to ingratiate readers to a younger equal, a person they could see themselves befriending and joining in his adventures. But now that the galaxy is safe, we are free to tag along with this rock jawed crusader, a mature hero who has a past which haunts him, survivors’ guilt weighing him down to the point of desperation to save more than he can with his limited powers. This is not someone who is afraid to use force if the situation dictates it, but at the same time, he will not pamper a villain all to show mercy; in fact, during the opening sequence, it almost felt like Parker was creating a scene which would fit a certain nocturnal defender of the night from a competitor’s action line – just change the costume and you have that hero. But of course, that could never happen.
Now that we are free to wander the vastness of space with our caped protector, I sincerely hope we can have escapades which will minimize the restraints given to Hanna-Barbera due to television censors of the Sixties. Those animated shows were always played safely, hero stopping short of causing bodily harm and the enemy of the week escaping to plague Space Ghost once again in the near future. While we can’t complain about those campy episodes, the villains they introduced became as iconic as the white clothed hero; I couldn’t help but smile as I saw the name Creature King mentioned and then the big reveal at the end, I am just hoping Parker doesn’t hold back in the narrative to make them as wimpy as in the cartoon. But the best part of this issue was the expansion of unknown histories for the characters – these type backstories of course were never shown in the aforementioned animations, so the privilege to see more into their lives makes them all the more endearing and personable to the reader. While we were shown Kyr’s story in Future Quest, the brief touching on the twins’ parents and the Herculoids humans’ loss is sentimentally poignant and for lack of a better term, makes all more human instead of two-dimensional people on a page. If this what Parker reveals during the first issue, I cannot wait to see how the rest of the series will be enlightened.
But of course, the most stunning element of this book will always be Ariel Olivetti’s phenomenal artwork, breathtaking in its elegance and yet it projects a beauty which is not normally seen within a comic book. His mixing of mediums with illustrations which appear to be fine oil paintings by the Masters and then shifting to a fantasy acrylic by Frazetta or Vallejo is amazing to say the least. You would not think subjects like cartoons would translate well into such serious illustrations, but his techniques bring them to life without hesitation. The opening scene is a prime example: the majestic regality of midnight blue with deep purples of space with the fiery yellows of rockets and electric blue energy beams hauling in cargo seems like something from the set decoration for a science fiction movie, but once we see that domineering presence of Space Ghost standing on the prow of the ship, that makes these pages all the more unbelievable. And yet even within all of these wondrous pages, you are still reminded of the basis for these drawings as we watch energy beams being shot and the hero becoming invisible, that nonsensical definition of a super hero. But even within all of this serious artwork, you still have the inescapable sound effects which populate the page, snapping us back to reality.
However, even within this realm of impossibilities, we are thrust back into jaw dropping disbelief as we see more of Olivetti’s mind blowing work. The sensational page of Zok and Igoo battling the forces of nature and technology is, for lack of any other words and the obligation of repeating myself is … unbelievable. How this artist is able to create creatures which we know cannot exist on this world, and yet shows them to us with such realism and ferocity is sensationally incredible; the depth of textures within the environment are wondrous unto themselves, but when you add the gargantuan muscles of Iggo and the soaring strength of Zok, this completes what can only be considered a masterpiece. Even within his more reserved pages of the school, the array of colors is inspiring, to think he put in this much detail for panels which will only be seen for a few seconds makes one take a double take to think how much time it took to complete a singular page. But within all of these complexities, the most singular scene was the appearance of the twins, or at least who thought was them. To be quite honest, Jan, Jace and Blip look rather plain when compared to the rest of the settings, at least without their signature accoutrements; we have always seen this trio with those iconic yellow and blue uniforms, a red and black communicator patch and those blinding eye masks, but with Future Quest, all of that changed.
True we have seen them without masks, but now Olivetti gives us a costume which is unadorned. Gone is the Space Ghost icon to disguise their true identities, but in doing so, they are so modest in dress, even if they have added glaring red gloves and matching belts. Now they look like normal everyday kids … nothing puts them out of place. Guessing the old glasses for a disguise cliché – or in this case, lack of recognizable items, makes for the best disguise. I am still dumbfounded how normally intelligent people can fall for such deception, and yet they are smart enough to figure out a foe’s plan. Guess that’s comic book logic? However, even with this lack of colorful enthusiasm within the second half of the story, Olivetti still manages to hold our interest until we reach the end, showing us that once he has us hooked, there is no letting go. This is the way to show off a narrative – with artwork which keeps our attention peaked spectacularly, and yet still manages to tell a story in a manner which is beautiful and powerful at the same time. Who could ask for anything more?
Future Quest Presents: Space Ghost had our attention since the end of Future Quest, since Parker knows how to keep an audience enthralled with a story which has both action and true emotion. But when you add the artistry of Olivetti who is a master of the visual arts, there is no turning back from what will hopefully be an exciting roller coaster ride. Words and illustration, the key points of confidence for a graphic novel, and this title has them both. If this is only the premiere issue for this series, how in the world will we last until the end?
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: August 16, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
