Hatred and vengeance are never forgotten … it only festers until it is released.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist/Colorist: Ariel Olivetti
Letterer: Dave Lamphear
What They Say:
Space Ghost and his sidekicks venture deep into the caverns of Amzot only to discover danger lurks around every corner! Metallus and his minions have set traps hoping to destroy the future of the Space Force. Can the Herculoids’ Igoo save them from an untimely demise?
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
And so with little choice to rebuild the Space Force, our heroes are forced to delve into Goslog Cavern on planet Amzot to find more of the mysterious material to create power bands – element Zeo. With the help from the great rock ape Igoo, the team are hesitant to explore this dangerous network of caves, but Jace does not balk at the opportunity to inspect the strange flora and fauna which dot this alien labyrinth. However, it does not take long before youthful exuberance lands the hasty twin in trouble, causing his ward Space Ghost and their titanic ally to rescue the now remorseful boy. Now a bit more learned in the ways of spelunking, the apologetic cadet soon sees he is not the only one to fail within vast cavern.
As they venture further into the underground system, the eerie husk of a long deserted transport is seen abandoned among the stalagmites, its rusted shell the only remnant of the previous survey team. Space Ghost explains even with guards protecting them, the mining team were no match for the inhabitants of this planet’s ecosystem, for no one ever made it back. And it is soon apparent why element Zeo is so rare as they progress into the tunnels and encounter a confusing maze of crystalline formations jutting from every surface, causing anyone careless enough to become hopelessly lost. But as the team wanders further into this imposing forest, it is Blip who spots their next adversary hiding amongst the jutting transparent trees … and it is not happy to be disturbed. The hulking behemoth’s menacing roars echo through the cavern, amplifying its anger even more to be bothered by such inferior creatures. However as the last of the Space Force and the heavy hitter of the Herculoids try to defend themselves, it is soon clear this is no easy opponent and may be too much even for them. And while the siblings and their pet watch from the safety of cover, it seems that even the mighty Space Ghost may soon be defeated – but then what next?
In Summary:
This title gets better with each passing issue, and just when you think writer Jeff Parker couldn’t surprise us with any more uncommon elements, he springs us with the revelation of an underused villain from the Space Ghost franchise – Metallus. In the original series this foe was barely used to his full potential, being relegated as a questionable pawn or someone being controlled by another mastermind; in fact, there are times in his rare appearances that he seemed not even humanoid, but a robot shell controlled off camera like some disposable minion. It is only now under Parker’s careful tutelage does this fearsome foe blossom into someone to be dreaded, but at the same time, he also invokes a tinge of pity due to his sorrowful origins. While the audience never was allowed to hear his ominous voice in the cartoon, that sense of mystery adds to his background and opens up all new expectations once he finally speaks in this story. Adding to his ominous nature is the seclusion of this isolated cavern which incorporates so smoothly into his background story and the reason the team is here in the first place, and so we emerge with a foe who has a true grudge to carry out paired with the paranoia of solitude. It is enemies like this who become memorable due to sympathy the audience feels for this poor man and his fellows, for even if they on the surface are sinister and morally corrupt, the reasoning and lopsided logic does make sense … in the foulest of unlikely scenarios. I would not be surprised if in the end our heroes offer mercy, unless they commit something so heinous it makes them irredeemable.
And yet even within such a noteworthy narrative, you cannot overlook the magnificence which is Ariel Olivetti’s phenomenal artistic style, in both his jaw-dropping illustrations and the nuances which are included within his coloring. While we may be lacking in any of well-lit environment since the entirety of the story is told underground, he does not skimp on the details he puts into every panel, treating each as a miniature painting worthy of being framed and proudly displayed; however it is only when these separate pieces are connected do they become something more than the sum of its parts. I cannot imagine how long it takes to draw then paint each scene, the lighting for each picture illuminating the characters which such unseen brilliance that they shine even if they are in the dark. The physicality of the men, especially Space Ghost and Igoo, are a marvel unto themselves since they are mainly composed of singular colors, and yet Olivetti manages to capture their strength with the right amount of shadow to accent instead of overemphasizing the muscles – even going so far as to show Kyr’s chiseled chin in all its glory. Who else who think to add this type of detail for something which will only be seen for a few seconds? But even that factor is taken into account when he creates such amazement.
However, with all of these visual treats, he manages to create organic textures for these creatures, using a mixture of his illustrative techniques to define each angle or curve then accentuating those points with an appropriate color, shadow and detailing through which could not be accomplished by brush alone. This achievement gives things which you would not associate with life an unnatural sense of being, a vitality which would not be possible without the normally bright and at times obscene colors which are seen in most graphic novels. The truest examples of this technique are the great stone ape Igoo and the crystal creature which they later fight … each composed of normally unmoving materials. But when Olivetti breaths life into each of these beasts, they become something more than moving stones, they are as mobile and alive as the other beings of the cast, especially when you take a closer look. Although the crystalline dragon at times still appears to be a moving pile of rocks, the face reflects something akin to anger in that cold stone. But this coloring strategy shines through the most once you have a close-up of Igoo – that giant stone ape is not the same rocky individual which we saw in the cartoons, all jagged and sounding like he was on the verge of crumbling any minute … he now has warmth and emotional intensity. If you could touch him, your senses would still feel the rough exterior, but his reactions to outside stimuli make him all the more real thanks to his new paint job. But he is not the only primate which has been bettered by Olivetti’s approach to coloring, Blip too has been given a humanized appearance, whereby he could be mistaken for a miniature human all thanks to his new well-rounded face. It is artwork like this which makes takes this series a leap above the norm and projects it into the something which should be in a museum.
These contrasting components combine to create a tale which builds momentum until we get the big reveal … making us want more and sad to see it come to an end. Parker and Olivetti have made this series comparable to a great masterpiece of literature and art, all becoming a marvelous amalgam without the overly burdensome emotional baggage which is so often displayed in other so-called successful titles. They present us with a story by which each person contributes to the whole, but does not leave a stale taste once we are done, it stays fresh and moving throughout the presentation. This is how a title should be done and I sincerely hope it will continue until its celebratory the end.
Grade: A-
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: September 20th, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
