Space Ghost #7 // Review
It’s a big moment for Dr. Henry Contra. He’s spent an entire career exploring the far reaches of theoretical science, but this is probably one of the most significant moments in his career. His latest invention is an animatter generator...a beacon to spread light across the entire universe. What could possibly go wrong? He’s about to find out in Space Ghost #7. Writer David Pepose and artist Jonathan Lau continue that adventures of the pulpy space herp with colorist Andera Dalhouse.
Dr. Contra has perfectly honorable reasons for wanting to create the antimatter. He wants to turn the fires of the galaxy into something that warms civilization rather than burning it. Turn on the generateor and there IS a tremendous amount of energy that’s being produced within the containment field...but there are those who would seek to possess the generator. Blaster-firing robots appear on treads...mercilessly cutting down all of those in attendance. It’s up to Space Ghost to stop them. The grandchildren of Dr. Contra are there as well: Jace and Jan are allies of Space Ghost who just might be able to help save the day as well. Somewhere in the midst of it all, Contra is hit with blaster fire...
Pepose deliver is a space fantasy story that's deeply rooted in a respect for weird science. There is a great deal of focus on the psyches of individual people at the heart of the conflict. Though there aren’t exactly any surprises in the plot and the story that develops is quite simple, the full dramatic gravity of what's being brought to the page is interesting enough to keep it all moving with a great degree of intensity. Certain themes rest along the edges of a relatively standard action/intrigue sort of a story.
Lau and Dalhouse frame action and intensity for the page with a great deal of energy. There's quite a bit of symmetry about the way Lau lays out at the action on the page. The primal nature of the action that's playing out on the page feels very resident with the powerful luminosity of Dalhouse’ colors. It's all very dynamic on the page. It all hands enough energy to keep everything moving. The energy can feel positively overwhelming in places. And though there isn't necessarily a whole lot of novelty to the plot, the drama of it all is sold with remarkable dramatic weight thanks to the art team.
The energy of the serial continues to maintain as the action progresses forward. The pulpy space fantasy genre is one that's kind of difficult to bring to the page without delivering it in a way it feels deliberately, campy, and silly. Almost like it has a tendency to make its own comedy. Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers inspired space, adventure and action tend to become parodies of themselves when brought into a more contemporary aesthetic. Pepose and company have done an excellent job of taking the genre seriously in a way that solidly avoids the kind of inadvertent comedy that so often accompanies it.
