SPACE GHOST ANNUAL #1 – New Comic Review

Space Ghost Annual #1, by Dynamite Comics on 7/23/25, finds Team Space Ghost colliding with Robo Corp, the sinister Council of Doom, and a galaxy-threatening AI overlord—Ultima—in a turbocharged thirty-page cosmic throwdown.

Credits:

• Writer: David Pepose
• Artist: Jonathan Lau
• Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
• Letterer: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Artist: Francesco Mattina (cover A)
• Publisher: Dynamite Comics
• Release Date: July 23, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $5.99
• Page Count: 32
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of SPACE GHOST ANNUAL #1:

First Impressions:

If Six Million Dollar Man and The Twilight Zone had a neon-laser space baby, this is it. The annual blasts out of the gate with pure bombast—giant galactic stakes, machine-driven oppression, desperate battles, and a family drama that actually barks (thanks, Blip).

Recap:

Previously in Space Ghost #12, our haunting hero tangled with the likes of Zorak and Brak as the Ghost Crew waged war across star systems, balancing impossible odds and emotional baggage. Space Ghost rescued his allies from the Council of Doom, but not without heavy blows—alliances fractured, the Federation in ruins, justice always out of reach but never abandoned.

Plot Analysis:

Robo Corp has flooded the Galactic Federation with tyranny, hijacking minds via an unstoppable frequency. Space Ghost and his crew—Jan, Jace, and the ever-loyal Blip—scramble to outpace the murky wave of forced assimilation, even as their beloved gadgets falter against Robo Corp’s all-reaching neural attack.

While Jan, Jace, and Blip try to shield refugees from automation’s might, the team faces the mind behind it all: Ultima, a monstrous artificial intelligence with the mental firepower of a billion entities. Ultima taunts Space Ghost’s humanity, determined to sweep the cosmos into one mechanized mind and crush the ragtag resistance in a storm of metal fists.

Fighting through brainwashed crowds, robotic titans, and digital phantoms of loved ones, Jan and Jace unravel the horrible truth—Ultima isn’t just another villain, but intimately tied to their own family’s past. Their father’s consciousness is a pawn, and Blip’s neural implant is the unwitting catalyst in Ultima’s final plan for universal control.

In a breakneck finale, betrayal and loyalty drive our heroes to the edge. Jan must choose between destroying the last memory of her dad and setting the galaxy free. As the satellites fall and Ultima collapses into digital ruin, the family limps to safety while the shadow of future threats looms just beyond the starlight.

Story

David Pepose crafts a story that’s equal parts laser-blazing action and smart emotional core. Things happen fast, but there’s resonance to the heartbreak, especially as familial threads get tangled with identity and sacrifice. Dialogue crackles with wit; each hero lands their quip as surely as their punches. Although the villain’s monologues skirt cliché, the clever intertwining of Blip, Jan, and their late father with the main threat lends real gravity beneath the explosions.

Art

Jonathan Lau’s artwork is pure space opera excess, drenched in colors by Andrew Dalhouse that feel ripped from a Hanna-Barbera fever dream. The layouts are kinetic—the action is fluid, and big moments land with the impact of a meteor punch. Character designs stay true to classic forms while allowing for 2025’s sci-fi spectacle: robots tower, heroes glow, and each fight is readable even at max speed. Some backgrounds blur into chaos, and crowd scenes sometimes get muddy under the barrage of effects, but overall, this is a feast for the retinas.

Characters

Jan and Jace finally get space to shine beyond mere “sidekicks.” Jan’s emotional arc, especially, powers the issue’s biggest decisions and heartbreaks. Space Ghost himself remains more archetype than man—justice in a black cowl, inscrutable but compelling. Blip’s central role as both hostage and unwitting trigger for Ultima’s plan adds urgency and surprising pathos. Villains veer into literal mustache-twirling territory (Ultima, Robo Corp), but the high melodrama fits the cosmic mood.

Positives

Standout moments abound. From the jaw-dropping city-wide rescue to the surreal, heart-crushing reunion with a lost father’s digital ghost. The pacing is relentless but punctuated with sharp beats of humor and tenderness, especially in the sibling banter and Jan’s climactic choice. Lau’s splash pages are legit poster-worthy. The collision of big sci-fi ideas (digital collectivism vs. humanity) with personal stakes lifts this far above the average franchise riff.

Negatives

The script occasionally leans on exposition with villain speeches that throttle subtlety. There’s a hyperactive vibe which might force you to take a breather between psychic assaults, blaster volleys, and emotional mic drops. Backgrounds, while lively, become a muddy blur during certain mass-action panels, and supporting characters aside from Jan and Jace rarely get enough spotlight. If you’re allergic to melodrama or comic sci-fi excess, this may crash-land for you.

Art Samples:

Final Thoughts:

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SPACE GHOST ANNUAL #1 is the thunderous blast of cosmic pulp you didn’t know you needed—a dazzling, sound-and-fury spectacle powered by heart, family, and enough hardlight action to light up a quadrant. The story’s urgent soul and gorgeous art score big even when the volume (and melodrama) nearly hit overload.

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