Craig Reade
December 23rd 2004, 02:20 AM
Review by: Craig Reade craigr@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Outstanding
Title: Purge
Thaddeus finds a sort of peace in his "afterlife," until he his handed the tools of his vengeance.
<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/752/sghost2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/752/sghost2.jpg" align="left" border="1"></a>Writer: Joe Kelly
Art: Ariel Olivetti
Letters: Richard Starkings
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Alex Ross
Publisher: DC Comics
Review: Well, it didn’t take long. Last issue told us everything we needed to know about <b>Thaddeus Bach</b>, and this issue showed us the culmination of his fall, and his rise as <b>Space Ghost</b>. And man if <b>Kelly</b> didn’t hit this one out of the park. Who says he can only write humor?
This issue starts with the betrayal of Bach by the members of his new team, who didn’t much like his questions about their integrity. After killing his wife and unborn child, they leave him for dead on a barren, “<b>Ghost Planet</b>.” There he laid for three weeks, until an alien by the name of <b>Salomon.</b> discovers him.
On the brink of suicide, Thaddeus instead chooses to live, and he spends several weeks chipping away at a giant rock alongside Salomon: an impossible task which becomes the outlet for his rage and thirst for death, vengeance, or both. Eventually Salomon grows to trust Thaddeus, and shares with him the secret of his own rage, and the reason for his penance at the rock. He was a maker of weapons of war, and it was his creations that wiped out all of the life on his planet. He takes Thaddeus to his workshop, and to his horror Thaddeus breaks his oath, abandons the rock, takes the weapons, and sets out to gain vengeance on the four that wronged him. And thus, <b>Space Ghost</b> is born.
I really can’t say enough about how spectacular this story has been so far – <b>Joe Kelly</b> has maintained a perfect pace for the story, and has perfectly molded it to fit the comic format. Taking this issue alone, I really think it would be possible for someone to pick this issue up on it’s own and sink right into the story. That is a real accomplishment in my eyes – especially as heavy as this story has been.
The art? What can you say about the art? I had thought this series was going to be entirely painted, but as <b>Blake Petit</b> noticed in his review, there does seem to be some digital work in there as well – mostly in the backgrounds, but sometimes the characters have that digital “glow” about them, particularly the final shot of <b>Space Ghost</b> walking. It is a visual treat as well as a fantastic read.
This title screams sci-fi to me – I have to say that of all of the sci-fi books I have read this year (and there haven’t been too many), this one has soared to the top of the stack. It has everything a great story should, and everything that makes sci-fi interesting. The characters are complicated and interesting, the story is simple but powerful, and perfectly laid out. Oh, and the hints of what is to come! This may well be the best thing I have ever read from <b>Joe Kelly</b>. I don't give 5s on ratings very often, but on it's own, the story in this issue deserves it. I can’t wait for the next one.
Ratings:
Story: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg
Art: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Overall: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpg
Buy Space Ghost products from X-World and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1542&cat=SPACE+GHOST)
Quick Rating: Outstanding
Title: Purge
Thaddeus finds a sort of peace in his "afterlife," until he his handed the tools of his vengeance.
<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/752/sghost2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/752/sghost2.jpg" align="left" border="1"></a>Writer: Joe Kelly
Art: Ariel Olivetti
Letters: Richard Starkings
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Alex Ross
Publisher: DC Comics
Review: Well, it didn’t take long. Last issue told us everything we needed to know about <b>Thaddeus Bach</b>, and this issue showed us the culmination of his fall, and his rise as <b>Space Ghost</b>. And man if <b>Kelly</b> didn’t hit this one out of the park. Who says he can only write humor?
This issue starts with the betrayal of Bach by the members of his new team, who didn’t much like his questions about their integrity. After killing his wife and unborn child, they leave him for dead on a barren, “<b>Ghost Planet</b>.” There he laid for three weeks, until an alien by the name of <b>Salomon.</b> discovers him.
On the brink of suicide, Thaddeus instead chooses to live, and he spends several weeks chipping away at a giant rock alongside Salomon: an impossible task which becomes the outlet for his rage and thirst for death, vengeance, or both. Eventually Salomon grows to trust Thaddeus, and shares with him the secret of his own rage, and the reason for his penance at the rock. He was a maker of weapons of war, and it was his creations that wiped out all of the life on his planet. He takes Thaddeus to his workshop, and to his horror Thaddeus breaks his oath, abandons the rock, takes the weapons, and sets out to gain vengeance on the four that wronged him. And thus, <b>Space Ghost</b> is born.
I really can’t say enough about how spectacular this story has been so far – <b>Joe Kelly</b> has maintained a perfect pace for the story, and has perfectly molded it to fit the comic format. Taking this issue alone, I really think it would be possible for someone to pick this issue up on it’s own and sink right into the story. That is a real accomplishment in my eyes – especially as heavy as this story has been.
The art? What can you say about the art? I had thought this series was going to be entirely painted, but as <b>Blake Petit</b> noticed in his review, there does seem to be some digital work in there as well – mostly in the backgrounds, but sometimes the characters have that digital “glow” about them, particularly the final shot of <b>Space Ghost</b> walking. It is a visual treat as well as a fantastic read.
This title screams sci-fi to me – I have to say that of all of the sci-fi books I have read this year (and there haven’t been too many), this one has soared to the top of the stack. It has everything a great story should, and everything that makes sci-fi interesting. The characters are complicated and interesting, the story is simple but powerful, and perfectly laid out. Oh, and the hints of what is to come! This may well be the best thing I have ever read from <b>Joe Kelly</b>. I don't give 5s on ratings very often, but on it's own, the story in this issue deserves it. I can’t wait for the next one.
Ratings:
Story: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg
Art: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Overall: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpg
Buy Space Ghost products from X-World and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1542&cat=SPACE+GHOST)