Space Ghost thrown millions of years into the past! Jace and Jan are thrown 30 years into the future! A galaxy in chaos! Time itself being manipulated by one being… Tempus the Time Master!
A battle is now waged on two fronts, as Space Ghost with Blip are on the run from the appointed Time Tyrants, consisting of Tarko the Terrible, Toymaker, Barbos the Time-Pirate, and the mischievous Sorceress. We learn when Barbos was given the time and location of Space Ghost he intentionally transported the Tyrants months ahead, anticipating their prey would be weakened and easy to subdue.
The other battle, as seen in the shocking reveal at the end of last issue, shows Jace and Jan meeting the Space Spectre once again. However it seems the future the Spectre anticipated is not the one with Tempus still in control. A Legion of Rock Robots unleashed presumably by Dr. Alan Zorket dominated the galaxy in the absence of heroes, and Space Spectre helplessly unable to fight back. The villain in the future is revealed to be more menacing and violent, a sign of the terrible times the galaxy has endured in the 30 years without Space Ghost.
As Space Ghost encounters the stable of heels, he must find a way to dispatch them without succumbing to damage and fatigue. His focus is split as he also has to worry about his companion Blip!
There’s been a consistent feeling of urgency and suspense throughout the second season of Space Ghost. The intensity in which Space Ghost made his debut has been turned and twisted into a suspenseful sprint which Vincent Price would be proud of if his masterpieces took place in a mysterious galactic future.
In Space Ghost Issue #11 Pepose and Lau have been masterful in their storytelling, with the last issue and this one pushing the sense of defeat and despair, and the tease for the next issue leaving readers wondering if things will change irrevocably forever. Splitting the heroes into two separate timelines could have serious ramifications going forward, should they ever be reunited. I enjoy how Tarko, despite being a brutish and violent warrior, is also one who regards “The Grendel” with respect on the battlefield. If anything, I’d love to see his character continue to develop over time.
I’m glad the current story arc has encompassed more than one or two issues, gives less “villain of the month” and more ongoing saga.
The battle will reach a major apex next month, and at this stage it is anyone’s guess whether time itself will survive!
Space Ghost Issue #11 is now available at your local comic book retailer.
