Did not have Squidward making an appearance on my bingo card in Space Ghost Annual 2026. Kudos.
The story begins with our hero, sans, costume, in a rare appearance without the mask. He seems to be speaking with an entity, perhaps a conversation within his soul, debating whether to continue on as the masked vigilante. We see a trophy room of sorts, but many of these feel to carry a burden, lamenting the constant battles and potential for harm or loss.
This conversation of emotional crisis is overlayed with a recent pursuit of a criminal named Magnus, seemingly stealing an energy source, in his company an alien with reality-warping capabilities. Space Ghost watches and Jace and Jan throw themselves into danger, while it seems this entity with whom he speaks with seems to come to life, attacking at his most emotionally vulnerable.
A revelation which causes all parties to stop and re-evaluate their actions takes place, unfortunately leaving Team Ghost in a bit of an uncomfortable resolution.
There are powerful panels throughout the issue, as it seems the focus on Space Spectre, knowing the future where Jace becomes the hero in the future yet based on last issue, is doomed to die. A major decision is made by Space Ghost, with help from Jace, Jan, and Blip, setting a tone for the next season.
But wait…! It’s not over yet!
As already revealed in solicitations, we see the Evil Collector is consulted about how to mitigate threats without the aid of Space Ghost. He is revealed to possess Quasarite, a volatile-yet-controllable element from the planet Azmot. Longtime fans or users of Google can easily determine this can mean only one thing… The inevitable crossover with, The Herculoids!
The past season of Space Ghost felt like rabbit punches of emotion, while the annual came across like a European Uppercut. Jonathan Lau and Andrew Dalhouse convey the somber, pensive tone of the issue with shadows, shade, and an environment which feels grim within the panels of the self-reflection, contrasting against the wild and chaotic chase in which the team are confronted with a moral dilemma. Taylor Esposito’s lettering as always is key, however I would be remiss not to point out specifically, the lettering conveys thoughts of despair and conflict like a stake through the heart. David Pepose has crafted a tale of despair with the pursuit of hope throughout Season 2. One can only imagine what they have in store for Season 3.
