Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Dynamite Entertainment, January 2026
Space Ghost is a 2025-2026 comic book reimagining of the classic Hanna-Barbera Space Ghost cartoon franchise, published by Dynamite Comics, with writing duties handled by David Pepose and art by Jonathan Lau. For those who only know the character from the Cartoon Network Adult Swim parody Space Ghost Coast to Coast, it is worth remembering that Space Ghost originally debuted in the 1960s as a straight-faced sci-fi adventure hero. He was a masked lawman of space, patrolling the cosmos with his young sidekicks Jan and Jace, fighting colorful villains with names flavored by science fiction pulp. The cartoon was earnest, occasionally goofy, and very much aimed at kids.
The Dynamite series is for a modern readership. This version of Space Ghost is more serious, more emotionally grounded. Mr Pepose is willing to explore consequences, trauma, and moral compromise, without veering so far into grim/dark territory so that the title forgets its roots. It is still recognizably Space Ghost, just filtered – transfigured – through the lens of the passage of time. Mr Pepose assumes the natural audience has grown up since Saturday morning cartoons and can handle heavier themes in conjunction with laser blasts and cosmic melodrama. The colors are less pastel, more ink.
Space Ghost #8 is not new reader-friendly. The issue provides enough exposition to give readers a general idea of what is happening, but it very much assumes you already know who these characters are and the emotional baggage they are each carrying. Without either a solid familiarity with the Space Ghost property or a backread of the previous issues, this comic feels more like walking into the middle of an ongoing movie. You can follow the plot, but the emotional weight lands harder if you have the full context. We discuss that weight below.
The story in this issue centers on the villain known as The Antimatter Man. Originally a scientist named Dr. Henry Contra, he was transformed into a being composed of antimatter after a catastrophic experiment went wrong. (Why are no scientists ever killed in these catastrophic accidents?) Mr Pepose leans into the inherent tragedy of a good man rendered inhuman. Contra survives the accident, but not intact. The Antimatter Man retains fragments of his original personality, creating a Jekyll and Hyde dynamic between the compassionate scientist and the destructive force he has become. Here is an image of the original Antimatter Man from the TV cartoon:
And here is the 2026 version:
What elevates this shadowy version of the character is the added layer Mr Pepose grants him. In this continuity, Dr. Contra is revealed to be the maternal grandfather of Jan and Jace. He is not just an abstract threat or a mad scientist archetype, but family. This title’s version of Contra is older than his cartoon counterpart and portrayed as genuinely warm and affectionate toward his grandchildren. He is a man haunted by years of neglect and absence, desperately trying to make amends in the worst possible circumstances. That choice immediately reframes the conflict and gives the issue an emotional core.
From there, the story escalates quickly. The Antimatter Man goes on a destructive rampage, converting security personnel into his unwilling minions and overwhelming Space Ghost and his allies at nearly every turn. Even with Space Ghost wearing antimatter-resistant armor (a tiresome recycling of the armored Batman suit from the Batman v Superman motion picture) the heroes are clearly outmatched. This is not a situation that can be punched into submission.
The moment of respite comes when Dr. Contra’s personality briefly surfaces. Recognizing Jan and Jace, he asserts control long enough to stop the carnage, culminating in a self-sacrifice that saves the heroes. Space Ghost and his comrades win a pyrrhic victory. The immediate threat is neutralized, but no one walks away unchanged, least of all the orphaned children who have just lost their caring grandfather in the most violent and complicated way imaginable.
Putting aside the earlier disclaimer about accessibility, this is another solidly written issue from Mr Pepose. It stands out as one of the stronger chapters in the series. Mr Pepose balances character depth with plenty of dynamic action, ensuring that Space Ghost feels present and important even when he is not the catalyst for resolution. Despite the armor, this is not Batman: Mr Pepose’s tendency to occasionally push the titular hero to the side in favor of supporting characters adds texture to the narrative, and thereby prevents the series from becoming a one-note showcase for the main player. Only the dialogue skips a beat – Space Ghost occasionally sounds a little like Judge Dredd:
Jonathan Lau’s art continues to be exceptional. His balancing act is making the characters resemble their animated counterparts without making them feel out of place in a darker, more grounded setting. The action is clear and dynamic, and the Antimatter Man in particular comes across as both visually imposing and tragically human. See the page we have included in this review, above: when Contra walks away with his grandchildren, ruffling the boy’s head affectionately, with his back to the reader and his machinery in the foreground, we know that the familial affection is ending and will suffer technological intervention. Mr Lau uses an old artistic trick to advanced plot development, but there is no denying he executes it well.
Space Ghost #8 is not the easiest issue to recommend as a standalone read, but as part of the larger story, it reinforces why this series works. It respects the franchise’s past while refusing to be shackled by it, delivering a story that is equal parts superhero spectacle and family tragedy. If this is what Dynamite and Mr Pepose continue to aim for, Space Ghost remains one of the more quietly compelling reimaginings of a classic cartoon property on the stands right now.
[Editor’s note: we have reviewed previous issues of Space Ghost – see Space Ghost Vol. 2 #3 (Review) – World Comic Book Review , Space Ghost #3 (Review) – World Comic Book Review , and back in June 2024, Space Ghost #1 (Review) – World Comic Book Review .]