Dynamite Entertainment reviews 9/16/26 – Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1
Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1 takes the regular Space Ghost creative team that’s already established a brilliant run on the title and adds in another beloved 1960s Hanna Barbera franchise.
In what shouldn’t be a surprise to regular Space Ghost readers, Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1 is a thrilling kickoff to the mini-series with some big surprises. Not the least of which actually paying off the implied battle early on in the issue.
Things get off to a wild start as the Herculoids put a massive beatdown on Space Ghost. Their leader, Zandor, is harboring some serious resentment toward Space Ghost and the Galactic Federation. Artist Jonathan Lau crafts a powerful display at the raw strength and finely honed abilities of the Herculoids, which is even more impressive considering how formidable Space Ghost has been portrayed in his own series.
Writer David Pepose turns the clock back to three weeks ago on the Herculoids home planet where Zandor’s son, Dorno, is having serious premonitions. Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1 reveals that some of Dorno’s fears have been realized as Zandor and half of the Herculoids are on a quest for revenge.
Meanwhile, Space Ghost, Jan, Jace and Blip are dealing with a heist by Krugar and his space pirates. Krugar uses a rare crystal to dramatically enhance his strength and abilities allowing Space Ghost a rare opportunity to cut loose with his powers.
This prompts the arrival of Mekkano on the behalf of his master, Dr. Arko Diem, the federation’s chief warden. Diem has earned the dubious nickname of The Evil Collector, which would be a red flag nickname if it weren’t what he literally does as the warden.
Still, Pepose doesn’t exactly hide that Diem is not completely on the up and up by sending Space Ghost and his charges to stop the Herculoids, who already utilize Quasarite, the pure form of the crystal, to terrorize federation outposts. Diem asks that Space Ghost and crew keep the Herculoids busy while he whips up a containment ray.
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Space Ghost wisely doesn’t want to blindly head into a battle. He wants to consider the options especially if it involves putting Jan and Jace in harm’s way. Before he can make up his mind, the Herculoids attack making the collision course at the center of Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1 inevitable. Kudos to Pepose for the setup for this fight so the misunderstanding isn’t clumsily done.
Zandor and the Herculoids feel every bit justified for their aggressive actions prompting what appears to be the start of a spirited opening battle between the two squads.
Lau can’t be accused of slacking off with any issue, but he finds yet another level to take his art in Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1. There are plenty of intense action sequences and Lau’s usual unique perspectives to help tell Pepose’s story.
Colorist Andrew Dalhouse utilizes a mix of bold colors to elevate the dramatic moments. Dalhouse is one of the more effective colorists at maximizing the contrasts of dark blacks against bright primary colors without losing the intent of the scene.
Letterer Taylor Esposito delivers cleanly arranged dialogue and dynamic sound effects. With so many various creatures throughout the issue, Esposito makes sure to craft distinct fonts for them, energy effects and property destruction.
Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1 absolutely delivers on its promise with an intriguing opening act and a sensible reason to pit these two groups against each other. It’s already shaping up to be a fun ride and with this creative team it’s all but assured to be one of the better reads to close out 2026.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: Dynamite Entertainment
After reading Space Ghost vs The Herculoids 1, check out Space Ghost Vol. 2: Beware the Council of Doom on trade paperback on Amazon.
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