Space Ghost #10: Enter the Time Master

Tempus The Time Master finally makes himself known. For nine issues Space Ghost has been hinting at this villain. Unlike his first Space Ghost run where members of the Council of Doom were introduced almost one per issue, Pepose has dropped info in only a handful of panels here and there. Space Ghost #10 finally goes all in with a full on attack by the Time Master.

Pepose sets the Time Master up expertly. Space Ghost #10 starts with the villain’s introduction in an alternate universe where he has wiped the floor with that universe’s Space Ghost. The issue then cuts to the series’ primary universe where Space Ghost, Jace, and Jan are taking on the Council of Doom–a fight that is difficult but winnable by the collective power of the trio of heroes. Surely they can stand up to anything.

Space Ghost’s last few issues have balanced action with rich, sometimes very emotional character moments. This was especially the case with the conclusion of the last two issues’ Anti-Matter Man story arc. There are no character development concerns here. Pepose goes big starting right on Space Ghost #10’s first page. This is good pacing for the series overall. The character exploration feels at an end for now as a new chapter begins.

Time Master’s design is ideal for the kind of battle Space Ghost #10 delivers. Lau gives his robes a constant sense of movement. Liberal shading makes the robe appear to swirl in different ways in each panel. This implied movement creates a sense of power over Space Ghost who frequently feels at a stand still relative to his enemy. Time Master’s face provides the opportunity to add detail that, by virtue of his mask, is usually missing from Space Ghost’s. An angular jaw, heavier shading along his cheekbones and eyes, and a furrowed brow implies an age well beyond Space Ghost. Dalhouse’s use of a faded green for Time Master’s skin further contributes to this sense.

The larger battle is a highly detailed affair. Close-ups on the trio of heroes repeatedly emphasize shock, reinforcing how out of their depth they are in this fight. Lau doesn’t always draw backgrounds in close-up panels, but in general the backgrounds he does draw are very detailed, as are objects that the characters interact with. Different levels of shading, from patches of a few thin lines to larger fields of black create a sense of depth–characters are in front of explosions that are in turn in front of buildings, and so forth.

Dalhouse’s coloring contributes to this depth and dimension. Despite Space Ghost #10’s fight being an extravaganza of powers and fire, Dalhouse’s coloring never takes over the visuals. His and Lau’s work blend together in a way that they don’t always do. The result is that rather than certain images popping off the page, their importance emphasized over other images, the action here is a non-stop run of rich, compelling images, each bursting off the page in high detail.

Esposito’s work stands out here as a major contributor to the visual experience. Dialogue is repeatedly emphasized in yellow font that bursts out of dialogue bubbles. Sound effects, sometimes panel spanning, add even more heft to a fight that is totally out of control from the moment it begins.