COMIC BOOKS: Space Ghost

Feb. 18—"Space Ghost" was a cool Saturday morning adventure cartoon for children growing up in the 1960s and early 1970s. and again for a short run in the early 1980s.

"Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast" was a snarky talk show featuring the space hero as talk show host for a younger generation in a comedy series that ran as part of the Cartoon Network's night-time lineup from 1994-2004.

Younger generations have no idea who or what a Space Ghost is.

In 2016, DC Comics reintroduced "Space Ghost" to a new generation and older fans in a miniseries that shucked off both the talk show parody and the Saturday morning cartoon vibes.

The "Space Ghost" miniseries is an origin story — how a law-enforcement officer became the masked hero Space Ghost. Also, it explains how he adopted the twins Jan and Jace, who accompanied him in the Saturday morning adventures. It also introduces bad guys like Zorak.

This Space Ghost is fueled by revenge, a need to avenge the murder of his pregnant wife. Something that definitely was not part of his cartoon adventures.

Joe Kelly writes a strong script that served as a gripping reintroduction of the character. Ariel Olivetti's painted panels treat the character with awe-inspiring respect.

DC knew it had an uphill battle finding its audience with "Space Ghost." It opens the book with a full page titled "Who is Space Ghost?"

Then explains how the character was part of the Hanna-Barbera stable of Saturday morning cartoon characters — the adventure characters that also included "Jonny Quest" and "The Herculoids." "Space Ghost" had 42 eight-minute episodes that aired during two seasons in the late 1960s. The character was designed by legendary comic book artist Alex Toth.

But DC's reverential revival didn't go far.

Other than the miniseries, Space Ghost teamed with Green Lantern for a storyline. and then he appears to have become a ghost once again.