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Hanna-Barbera Beyond
Future Quest Presents Vol. 1
The stars of the hit series Future Quest --the reimagined heroes of classic Hanna-Barbera animation--are back! Discover the shocking origins of Space Ghost, the Galaxy Trio and more in Future Quest Presents Vol. 1 !
Join Space Ghost, Jan, Jace and Blip as they venture deep beneath the planet of the Herculoids in search of the secret to re-forming the intergalactic peacekeeping Space Force. But there's a dangerous entity waiting in the dark, and it won't rest until it destroys the last surviving member of Space Space Ghost! Can Space Ghost and his team of interplanetary adventurers defeat the fearsome villain known as Metallus?
Back on Earth, archaeologist-turned-hero Birdman faces his toughest challenge when a group of ancient gods is resurrected--with deadly implications for Birdman and his alter ego, Ray Randall! Birdman must challenge the seemingly indestructible beings in order to protect the fate of Earth itself!
From the action-packed pages of the hit series Future Quest , the classic Hanna-Barbera characters take on new dimensions thanks to acclaimed creators Jeff Parker ( Batman '66 ), Phil Hester ( Wonder Woman ), Steve Rude ( Nexus ) and Ariel Olivetti ( Green Lantern/Space Ghost ). Collects Future Quest Presents #1-3 and #5-7.
Join Space Ghost, Jan, Jace and Blip as they venture deep beneath the planet of the Herculoids in search of the secret to re-forming the intergalactic peacekeeping Space Force. But there's a dangerous entity waiting in the dark, and it won't rest until it destroys the last surviving member of Space Space Ghost! Can Space Ghost and his team of interplanetary adventurers defeat the fearsome villain known as Metallus?
Back on Earth, archaeologist-turned-hero Birdman faces his toughest challenge when a group of ancient gods is resurrected--with deadly implications for Birdman and his alter ego, Ray Randall! Birdman must challenge the seemingly indestructible beings in order to protect the fate of Earth itself!
From the action-packed pages of the hit series Future Quest , the classic Hanna-Barbera characters take on new dimensions thanks to acclaimed creators Jeff Parker ( Batman '66 ), Phil Hester ( Wonder Woman ), Steve Rude ( Nexus ) and Ariel Olivetti ( Green Lantern/Space Ghost ). Collects Future Quest Presents #1-3 and #5-7.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2018
About the author
Jeff Parker
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 25, 2020
There are 2 stories in this volume. There is the Space ghost story which is 3 issues and the last 2 issues are about Birdman.
I used to watch Space Ghost, Johnny Quest and others on Nickelodeon while I was doing my homework. Hanna Barbera did some really great Fantasy stories at that time. Space Ghost is cool because it mixes Sci-Fy with Fantasy. On Amzot there is Tundro and Gleep, Zok, Zandor, and Tarra. They are humans and dinosaur looking fantasy creatures. Space Ghost is looking for the element Zeo to power up more of his armbands.
It's no wonder I'm such a fantasy geek. I loved this stuff as a kid. I was made for fantasy, I suppose.
The second story is about Birdman and I don't remember him as a cartoon. He has a sidekick that is a real bird named Avenger and they talk back and forth.
This was a fun and quick read with nostalgia thrown in. I know the cartoons were cheesy and they used footage over and over again, but I sort of want to see 1 or 2 just as a reminder.
There was also Jabber-jaw and Grape Ape. Man, that was was terrible stuff, but I loved watching it.
I used to watch Space Ghost, Johnny Quest and others on Nickelodeon while I was doing my homework. Hanna Barbera did some really great Fantasy stories at that time. Space Ghost is cool because it mixes Sci-Fy with Fantasy. On Amzot there is Tundro and Gleep, Zok, Zandor, and Tarra. They are humans and dinosaur looking fantasy creatures. Space Ghost is looking for the element Zeo to power up more of his armbands.
It's no wonder I'm such a fantasy geek. I loved this stuff as a kid. I was made for fantasy, I suppose.
The second story is about Birdman and I don't remember him as a cartoon. He has a sidekick that is a real bird named Avenger and they talk back and forth.
This was a fun and quick read with nostalgia thrown in. I know the cartoons were cheesy and they used footage over and over again, but I sort of want to see 1 or 2 just as a reminder.
There was also Jabber-jaw and Grape Ape. Man, that was was terrible stuff, but I loved watching it.
June 11, 2018
Jeff Parker and Ariel Olivetti flesh out Space Ghost's origins in the first half of the book. I really liked this. Parker not only sets up Space Ghost as the only only survivor of a Green Lantern type group of space cops, but also manages to give us a Herculoids appearance as well. My only complaint is that I'd have loved to see more Herculoids!
In the second half o the book, Phil Hestor and Steve Rude give Birdman a backstory. It's much darker than I'd expect of a 60's era cartoon. My favorite part though was Avenger. I like how it was established that Avenger doesn't want any part of Birdman and only sticks around because he is forced to by his collar. It's almost something that would have come out of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
In the second half o the book, Phil Hestor and Steve Rude give Birdman a backstory. It's much darker than I'd expect of a 60's era cartoon. My favorite part though was Avenger. I like how it was established that Avenger doesn't want any part of Birdman and only sticks around because he is forced to by his collar. It's almost something that would have come out of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
May 13, 2018
Having loved Future Quest vol 1 and 2 I checked this out. And my love continues. Jeff Parker does the writing duties for the first half with his Space Ghost meets the Herculoids adventure and Olivetti does the art. Both are perfect. Parker does a perfect job of reimagining the cartoons I loved as a child and makes them accessible to a more adult reader (although this would be good for a child to read). I won't get into the story but I appreciate how he cares enough to keep the stories true to the spirit of the original cartoon but takes those 2D characters and makes them 3D.
The same can be said of Phil Hester who reimagines Birdman. He takes some of the established continuity from Future Quest and focuses on a solo adventure with Birdman. The art by Steve Rude is perfect. Reflective of the cartoony nature of animation but still with enough depth to translate into a comic book. I loved Birdman as a kid and Hester (like Parker) obviously shared that love and treats the character with respect while fleshing out his background in a way the cartoon never could.
As a kid who grew up on these cartoon characters I couldn't be more thrilled with this series. Biiiiirdman!!!
The same can be said of Phil Hester who reimagines Birdman. He takes some of the established continuity from Future Quest and focuses on a solo adventure with Birdman. The art by Steve Rude is perfect. Reflective of the cartoony nature of animation but still with enough depth to translate into a comic book. I loved Birdman as a kid and Hester (like Parker) obviously shared that love and treats the character with respect while fleshing out his background in a way the cartoon never could.
As a kid who grew up on these cartoon characters I couldn't be more thrilled with this series. Biiiiirdman!!!
June 1, 2018
Space Ghost / Herculoids (#1-3). This Space Ghost story does a nice job of detailing the background of the Space Force and is backed up by beautiful art. The crossover with the Herculoids would have been wonderful if it weren't so short-lived. On the other hand, there's isn't a lot of depth to this story, which ends up being a bit simplistic [3/5].
Birdman (#5-7). This origin is much more a deconstruction of the classic HB hero. It mocks and reimagines many of the original's tropes, and provides a much darker origin story. The result is, not surprisingly, a much more intriguing comic ... but it's still somewhat simplistic, perhaps due to the constraints of a tight three-issue arc [3+/5].
Birdman (#5-7). This origin is much more a deconstruction of the classic HB hero. It mocks and reimagines many of the original's tropes, and provides a much darker origin story. The result is, not surprisingly, a much more intriguing comic ... but it's still somewhat simplistic, perhaps due to the constraints of a tight three-issue arc [3+/5].
September 25, 2024
It seemed like this would be a more interconnected story than it is up to this point. Maybe there are surprises in store for the second volume. Still it is nice to revisit the cartoon heroes of my childhood.
October 22, 2019
The first half of this volume, collecting a Space Ghost 3-issue arc, is written by Jeff Parker with art by Ariel Olivetti. Space Ghost teams up with The Herculoids in a story that sheds light on Space Ghost's origin and sets the stage for a resurgence of the Space Force that he was once a part of. The artwork has a painted look which actually works for characters originally drawn in simplified TV animation style.
Then, Birdman stars in a 3-issue arc written by Phil Hester and drawn by Steve Rude. This is also an origin/reboot. The story gets fairly dark for a property originally created as a children's cartoon. I didn't find this story as compelling as the ones with Space Ghost, perhaps because I've never been a big Birdman fan. At least this story tries to uplift the character to more than a generic superhero in tights. Rude's art is very good.
Note: I read this as individual comic book issues.
Then, Birdman stars in a 3-issue arc written by Phil Hester and drawn by Steve Rude. This is also an origin/reboot. The story gets fairly dark for a property originally created as a children's cartoon. I didn't find this story as compelling as the ones with Space Ghost, perhaps because I've never been a big Birdman fan. At least this story tries to uplift the character to more than a generic superhero in tights. Rude's art is very good.
Note: I read this as individual comic book issues.
March 19, 2018
There's always going to be conflict for me when it comes to enjoying the HB titles put out by DC. There is a nostalgia factor, as I watched many of these shows growing up. There is the part of me that thinks I shouldn't support old material (and this cover my video and paperback reading too).
But, at the worst these are fun titles, and if my daughter was younger a great gateway drug to comics. The Space Ghost stories in this collection are building more on the back story that Space Ghost was once a member of a now devastated interstellar police force (hit all of my Green Lantern and Smith's Lesnmen buttons there).
The Birdman stories try to give the character something he never really had in the shorts. An origin and background story.
Great no. Fun, yes. Guilty Pleasure definitely.
But, at the worst these are fun titles, and if my daughter was younger a great gateway drug to comics. The Space Ghost stories in this collection are building more on the back story that Space Ghost was once a member of a now devastated interstellar police force (hit all of my Green Lantern and Smith's Lesnmen buttons there).
The Birdman stories try to give the character something he never really had in the shorts. An origin and background story.
Great no. Fun, yes. Guilty Pleasure definitely.
September 14, 2018
These are great comic adaptations of some of my favorite cartoons from my childhood. Great art and story that remain faithful to the original characters. Very recommended
July 7, 2018
The Space Ghost portion was great...but the Birdman part really brought this book down.
July 29, 2021
One of the effects of the many corporate mergers that have taken place over the last few decades is that the rights to the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons are now owned by Warner Communications, the same folks that own DC Comics. A few years back, to help preserve the trademarks, a number of HB-related comic books were published, including a critically-acclaimed version of The Flintstones and a “Future Quest” line that brought together many of the adventure and superhero characters from the cartoons.
Most of the Hanna-Barbera hero cartoons were pretty shallow. When you’re aiming a twelve minute story at say eight year olds, it’s most important that you convey, “here is a hero with amazing powers. He fights evil and wins.” Things like backstory, deep characterization or who the hero is when he’s not fighting evil just aren’t relevant.
But for comic books aimed at a somewhat older audience, these topics become important. Thus this series, which went over the origins of some of the characters. Volume 1 contains issues 1-3 and 5-7, covering Space Ghost and Birdman respectively.
The Space Ghost story written by Jeff Parker with art by Ariel Olivetti uses a premise we’ve seen in other adaptations for the character. A la the Lone Ranger, the Ghost is the sole known survivor of the Space Force, a law enforcement unit that was wiped out by a cosmic menace. In this story, he needs to obtain more of the rare mineral that powers the Space Force’s power-bands. This requires him to return to the scene of one of the Space Force’s greatest failures and face the consequences of that failure.
The story also explains why Space Ghost is raising Jan and Jace, his teenage sidekicks, and their pet monkey Blip. We also get an appearance by the Herculoids, and their stone ape Igoo helps the Space Ghost crew in their mission.
The Birdman story written by Phil Kester with art by Steve Rude is perhaps a bit darker in its implications. Birdman knows that he is archaeologist Ray Randall, and still possesses those skills, but remembers almost nothing of his personal life before becoming Birdman and gaining the light powers of Ra. He’s been dealing with this primarily by just being a superhero full time.
It turns out that his origin ties into a cult run by Mentok the Mind-taker. They have somehow gained the ability to summon “gods” for various effects, and an early semi-successful result was merging Ray Randall (undercover at the time) with “Ra” and creating Birdman. Now Mentok wants to summon the Fleshless God to make Earth silent, but he’ll need Birdman out of the way.
Birdman’s amnesia makes him manipulatable as he can’t dispute what other people tell him about their relationships or what he did in the past. We also see some of Mentok’s past; he has suffered greatly, and is perfectly willing to sacrifice everyone else, even his own cultists, to stop that suffering.
Avenger, Birdman’s mentally linked hawk, is a sarcastic cuss who gives the story a bit of comic relief.
Both stories are well written and have good art, but I prefer the Birdman story, not least because I really dig Steve Rude’s art, and there’s more emotional depth.
Recommended for superhero fans, especially those that liked the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
Most of the Hanna-Barbera hero cartoons were pretty shallow. When you’re aiming a twelve minute story at say eight year olds, it’s most important that you convey, “here is a hero with amazing powers. He fights evil and wins.” Things like backstory, deep characterization or who the hero is when he’s not fighting evil just aren’t relevant.
But for comic books aimed at a somewhat older audience, these topics become important. Thus this series, which went over the origins of some of the characters. Volume 1 contains issues 1-3 and 5-7, covering Space Ghost and Birdman respectively.
The Space Ghost story written by Jeff Parker with art by Ariel Olivetti uses a premise we’ve seen in other adaptations for the character. A la the Lone Ranger, the Ghost is the sole known survivor of the Space Force, a law enforcement unit that was wiped out by a cosmic menace. In this story, he needs to obtain more of the rare mineral that powers the Space Force’s power-bands. This requires him to return to the scene of one of the Space Force’s greatest failures and face the consequences of that failure.
The story also explains why Space Ghost is raising Jan and Jace, his teenage sidekicks, and their pet monkey Blip. We also get an appearance by the Herculoids, and their stone ape Igoo helps the Space Ghost crew in their mission.
The Birdman story written by Phil Kester with art by Steve Rude is perhaps a bit darker in its implications. Birdman knows that he is archaeologist Ray Randall, and still possesses those skills, but remembers almost nothing of his personal life before becoming Birdman and gaining the light powers of Ra. He’s been dealing with this primarily by just being a superhero full time.
It turns out that his origin ties into a cult run by Mentok the Mind-taker. They have somehow gained the ability to summon “gods” for various effects, and an early semi-successful result was merging Ray Randall (undercover at the time) with “Ra” and creating Birdman. Now Mentok wants to summon the Fleshless God to make Earth silent, but he’ll need Birdman out of the way.
Birdman’s amnesia makes him manipulatable as he can’t dispute what other people tell him about their relationships or what he did in the past. We also see some of Mentok’s past; he has suffered greatly, and is perfectly willing to sacrifice everyone else, even his own cultists, to stop that suffering.
Avenger, Birdman’s mentally linked hawk, is a sarcastic cuss who gives the story a bit of comic relief.
Both stories are well written and have good art, but I prefer the Birdman story, not least because I really dig Steve Rude’s art, and there’s more emotional depth.
Recommended for superhero fans, especially those that liked the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
March 30, 2019
Eu sei que tem gente que está vibrando com grande parte dessas HQs novas da DC Comics feitas para reimaginar os personagens dos desenhos animados da Hanna-Barbera. Mas eu não sou tão empolgado com isso não, sorry. As pessoas nas redes sociais cosntumam reclamar que as histórias de super-heróis não são mas boas nem mais empolgantes, mas pagam pau direto para esse tipo de história bem mediana da Hanna-Barbera. Então, vai entender esse pessoal? Future Quest Presents traz histórias focando em determinados heróis da minissérie Future Quest. Neste primeiro volume, os dois que recebem atenção são Space Ghost e o Homem-Pássaro. São histórias burocráticas e que cumprem suas tabelas, pelo menos pela parte do roteiristas Jeff Parker. O melhor desse encadernado certamente se encontra na arte. O argentino Ariel Olivetti empresta sua arte digital às histórias do Space Ghost e o virtuose Steve Rude dá suas tintas retrô para a história do Homem-Pássaro. A história do Space Ghost é bem melhor que a do Homem-Pássaro, por exemplo, mas eu prefiro a arte de Steve Rude. Enfim, fora coisas aqui e ali, esse selo da Hanna-Barbera não me empolga muito não.
January 4, 2019
Una secuela a los sucesos de "Future Quest", nos presenta dos historias que a la vez muestran más de los orígenes de mis dos héroes favoritos de Hanna-Barbera, "Space Ghost" y "Birdman" (el original no la porquería pirata que utilizó Iñárritu).
En general la primera aventura que es la de Space Ghost es la más floja, ambas son presentadas como si fueran en esencia capítulos de las viejas series, con el twist que nos presentó la saga en sus números anteriores, más que 5 es un 4.5 por la aventura de Space Ghost, pero Birdman lo rescata al final porque... Pues porque hace el grito de "Biiiiiirdmaaaaaan" y eso vale por sí solo 3 estrellas.
Recomendado si siguieron la saga anterior, si les gustan los personajes de acción de Hanna-Barbera, son historias sencillas, cursis pero ahí está su grandeza, el bien triunfa contra el mal.
En general la primera aventura que es la de Space Ghost es la más floja, ambas son presentadas como si fueran en esencia capítulos de las viejas series, con el twist que nos presentó la saga en sus números anteriores, más que 5 es un 4.5 por la aventura de Space Ghost, pero Birdman lo rescata al final porque... Pues porque hace el grito de "Biiiiiirdmaaaaaan" y eso vale por sí solo 3 estrellas.
Recomendado si siguieron la saga anterior, si les gustan los personajes de acción de Hanna-Barbera, son historias sencillas, cursis pero ahí está su grandeza, el bien triunfa contra el mal.
September 19, 2018
Featuring two separate stories starring Space Ghost and Birdman, Future Quest Presents hewed closer to the original cartoons than did the much superior Flintstones reboot. That's not the say the stories weren't good fun, though, and a little bit deeper than I expected. Space Ghost nurtures some orphans and fights an underground villain who is not what he seems. Birdman takes on Mentok in a battle over a girl who might be his daughter. Like I said, a little deeper than you might expect, but not the societal mirror that was the Flintstones reboot.
August 25, 2019
Of the Hanna-Barbera re-imaginations, the original Future Quest was one of my favorites. Now, this new series, Future Quest Presents, continues with new stories for those heroes.
This edition has two three chapter stories: A Space Ghost story where he explores the Herculoids planet, and a Birdman "origin story" of sorts. Both are really good twists on those characters, and the stories don't overstay their welcome.
Again, of all of the comics in this series, Future Quest keeps being the best ones.
This edition has two three chapter stories: A Space Ghost story where he explores the Herculoids planet, and a Birdman "origin story" of sorts. Both are really good twists on those characters, and the stories don't overstay their welcome.
Again, of all of the comics in this series, Future Quest keeps being the best ones.
April 10, 2019
Wow! Everything I've read in the DC Hana Barbera reboot has been awesome! They need to keep going and fans need to catch on! The writing is nostalgic for those who remember bit exciting for newcomers. Would totally buy SPACE GHOST or BIRDMAN titles with these creative teams. Every one seems to be having fun.
July 23, 2018
I liked this, but I wasn't really sure what the point was. It seems like these are perfectly good stories that only really, really work if you liked the original cartoon?
But are they related? Do they serve any purpose?
But are they related? Do they serve any purpose?
April 20, 2019
Good stuff, especially the Space Ghost story.
January 16, 2024
Jeff Parker's fantastic reimagining of the 60s and 70s Hanna-Barbera animated characters in Future Quest was an excellent read, full of everything that makes comics great: excitement, strong, interesting, and admirable larger-than-life characters, and ideas as big as the adventures that they inspired. Parker, who is one of my favorite comic writers, brought the two-dimensional cartoon characters to life in a rich, fully-imagined world, while also remaining true to their cores from their original incarnations. The main Future Quest series was an epic adventure bringing all of the HB characters together to face a space-spanning menace, but the "Presents" series is a smaller-scale spin-off, focusing on small groups of the characters and exploring their backstories and settings in more depth.
This first volume features two stories, one starring Space Ghost and his young charges, Jace and Jan, along with Blip, the ever-dependable space-monkey, and one starring Birdman and his feathered friend Avenger. The first is by Jeff Parker and Ariel Olivetti, while the second is by Phil Hester, who I hadn't encountered before, and Steve "The Dude" Rude. Both stories are enjoyable and exciting, as well as offering interesting expansions of their respective characters' backstories.
The Space Ghost tale follows his team as they attempt to attain the resources they need to rebuild the Space Force. Unfortunately, the rare element they need to make more power bands to equip such interstellar errants can only be found deep inside dangerous caverns on the wild world of Amzot, home of the Herculoids. In fact, Space Ghost recruits everyone's favorite rock-skinned ape, Igoo, to accompany their expedition, and he makes for a fun addition to the team. Yet, deep within the planet a threat connected to the history of the Space Force awaits their arrival.
The story is a solid adventure, with an interesting set of challenges faced by the heroes, good action, and enjoyable additions to the mythos. It provides a glimpse of the Space Force in its glory, before its destruction, which is fun to see, as well as a brief explanation of how Jan and Jace came to be Space Ghost's wards. The writing is sharp and the art is gorgeous, with an interesting, painted style. The only real problem with this tale is that each of the individual elements, from the history of the Space Force to the backstory of our young heroes, to the intriguing villain, is quite interesting and begs for more exploration. As I always say, if the worst you can say about a story is that you want more from it, it's not too bad.
The second adventure is very different in style, but it also expands the world and backstory of its main character, Birdman. It follows the hero, who we discover was once an archeologist named Ray Randall but who has now forgotten almost everything about his former life, as he encounters an enemy from that forgotten past. A mysterious cult is summoning the powers of lost gods from around the world. As Birdman and the secret agents of Inter-Nation try to combat the cult, they discover that their goals are far grander than they had imagined. Behind the magic and the gods, there is a sinister mind, one connected with Randall's origins and the power of Ra that made him Birdman.
While the setting and the characters were the highlights of the Space Ghost story, the emotional stakes and concepts are the highlights here. We get a fascinating glimpse of both Birdman's origins and who he is as a character, and there's a nobility to him that I quite enjoyed. I really liked Parker's version of him in the original series, and Hester builds on that incarnation admirably. In addition, the central conflict is rather captivating, with a villain who is well-realized in a small amount of space and who becomes both sympathetic and frightening, which is impressive. Rude's art is also gorgeous, though very different from the first story's type of excellence. It's perfectly suited for this tale, capturing the emotions and the mental and nightmare themes.
All-in-all, this is a good read. If you read the original Future Quest books, this is a very enjoyable expansion of that world.
This first volume features two stories, one starring Space Ghost and his young charges, Jace and Jan, along with Blip, the ever-dependable space-monkey, and one starring Birdman and his feathered friend Avenger. The first is by Jeff Parker and Ariel Olivetti, while the second is by Phil Hester, who I hadn't encountered before, and Steve "The Dude" Rude. Both stories are enjoyable and exciting, as well as offering interesting expansions of their respective characters' backstories.
The Space Ghost tale follows his team as they attempt to attain the resources they need to rebuild the Space Force. Unfortunately, the rare element they need to make more power bands to equip such interstellar errants can only be found deep inside dangerous caverns on the wild world of Amzot, home of the Herculoids. In fact, Space Ghost recruits everyone's favorite rock-skinned ape, Igoo, to accompany their expedition, and he makes for a fun addition to the team. Yet, deep within the planet a threat connected to the history of the Space Force awaits their arrival.
The story is a solid adventure, with an interesting set of challenges faced by the heroes, good action, and enjoyable additions to the mythos. It provides a glimpse of the Space Force in its glory, before its destruction, which is fun to see, as well as a brief explanation of how Jan and Jace came to be Space Ghost's wards. The writing is sharp and the art is gorgeous, with an interesting, painted style. The only real problem with this tale is that each of the individual elements, from the history of the Space Force to the backstory of our young heroes, to the intriguing villain, is quite interesting and begs for more exploration. As I always say, if the worst you can say about a story is that you want more from it, it's not too bad.
The second adventure is very different in style, but it also expands the world and backstory of its main character, Birdman. It follows the hero, who we discover was once an archeologist named Ray Randall but who has now forgotten almost everything about his former life, as he encounters an enemy from that forgotten past. A mysterious cult is summoning the powers of lost gods from around the world. As Birdman and the secret agents of Inter-Nation try to combat the cult, they discover that their goals are far grander than they had imagined. Behind the magic and the gods, there is a sinister mind, one connected with Randall's origins and the power of Ra that made him Birdman.
While the setting and the characters were the highlights of the Space Ghost story, the emotional stakes and concepts are the highlights here. We get a fascinating glimpse of both Birdman's origins and who he is as a character, and there's a nobility to him that I quite enjoyed. I really liked Parker's version of him in the original series, and Hester builds on that incarnation admirably. In addition, the central conflict is rather captivating, with a villain who is well-realized in a small amount of space and who becomes both sympathetic and frightening, which is impressive. Rude's art is also gorgeous, though very different from the first story's type of excellence. It's perfectly suited for this tale, capturing the emotions and the mental and nightmare themes.
All-in-all, this is a good read. If you read the original Future Quest books, this is a very enjoyable expansion of that world.
September 11, 2018
It's funny, for all the years that I watched the original Space Ghost cartoon and later Space Ghost Coast to Coast (which has nothing to do with the original, I know) That I never knew an origin for Space Ghost and his assistants Jan and Jace.
Well the first part of this book is exactly that. Giving him a background as a sort of outer space Lone Ranger, puts the character into perspective. And allowing him to team up with the Herculoids (who got a bit of a back story in the previous Future Quest volumes and gets a little more here.) is a fun continuation not only of the original characters adventures but of the Future Quest story line. Plus I love the Herculoids!!! They were my favorite as a kid, so this gets an automatic star just for including them!!! The second half of the book is an adventure with Birdman. I didn't care much for this one, as a lot of the story involved Birdman's backstory which I felt had already been adequately covered in the earlier Future Quest volumes. In fact it almost felt like a COMPLETE retread of the Birdman arc from the previous books so it was a little bit of a let-down there.
The art is a mixed bag too. The Space Ghost/Herculoids story is fully painted, giving it an Alex Ross kind of feel to it. The Birdman art looks a little odd - like it was deliberately copying a 60's period Marvel comic. Plus the colors were off, like you were looking at the old yellowed pages of a comic. Maybe this was the intention but compared to the glitzy art from the front end of the book, it looked glaring and tacky.
Hope to hear more from Future Quest, especially if they do a standalone Herculoids story.
Well the first part of this book is exactly that. Giving him a background as a sort of outer space Lone Ranger, puts the character into perspective. And allowing him to team up with the Herculoids (who got a bit of a back story in the previous Future Quest volumes and gets a little more here.) is a fun continuation not only of the original characters adventures but of the Future Quest story line. Plus I love the Herculoids!!! They were my favorite as a kid, so this gets an automatic star just for including them!!! The second half of the book is an adventure with Birdman. I didn't care much for this one, as a lot of the story involved Birdman's backstory which I felt had already been adequately covered in the earlier Future Quest volumes. In fact it almost felt like a COMPLETE retread of the Birdman arc from the previous books so it was a little bit of a let-down there.
The art is a mixed bag too. The Space Ghost/Herculoids story is fully painted, giving it an Alex Ross kind of feel to it. The Birdman art looks a little odd - like it was deliberately copying a 60's period Marvel comic. Plus the colors were off, like you were looking at the old yellowed pages of a comic. Maybe this was the intention but compared to the glitzy art from the front end of the book, it looked glaring and tacky.
Hope to hear more from Future Quest, especially if they do a standalone Herculoids story.
October 10, 2020
While no longer a major crossover with characters, Future Quest continues with short stories focusing on smaller groups of aventure heroes from Hanna Barbera's classic repertoire. The first story focuses on Space Ghosts attempts to rebuild the Spacec Force. Jan, Jace, and Blip join him as they head to the homeworld of the Herculoids to locate the powerful metal used to construct the bands used by the Space Force. They find more than just an abandoned mine and end up fighting for their lives.
The second story, Birdman ends up looking back on his past as archaeologist Ray Randall while fighting a power foe who uses the emotions of those around on him to call up the powers of gods from various folklore in an attempt to gain power. Will Birdman be stong enough to overcome his dark past in order to take on Mentok?
This was so much fun. The short stories remind me a lot of the storytelling found in the old cartoon episodes. Defiitely worth a read for fans of the old shows.
The second story, Birdman ends up looking back on his past as archaeologist Ray Randall while fighting a power foe who uses the emotions of those around on him to call up the powers of gods from various folklore in an attempt to gain power. Will Birdman be stong enough to overcome his dark past in order to take on Mentok?
This was so much fun. The short stories remind me a lot of the storytelling found in the old cartoon episodes. Defiitely worth a read for fans of the old shows.
July 23, 2023
I loved Future Quest and wanted a bit more of the universe I decided to read this volume.
Two stories, first is Space Gost in a quest to create a new Space Force with the help of Jan and Jace anfter Omnikron's defear. And faces some energy monsters.
The best story is with Birdman. We follow him in a mission to fight a strange cult that's somehow reviving ancient gods to do their bidding.
Ray is confronted by a woman who tells him he's the father of her comatose son and asks him to help with the power of Ra.
A pair of thrilling adventures with jawbreaking art that leave you wanting for much more.
Two stories, first is Space Gost in a quest to create a new Space Force with the help of Jan and Jace anfter Omnikron's defear. And faces some energy monsters.
The best story is with Birdman. We follow him in a mission to fight a strange cult that's somehow reviving ancient gods to do their bidding.
Ray is confronted by a woman who tells him he's the father of her comatose son and asks him to help with the power of Ra.
A pair of thrilling adventures with jawbreaking art that leave you wanting for much more.
February 25, 2022
Not a bad continuation as we see Space Ghost team up with the Heculoids to help him start rebuilding the space force and Birdman dives more into his past as he battles ancient gods. It is pretty good even if the art style for the Space Ghost/Heculoids art style just feels weird to me and it one of those things where I am not sure why as I actually liked the Space Ghost/Heculoid story more then the Birdman story.
January 16, 2021
Há duas histórias, uma do Space ghost outra do homem pássaro. Aventuras dignas de serem lidas, as ilustrações são esplêndidas, umas das primeiras HQ's que li e adorei mesmo tudo sobre ela. No final como sempre tem uma galeria de capas!
March 25, 2021
A first volume looking at 2 of Hanna Barbera,s heroic cartoon characters with a look at the origins of Space Ghost and Birdman. Some nice old school artwork from Phil Hester and Steve Rude.
August 25, 2024
The Space Ghost / Herculoids story is excellent. The Birdman story is just ok.
January 19, 2023
A graphic novel continuing the new adventures of Hanna Barbera characters. This volume includes two stories. Space Ghost & his sidekicks go searching for more of the element Zeo to make the power-bands which are the source of their abilities. They travel to the planet Amzot to an ore mine & also meet up with the Herculoids. In the second story Birdman & his bird-kick Avenger battle a villain with mind-powers & Birdman discovers some of his forgotten past.
If you remember these characters from the classic cartoons, I am sure you will love re-visiting them here. If you don't know them then this volume might be a good introduction. It is meant to follow the two volumes of Future Quest, but as there is no continuing plot from these books, you could easily start with this one & vol 2 of Future Quest Presents, then move on to the multi-character story in Future Quest, which also includes Space Ghost & Birdman amongst others.
A good book with two interesting stories & terrific artwork. I would recommend this.
If you remember these characters from the classic cartoons, I am sure you will love re-visiting them here. If you don't know them then this volume might be a good introduction. It is meant to follow the two volumes of Future Quest, but as there is no continuing plot from these books, you could easily start with this one & vol 2 of Future Quest Presents, then move on to the multi-character story in Future Quest, which also includes Space Ghost & Birdman amongst others.
A good book with two interesting stories & terrific artwork. I would recommend this.
May 22, 2020
Weird that this collection jumps about, rather than just collecting the whole series. It was only 12 issues.
Anyway, to be honest, the Space Ghost arc is the weaker of the two, which is weird because it features a guest appearance by the Herculoids and the other story is Birdman.
Surprisingly, the Bird man arc was the better of the two.
The attempt to build a backstory works better, the art is better and it was fun.
I love Space Ghost, but like Judge Dredd, he should never take off the mask!
Anyway, to be honest, the Space Ghost arc is the weaker of the two, which is weird because it features a guest appearance by the Herculoids and the other story is Birdman.
Surprisingly, the Bird man arc was the better of the two.
The attempt to build a backstory works better, the art is better and it was fun.
I love Space Ghost, but like Judge Dredd, he should never take off the mask!
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