GHOST RIDER #24(2008).
© Marvel Comics

Mania Grade: B
Comic Series: Ghost Rider
Issue: 24
Authors: Jason Aaron, Tan Eng Huat, Jose Villarrubia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99

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GHOST RIDER #24

In the only new place the character could go, the Ghost Rider has set his sights on Heaven. We learned several issues ago that the spirit that turns Johnny Blaze into a bike-riding flaming skeleton is actually an angel. He also belongs to a rogue angel named Zadkiel, who is laying siege against Heaven, trying to succeed where Satan failed. Needless to say, Blaze wants Zadkiel to relinquish his hold. With no way to properly get to Heaven, he seeks out those who have been “touched by an angel”—usually with devastating results. In this 24^th issue of Ghost Rider, Blaze breaks into a prison in search of a minister imprisoned for a horrific crime—one driven by Zadkiel. But, the renegade angel’s minions are everywhere, and they aren’t about to let the Ghost Rider near their master. And in a prison full of evil men, it can only mean that the Spirit of Vengeance will do what it does best in its journey to the fallen holy man at its core. 

Somebody finally got it. Jason Aaron realizes that Ghost Rider works best as a comic version of a grindhouse movie. Thus, it reads like a nasty C-grade road movie, complete with Texas accents, shotgun wielding nurses, devil-worshipping prisoners, and an inmate that loves the Bible a little too much. It would overstate the case to suggest that Aaron doesn’t take the character seriously, but he has found the right context for a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle. And, given that prisons have often served as the setting for exploitation films, it seems most appropriate for this issue. Aaron takes Blaze into a sort of Minotaur’s maze, with a hell of a monster waiting for him at the end. 

Part of the problem, though, is with the format itself. Grindhouse and exploitation films are fun because they’re bad—and badass. This issue, like much of Aaron’s run, unashamedly revels in the trappings of trash. While that makes for a fun read, it may not make for a lasting story. That may be enough for some readers. However, it seems like more could be done with the series and character, given the amount of mythology dealing with Heaven, Hell, and Faustian deals like the one Blaze made. But, those “higher” settings might not work well with a skeleton on a motorcycle. Maybe high-octane B-movie thrills are the best anyone can hope for with the old Flamehead.

Tan Eng Huat provides exaggerated pencil art for Ghost Rider, forgoing an inker and relying on Jose Villarrubia’s colors for additional detail. As such, the comic is well-drawn, but never easy on the eyes. It’s a dirty, abstract vision of Ghost Rider’s world. That serves the material well enough, but it may annoy readers that prefer a straighter approach to comic art.  

Jason Aaron has injected new life into Ghost Rider. But, he has recast it in a sort of aesthetic dungeon that will keep it as strictly B-material. That may be the best thing for this character and setting. But, one wonders if a more epic approach would serve the material even better. Regardless, this 24^th issue of the series begins a new arc by Aaron. His last one began at issue 20, and stands as the best place to begin reading the series. 

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@mania.com.