Ghost Rider

By: Arnold T. Blumberg
Date: Wednesday, June 27, 2001

Johnny Blaze is back. In a continuing effort to revitalize sales by constantly revisiting and revamping their existing characters (Marvel will no doubt soon seek the trademark on the "re-" prefix as well), the House of Old Ideas has brought the Spirit of Vengeance out of mothballs for yet another trip into the night down that long, lonely highway. But this time, there's the spark of something more something exciting and maybe something successful. But this is Marvel we're talking about.

Ghost Rider is one of those strange concepts a character that seemed to garner some attention during his first launch in the '70s, when a flaming skull atop a leather-jacketed biker evidently spoke to the heart of many comic book readers. Passing out of favor, the demon-possessed daredevil would remain in circulation, turning up for frequent guest roles in other Marvel titles and generally inhabiting that shadowy periphery where folks like Man-Thing and Werewolf By Night would lurk while awaiting word of a new series. Johnny Blaze himself was free of the demonic drive to leap on his wheels and avenge something or other for some time, but Blaze is back and the time is ripe for avenging. Tell Cap and Iron Man to stand down.

It's all too easy to simply go over old ground with a guy like Ghost Rider, and believe me, Marvel is capable of doing just that. But this new start for the ol' GR has a fresh look that instantly pulls you in. The distorted, detailed artwork by Kaniuga and Miki is marvelous, conveying both the gritty mundane trappings of the modern world and the hellish nightmare of Ghost Rider's demonic form in all its unholy glory. Compare this fellow to the original '70s Rider: the first incarnation sported a neatly bleached skull with a tailored black leather outfit. The new Rider, however, looks exactly as he should, as if Hell itself spewed out its most unruly denizen in denim, leather and chains. It's Spawn by way of Harley-Davidson, and it's perfect.

The first story is a bit lacking, but then premiere issues often suffer in that way. There is in the plot, however, another indication that we're in slightly darker territory, as Blaze finds himself compelled to avenge the death of a man who was run over by a truck driver. When we learn the reason for the horrible accident, it's a bit more complicated than we might expect, and in some small way it actually manages to blur the line between guilt and innocence. Can this man, who is so damaged himself, be held accountable for his actions, or is there an even greater injustice at work? The world of the new Ghost Rider is one of moral ambiguity, of grey areas. And there's bound to be lots of avenging before the night is over.

GHOST RIDER

Grade: B+

Issue: Vol. 3 No. 1

Author(s): Devin Grayson, Trent Kaniuga, Danny Miki

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $2.99