This is what happens when you take Frank Castle aka the Cosmic Ghost Rider and give him his own episode of Drunk History with paradoxical repercussions. Some Spoilers Ahead.
Written by Paul Scheer & Nick Giovannetti
Illustrated by Gerardo Sandoval
Inked by Victor Nava
Colored by Antonio Fabela
Lettered by VC’s Travis LanhamAfter he already altered history by kidnapping Thanos as a baby and temporarily changing the entire Marvel Universe, Frank Castle is a man stuck in the past with too much time on his hands. How will he spend his days until he can find a way home? By destroying Marvel history of course!
Comedian/actor Paul Scheer tries his hand once again at writing a Marvel comic, but it isn’t as funny as you might expect. Silliness and heart swirl into this wacky romp as he and co-writer Nick Giovanetti take control of the Cosmic Ghost Rider. They unexpectedly, and thankfully, reel in his zany personality while pushing his need to mess with the universe into overdrive. While the extreme violence and Deadpool-like quips work very well with this type of anti-hero, knowing that his human-self is Frank Castle/The Punisher doesn’t completely work for the character. They are starting to even out and blend who he was with who he is now. This isn’t so much a new adventure as it is a collection of Fantastic Four stories with a lost-in-time Frank Castle inserting himself into their history out of boredom and curiosity. Moving between “what if” storytelling and new material sprinkled throughout. They have big shoes to fill as the great Donny Cates exits writing the character (for now).
Quickly pushing through a re-cap to catch new readers up with exactly who and what the Cosmic Ghost Rider is, we get right into the new narrative. This older, undead, and superpowered version of Frank Castle visits his wife and kids one day before they are supposed to die. Passing himself off as his own uncle, he convinces his wife Maria to let him watch Frank Jr. while she picks Lisa up from school. He wastes no time sharing his secret with the boy and jumps right into telling insane stories of how he was at the center of the cosmic event that formed the Fantastic Four and played a key role in other major moments including the first appearance of the Silver Surfer, Galactus, and even The Thing’s death. He relishes the chance to tell Frank Jr. the crazy tales of being a “superhero.”
The two writers compliment each other while executing the humor and somewhat darker emotional beats. There are some wonderful character beats throughout the conversation as well. Frank Jr. talks like a real kid and it works as this wonderful mirror to the insane stories Castle is throwing at him. Long time and casual fans will enjoy seeing so many characters throughout the pages, but most of it adds up to little more than just fleeting moments. Compiled like a greatest hits volume on fast forward, there is nearly no cohesiveness and the pace feels more clunky as the issue progresses, especially towards the end. For the most part the series of anecdotes moves along at a decent clip, but as he reaches the end of his time with his son, it begins to feel as desperate Frank must. He is throwing anything out there to keep the moment from ending. Seeing characters speak, not in the dialogue they actually spoke in the moment, but in Frank’s own words as he tells each story is undeniably funny. It is one of the best comedic elements here and it isn’t over-used so when it pops up it stays fresh.
It is this format that makes a story like this tough to feel one way or another about. While there is no real depth to this issue, it is still an incredibly fun read and that is the point when it comes to stories like this. The writing speaks to the 8 year old comic book fan in all of us. Depending on how you feel about that will completely determine how you digest this comic. This story achieves exactly what it set out to do, whether or not you enjoy it is completely up to your preferences. It’s an enjoyable read from start to finish, even if it hits a few speed bumps here and there.
Continued belowSandoval’s pencils are competent as he draws his way through the Marvel universe. Because the story moves through various eras, he makes slight changes to certain character details to shows an evolution, but overall the recounted sequences have a highly detailed modern style seen through a late 80s filter. The same can be said for the inking and color. Fabela’s work on the flashbacks is excellent. Finely layered and colored with a muted palette that loosely calls back to that fuzzy line where the Bronze Age met the Modern Age. The interlude portions are OK. The drawing style and colors are basic, modern Marvel. Nothing special, but it gets the job done. It’s there and it works, but none of it looks nearly as good as those flashbacks.
This is a good start to what could be a great miniseries. I’m not sure it will stand up to the quality of the last arc, but I am rooting for it. Fans who are enjoying this insane and over-powered character will undoubtedly enjoy the story that’s being told. Decent writing and passable art carries this premiere along, but it isn’t the strongest C.G.R. story we’ve received. Hopefully the idea of what this character could be doesn’t surpass what readers ultimately receive.
Final Verdict:: 7.5, A funny and wild time that throws readers through major moments in Marvel History, specifically events surrounding the Fantastic Four.
