Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by Matthew ClarkSpecial POINT ONE Issue. HELL’S OWN ANGEL RETURNS IN ALL NEW POINT ISSUE THAT LEASDS STRAIGHT TO THE NEW GHOST RIDER ONGOING SERIES! With the events of FEAR ITSELF tearing the Earth apart a mysterious and powerful figure offers Blaze a faustian pact and a chance for peace. Can Blaze actually allow himself to ‘Give Up The Ghost’? And, if so, who will the Ghost Rider pass onto next? The souls of Johnny Blaze and everyone within the Marvel Universe depend on this decision. Vengeance rides in a new direction with Rob Williams (Throwbacks, Daken) and Matthew Clark (Superman, Doom Patrol). Grab your leather, metal and hellfire because it’s the end of an era for Ghost Rider and the beginning of a new life for Johnny Blaze. It’s gonna get loud! FIRE!
I have one collection of Ghost Rider in my comic book library. That’s it. I’ve read stories with Ghost Rider, but I’ve never actively read anything starring Ghost Rider. However, the point of these Point One books from Marvel is to intrigue readers into trying out books they might not normally read, right?
Well, let’s give it a shot. Follow behind the cut as I give the new Ghost Rider a spin.
If there is one thing I am finding to be true lately with Marvel books I’m trying out, it’s that the more I see the name “Rob Williams” on a cover, the more likely I am to enjoy the book. He’s 4 for 4 now (not including the Spidey back-up), which is rather impressive for a creator that I don’t go out of my way to read. It just so happens that in my decision to try out books I normally wouldn’t read with these Point One issues or tie-in issues, Rob Williams has been successful every time. It happened with Daken #9.1, and now it’s happening again.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve only ever bought one Ghost Rider story. I’m fairly familiar with the character history as I am every comic book character’s history, but not in any way that would actively call me a fan. It’s not that I don’t want to be a fan of Ghost Rider; it just never happened. However, right away from reading the new Point One title I’m intrigued enough to want to see more. Williams has crafted a dark and humorous little adventure that gives a brief look into the life of one Johnny Blaze in an issue that will forever change the character and thus, as the Point One is supposed to do, give new readers the perfect jumping on point for a series. It’s clear that Williams understands this, and he does this to a great extent for new readers.
Ghost Rider Point One follows a day in the life of Johnny Blaze as Fear Itself rages around the world. You’d think that a creature like the Ghost Rider would want to take part in it, but Johnny Blaze is only really interested in drinking and keeping away. However, as the world crumbles around it, Johnny is given a simple offer: he can get rid of the Ghost Rider curse, but it will be given to someone he doesn’t know somewhere out there in the big blue yonder. Johnny, being the dark but upstanding citizen that he is, declines the offer and instead decides to do a little bit to help keep the peace around him, as only Johnny – not Ghost Rider – can.
The story as it goes is a nice set-up for things to come. It’s a simple premise; of course Johnny Blaze, a former biker, would want to just hang out and drink. As such, Williams writes a very sarcastic and snarky Blaze with a sharp accent as only a Brit can, full of that dry and trademark wit that (not to stereotype, of course!) most British people are known for, like Cornell and Gillen. This leads to a funny Nirvana reference (which led me to recommend the book on alone) and enough redneck humor to make this version of Ghost Rider an entertaining read. Williams feels comfortable writing Blaze, and it’s odd that he’s so quickly ditching the character for a new one. At the same time, though, it actually makes perfect sense. Williams is coming on board to make a fresh Ghost Rider, in the same way that Jason Aaron did when he elaborated the Ghost Rider mythology (in that one collection of Ghost Rider I own). This issue honestly feels a tad like a eulogy to what made Ghost Rider an entertaining character: drinkin’ and fightin’ while savin’ the world from vampires and demons. It works.
Continued belowOf course, the issue isn’t perfect. Williams writes a very snappy Ghost Rider, but when it comes to the rest of the world the book falters a bit. This is a mild spoiler, but there is a scene in which Ghost Rider is knocked unconscious and brought in by a woman whom he saves living down in Mexico, where he is apparently hanging out. Of course, as the scene begins Blaze is awakened by a little boy named Cesar holding a soccer ball who – randomly, for no real reason – begins kicking it up in the air indoors in the background of a scene. On the very next page, while being served breakfast, Johnny gets angry out of nowhere, screams, turns into the Ghost Rider and zooms away in a fit of rage. On the one hand, it’s somewhat understandable what this scene was trying to illustrate: we have a character who is embittered at the world, and this leads to his eventual decision to transfer the Ghost Rider curse to someone else. On the other hand, it’s just an excessively brief scene that plays out quickly, oddly, and a bit ham-fisted. The soccer ball thing is gratuitous, and Blaze’s behavior just seems unnecessary, given that his goal was to save this woman, and all she did was return the favor.
The other thing I’m not crazy about in the book is the art. Williams did a Ghost Rider one-shot during Shadowland, and it feature Clayton Crain on art. While Crain is obviously not everyone’s cup of tea, the man understood that Ghost Rider should be a dark read, bleak even. This title just seems infinitely light, though. Clarks pencils are impressive, and for a bike that is streaking balls of fire, the amount of details are impressive. It’s Schwager’s colorings after the fact that really give the title an odd look to it. I enjoyed the very bleak version of Crain’s art for the Shadowland one-shot, and despite the fact there are enough flames to make this the brightest book on the market it theoretically shouldn’t be. Instead it should be dark enough to match the tone of the book, which is rather depressing all things considered.
However, the book’s main feature – which features Johnny becoming rid of the curse – is a rather impressive scene as Blaze quite literally breaks free of the ties that bind. While the entire sequence is a tad bit unclear in theory (how exactly does riding through Hell make you loose of a demon from Hell?), it’s a visually entertaining bit.
All in all, Ghost Rider Point One was a success in that it makes me want to read more. That’s the goal, and it succeeded. With the bit at the end teasing what’s to come through the year, there is enough here to hook me for another issue. Williams promises a crazy and over the top series akin to grindhouse entertainment. Given that Ghost Rider will a) be a girl and b) become heavily involved with other heroes and villains in the Marvel U (despite Johnny’s “I’m not a super hero” beliefs), this should be a fun new run in Ghost Rider – and sometimes, “fun” is more than enough reason to stick with a book.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
