Spider-Man 2099 (2015) # 14

Cover Artist: Francesco Mattina

Published: Aug. 2016
Original Price: $3.99

Title: "Civil War 2099", Part 2
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Will Sliney
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Editor: Charles Beacham
Senior Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso

SYNOPSIS

Spider-Man has returned to the year 2099 in search of his friend, the Captain America of 2099, and has been captured by Public Eye officer Jake Gallows.  Spider-Man remembers him as the Punisher, but Gallows has no idea what Spider-Man is talking about.  Dragging him through the air, tied to the back of his flying cycle, Gallows shocks Spider-Man when the hero refuses to stop asking questions.  Suddenly, Gallows is attacked by Zero Cochrane, the Ghost Rider of 2099.  Zero knocks Gallows and his vehicle to the ground and, with Spider-Man's assistance, knocks Jake unconscious.  When a horde of Public Eye officers are seen approaching, Ghost Rider becomes excited at the opportunity to kill more of them.  Spider-Man manages to convince Zero that they can just leave, but for a moment Zero considers attacking Spider-Man himself. 

The two fly away on Ghost Rider's hoverbike, and as they evade the Public Eye Zero explains to Spider-Man about the Anti-Powers Act, which has outlawed all super-powered individuals.  Captain America learns the same from Ravage in a local bar, before he takes her to meet some of his fellow underground heroes.  Ghost Rider drops Spider-Man off at the home of Dr. Strange, but Zero departs, stating Strange "creeps me out".  Spider-Man connects with Dr. Strange and her allies, Daredevil and Moon Knight, who are planning to take on the CEO of Alchemax.  Meanwhile, the CEO has sent for his best operatives to track down the renegade heroes, the now-adult Power Pack. 

ANNOTATIONS 

This issue is a tie-in to the "Civil War II" crossover event.

Zero Cochrane, the Ghost Rider of 2099, last appeared in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 25 from 1996.  He appeared as a digital entity in 2099: Manifest Destiny # 1 from 1998, but his appearance here seems to be from a time period pre-dating that issue.  Spider-Man notes that several things about the 2099 timeline has changed, so the Manifest Destiny one-shot may no longer be in continuity.

Alternate reality versions of Zero Cochrane appeared in 2099/2009: Timestorm # 2-4 and in Ghost Racers (2015) # 2-4. 

REVIEW

Ghost Rider 2099, the genuine article this time and not an alternate reality counterpart, makes his first re-appearance in 20 years.

I'm generally a fan of Peter David, his work on X-Factor and Incredible Hulk were at worst entertaining and at best phenomenal.  Similarly, his work on the original Spider-Man 2099 series from the early 1990s was part of what made the 2099 sub-line of titles so interesting.  Unfortunately, and I'm not sure why, but his work on this new Spider-Man 2099 series just fall flat for me.  Everything about this comic is thoroughly generic, with nothing truly exciting going on other than the familiar faces popping in to bring up the 2099 nostalgia.  The dialogue reads as forced, such as the back-and-forth between S-Man and Strange about his new costume ("Do you like it?"  "No."  "I don't care.") and the characters are all about as interesting as cardboard.  None of them have personalities outside of "super-hero" and it makes the comic really, really dull to read.

Still, it IS nice to see Ghost Rider 2099 again, though even he seems...off in this appearance.  I suppose it's because the character's creator, Len Kaminski, gave Zero such a distinct personality and voice that having another writer attempt to capture it just doesn't do him justice.  There are still some signs of the old Zero shining through, such as when Spider-Man realizes his savior was seriously considering taking him out as well, simply because he didn't want to fight the Public Eye. 

The artwork on this series doesn't really thrill me, either.  Will Sliney, whose work I don't think I've encountered before, is a perfectly serviceable super-hero comic artist.  There's nothing wrong with his artwork at all, other than it being a bit dull.  There's no dynamism to his work, everything looks very static and lifeless.  Also, whoever made the decision to change Spider-Man's costume to the horrid outfit he has on in this series made a major mistake.  Sliney does a decent job on Ghost Rider, though, so there is that.

As much as this wasn't a BAD comic, it certainly was a disappointment.  I'd hoped for better results for Ghost Rider 2099, but maybe his re-appearance here will see him show up again elsewhere (though I wouldn't bet money on it).

Grade: C+

Creator Interview: Don Perlin

In April of 2011, I got to interview Don Perlin, who has drawn more issues of Ghost Rider than any other artist.  He was an absolute pleasure to correspond with and he even sent me a scan of some original Ghost Rider art to go along with the interview!

(Again, the interview references the Top Ten Ghost Rider Comics article I ran years ago and is no longer available.  Don't worry, I'll be doing a new one soon!)

1) Mr. Perlin, thank you for taking the time to do this interview For some of our younger fans, what’s a quick way to sum up your artistic career?

 

Well Chris, the quickest way is to say, "over 60 years of drawing comics of every genre from werewolves to Scooby Doo," can't beat that. 

 

2) For many years, you set the artistic standard for Ghost Rider, and to this day you still hold the record for most issues of the series drawn by a single artist. How did you get the Ghost Rider assignment?

 

Marvel had just canceled Werewolf By Night, Jim Shooter decided to try to revive the Ghost Rider which had been down graded to a bi-monthly.  I needed another series sooo...the bald guy and the flaming skull bonded.

 

3) What was your favorite part of drawing the Ghost Rider series?

I would say that my favorite part was knowing that my work played a part in bringing the Ghost Rider from a bi-monthly to a monthly book and making it popular enough to rate a movie.

 

4) Most of your run on the series was with writer Michael Fleisher. What was it like working with him? Did you have any input on the plotting?

 

Mike did not like to write in plot form which gave the artist the opportunity to add to the plot, instead he wrote full scripts which I followed, this took some of the fun out of drawing it. The writers before Mike wrote plots which allowed for greater input from me. You will find that on various occasions, I have been given co- plotting credits on many of the titles I've worked on.

 

5) Did you ever have a desire to write as well as draw, whether it was Ghost Rider or any of the other titles you worked on over the years?

 

No, not really. On occasion I would come up with plot ideas and they were used at the writers discretion. Most of the writers I worked with were happy to have an illustrator take that kind of interest. I wrote and drew an issue of Conan the Barbarian, it was # 222. I did some writing for other publishers, but that is another story.

 

6) Last year this site did an article on the Top Ten Ghost Rider Comics of All Time and one of the issues you drew (# 36, “A Demon In Denver”) came in at # 3 on the list What do you think of that?

 

Gee only #3, shucks! Only kidding!! I am flattered and awed.

 

7) You’ve had such a long career, with artistic runs on Werewolf by Night, Defenders, Bloodshot, and others. What was your favorite series to draw? Were there any characters you wanted to work on but never had the opportunity to do so?

 

I have been asked that question many times and the answer is no favorite character, I enjoyed drawing them all. Each story had it's own challenges, my joy was in meeting them and solving them. "I was born to draw but not much more." 

 

8) What did you think of the Ghost Rider movie?

 

I enjoyed it. I like Nicholas Cage, and that Ghost Rider on the flaming horse kinda reminded me of the Bounty Hunter. When the movie was showing here in Jacksonville, the members of the Florida Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society came to Jacksonville from all over the state and SURPRISED me at the theater.  

 

9) Do you have any new projects in the works? Have you moved on from the comics field, or do you still do comic work?

 

I am semi-retired. I do commissions and any interesting projects that may come my way.

 

10) Thanks again for doing the interview, are there any parting words you’d like to give to Ghost Rider fans out there?

 

I would like to thank them all for making my run on Ghost Rider a success. Lets hope the flaming skull burns eternally!

 

 

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 142

Cover Art: Fred Harper

Published: Nov. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 6: "Red Dawn"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

Tsin Hark, transformed into a demonic juggernaut, slams the Ghost Rider against the nearest wall, declaring that he should despair as he witnesses the dawn of a new millennium. The Masters of Silence continue their battle against the Army of Darkness, commenting to one another that their sole hope for victory lies with the Spirit of Vengeance - but whatever he's going to do, he'd better do it soon.

Ghost Rider fights with Hark, but his first punch only serves to make the sorcerer angry. Hark tackles the Rider to the ground, telling him that the evils of the world demand purification at his hands. Ghost Rider strikes Hark in the mouth with his chain, declaring that the evil he sees stands before him. A single drop of Hark's blood flies from his mouth, landing in the blood pool beside them. Hark's power depends upon the blood of innocent people he'd put to death, but this has now been tainted by the sorcerer's own evil blood. The pool begins to bubble and boil, and as he approaches victory of the Rider Hark finds himself weakening and losing strength. He reverts back to his elderly body in time to see the blood pool burning out of control, destroying his spells. Ghost Rider grabs Hark by the hair - "You wanted to cleanse the world of evil -- let it begin with you, demon!" the Spirit of Vengeance says as he throws Hark into the flaming blood pool. Tsin Hark's body burns with mystical flame immediately upon landing, killing him. The Army of Darkness, the warriors summoned by Hark's power, are bound to their master - and where he leads they must follow, even if that destination is the oblivion from which they came. As the warriors depart, the building begins to shake around them. As the Ghost Rider and Masters flee the building, the mystical backlash from Hark's death destroys the warehouse in which they'd been fighting.

Shortly, the four heroes stand outside the destroyed building. The Masters of Silence tell the Ghost Rider that should their paths cross again, they will consider it their honor. Ghost Rider rides away from the scene of their battle, contemplating that while the road to vengeance is a road that must be followed alone it is good to know that there exist fellow travelers.

ANNOTATIONS 

Ghost Rider appears next in Morbius the Living Vampire (1992) # 15.

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring the Foreigner, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW

"Fellow Travelers" finds its way to a conclusion that proves just as explosive and satisfying as the previous five chapters.

I've commented all along that this story had pretty much no plot to speak of, squeaking by with the bare essentials to provide action scene after action scene. Normally, this wouldn't work well at all, because while comics such as these are based around action sequences there at least has to be a credible story behind the fight scenes. This series didn't anything but the weakest "plot" to speak of - an elderly sorcerer that wants to eradicate science and go back to the old days of tradition - and it actually all takes place within about a few hours.

But still, it works.

As I've said, Kaminski was able to put just enough variables and changing details into each chapter to keep the multiple fight scenes from becoming repetitive or monotonous. That's held here in the conclusion as Tsin Hark goes mano-a-mano with the Ghost Rider before getting his ass handed to him, and it's a nice exercise in simplicity. Some stories in Marvel Comics Presents tried too hard to be complex and complicated (see the Ghost Rider/Cage team-up), resulting in some huge jumps in the narrative to recoup the tiny page count each chapter was allowed. "Fellow Travelers" didn't bother with that, and instead turned in a rousing action story that honestly reminded me a bit of the classic movie Big Trouble in Little China.

If there was a problem to be found with this story, it's that the Ghost Rider's co-stars - the Masters of Silence - really didn't serve much of a function other than to fulfill the "team-up" mandate. This is really odd, considering Kaminski was the Masters' creator, but they really do get sidelined in favor of their more popular co-star, Ghost Rider. Like I said in an earlier review of this story, I don't even know which Master was which out of the three - not exactly a good sign.

But still, the action is what sells this story, and Fred Harper and Reggie Jones do their usual splendid job. Their version of the Ghost Rider grew to be better and better with each chapter, and based on the strength of their work here I was happy to see them become the ongoing artistic team for the Ghost Rider side of MCP. Unfortunately, their work later never really hits the highs that it does on this story, but that's for another review to detail.

So overall, "Fellow Travelers" was a success. It was a dumb action movie in comic book form, and sometimes that's all you need to get some enjoyment.

Grade: B

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 141

Cover Artist: George Pratt

Published: Nov. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 5: "Army of Darkness"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

Ghost Rider and the Masters of Silence have caught up to Tsin Hark, who has used the power of innocent blood to raise the demonic warriors of a bygone era - the Army of Darkness. Hark declares that, with the power of his Army, he will scourge the Earth of the plague of science to bring forth a new golden age of tradition, starting with the deaths of the Masters and the Rider. The four heroes stand firm as the Army moves toward them - and the battle is soon joined. With each creature they destroy, more and more appear to take their place, putting them quickly on the losing side of the fight.

While the battle rages, Hark returns to the pool of innocent blood to confer with his dark gods. A voice calls to him from beneath the blood pool, telling him that there is even greater power to be had. Hark admits that it is an intriguing offer, and he accepts by cupping a handful of blood to drink.

Continuing the battle against the Army of Darkness, Ghost Rider realizes that the monsters multiply faster than they can destroy them - and that they will be completely overwhelmed in a matter of moments. If they are to prevail, they must defeat the Army's master...so the Ghost Rider simply asks the Masters of Silence to "cover me". As the Masters take the brunt of the Army's assault, the Rider makes his way to Hark, who is still kneeling before the blood pool. When Ghost Rider reaches him, however, Hark turns and grabs him by the throat - the elder man has undergone a transformation into a large demonic creature, powerful enough to destroy even the Spirit of Vengeance.

ANNOTATIONS 

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW

Fight, fight, fight - all day long. Fight, fight, fight - while I sing a song.

The ante keeps getting upped while "Fellow Travelers" moves closer to its conclusion, this time with an unstoppable "Army of Darkness" (a name that always makes me think of Sam Raimi's movie, which this story is obviously paying homage to). One thing I've noticed is that the poor Masters of Silence really haven't done much but yell "hai!" and cut things throughout this story, making each of them pretty interchangeable other than their different colored outfits and the fact that one of the three is a woman. Seriously, I have no idea which Master is which in relationship to their names. But Ghost Rider at least fares a little better, even if he is pushed back to his standard "innocent blood has been spilled" mantras of his early days.

It's more fight scenes, little plot, but Kaminski at least keeps the readers engaged during all of the carnage. This is helped considerably by Jones and Harper, who just keep knocking my socks off with each new chapter. Their close-up shot of the Ghost Rider in the bottom panel of page 6 is incredibly gritty and horrific, probably one of the better examples of how a flaming skull would probably look in reality.

One chapter left - or, more accurately, one fight scene left - until the end, people.

Grade: B

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 140

Cover Artist: Fred Harper

Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 4: "Throne of Blood"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

While the Masters of Silence fight against an army of undead creatures, the Ghost Rider is held paralyzed by a mystical parchment affixed to his head, helpless to aid his allies. The Masters realize that if they are to survive they must free the Spirit of Vengeance, and each of them throw their swords toward the Rider. The blades pass across the Ghost Rider's head, shredding the parchment and freeing him to fight. With the spell broken, the Ghost Rider enters the battle against the monsters.

Upstairs, Tsin Hark kneels down before a pool of blood and invokes his gods of the outer darkness, calling them to rise from their eternal slumber. He adds incantations written in fire on ashes to the pool of innocent blood and asks his gods to grant his request. As the shadows in the pool begin to change and move, Hark smiles and says "yes!".

Back downstairs, Ghost Rider and the Masters of Silence continue their battle, and shortly are the only ones left standing amidst the bodies of their undead enemies. They begin to search for Hark, finding a curtain behind the madman's throne. As they enter Hark's chamber, they find him standing before the blood pool. Rising from the depths is the army of darkness, a battalion of skeletal warriors clothed in ancient armor.

ANNOTATIONS 

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW

"Fellow Travelers" continues on with its paper-thin plot built around a series of action sequences, and surprisingly the quality of the first three chapters is held firm.

There's really not much else I can say about this story that I haven't covered in previous reviews. The plot is completely inconsequential, with each 8-page chapter being just one fight scene after another. There was a brief respite from the constant action in the last chapter, which went through the motions of explaining the motivations of the villain, Tsin Hark, and with that out of the way there's not much else to do but have the heroes fight their way to the end.

But as I've said, this story is still hugely enjoyable despite all the reasons why it shouldn't be. Len Kaminski successfully keeps the multiple action sequences from being too repetitive, upping the ante with more and more dangerous paper tigers in each chapter. First was ninjas, then a fight between the heroes, then the undead vampire creatures, and now - at the end of this issue - a horde of skeleton warriors. There's also just enough variation in the motions of the each fight, with the Ghost Rider's imprisonment in this chapter giving a nice little spotlight on his co-stars without it seeming forced.

We're also still getting treated to some wicked artwork by Jones and Harper. These guys can illustrate a fight scene like nobody's business, and each chapter of this story just looks better and better. I'm really warming to their interpretation of the Ghost Rider, and he looks fantastic in this chapter.

So, yeah, it's the same as before, but done in an excellent way. I'm enjoying "Fellow Travelers" more than I probably should.

Grade: B+

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 139

Cover Artist: George Pratt

Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 3: "Fangs of Fury"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

Tsin Hark, the man responsible for the deaths of countless Chinese immigrants, introduces himself, recognizing the Masters of Silence and the Ghost Rider, asking them why they have come. The Rider answers "vengeance", seeking retribution for the innocent blood that fills the ten gallon drums stored in the warehouse they've entered. As he descends from his throne, Hark tells them that he is attempting to purge mankind of the cancer of science. Once, he says, the world was pure and men were ruled by faith and tradition - but then then came a disease of the mind that caused men to discard the old ways for science. Now the world is dying and poisoned while cultures and traditions have been forgotten. Soon, he says as he approaches the warriors, science will be burned from the Earth - and they are perfect examples why.

Hark slaps a parchment across the Ghost Rider's forehead, a spell of binding inscribed upon it that holds the demon paralyzed. Hark leaps away from the Masters, who are descended upon by the Gynosii, creatures like vampires that were once the bodies of Hark's innocent victims. While the Masters fight the horde of monsters, the Ghost Rider can only look on the battle while immobilized. As the battle rages, the Masters realize that the hundreds of undead creatures are remorseless and tireless, unlike themselves.

ANNOTATIONS 

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Batroc, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW

"Fellow Travelers" rolls on at a break-neck speed, with the plot and motivations of Tsin Hark laid out in a one-page montage - if anything, one can't accuse Len Kaminski of padding his stories out with unnecessary exposition.

Hark's plan to destroy science through sorcery is pretty run of the mill, but let's face it: any kind of plot in this story is simply there to move the characters from one fight scene to the next. The first chapter gave us ninjas and the second a fight between the heroes - this one steps it up even more with the Masters of Silence fighting some Chinese vampire/zombie creatures while the Ghost Rider is taken out of the fight. It did kind of strike me as odd that Hark thinks the Ghost Rider a product of science, considering he's a big flaming demon, but I did really like the way the Rider is taken out of the fight via the mystic parchment slapped on his forehead. It illustrates that while the Ghost Rider is virtually immune to anything man made, he's very vulnerable to sorcery.

Of course, this also gives the Masters of Silence a bit of time in the spotlight, which is good considering they're supposed to be the co-stars of this story (and not mere second bananas to the Ghost Rider, which they really kinda are by default). The Masters don't have much in the way of personalities, of course, so Kaminski wisely just focuses on them kicking vampire/zombie ass. And honestly, that's all we really expect from this story anyway.

The artwork by Reggie Jones and Fred Harper continues to shine, and I still have no idea why. The duo's work on later Vengeance stories in Marvel Comics Presents wound up being pretty lackluster, but they really pull out all the stops here with the nonstop asskickery going on. It's not quite as well-rendered as last issue, but still enjoyable nonetheless.

So, yeah, plot...who needs it? Apparently not "Fellow Travelers", and for once I'm not complaining in the slightest.

Grade: B

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 138

Cover Artist: Fred Harper

Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 2: "Lightning Swords of Death"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

Outside a seemingly-abandoned warehouse, the Ghost Rider is attacked by Izanuma, Kaze, and Kaminari - the three warriors known as the Masters of Silence. With each thinking the other are assassins, the Masters engage the Ghost Rider in battle. While the Spirit of Vengeance fights valiantly, he is eventually taken down by the three ninjas. As the Ghost Rider stands once again, he tells them that they shall not deter him from his mission of vengeance. Upon hearing this, the Masters sheathe their swords, claiming that they have much to discuss. After apologizing to the Rider, the Masters state that they have also come seeking vengeance, acting on behalf of peasants from mainland China whose sons and daughters paid criminals for the chance to emigrate to America illegally. These people were murdered en route, and the Masters have traced those who took their money to this warehouse.

After this, the Ghost Rider kicks in the door to the warehouse, where the foursome finds hundreds of ten gallon drums lining the entrance. The Ghost Rider's head begins to burn brighter as he approaches the barrels - and when he punches through one, a red liquid begins to pour out. They then hear a voice behind them, the voice of the elderly Tsin Hark atop his throne, who tells them that the liquid is a rare and precious substance of great mystic potency.

Innocent blood.

ANNOTATIONS 

The names of the Masters of Silence - Izanuma, Kaze, and Kaminari - translate as "lightning, wind, and thunder".

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW

I believe that there was an unofficial rule when it came to the Ghost Rider stories that ran in Marvel Comics Presents: regardless of the character, whoever was billed as the co-star of the story would have to fight Ghost Rider in the second chapter. It was as predictable as clockwork, and this second part of "Fellow Travelers" is no different as it showcases a brutal fight between the Rider and the Masters of Silence.

There's really not much more to be said about this issue. It's a big fight sequence of the stereotypical "heroes mistake each other for villains" motif, but at least with the Ghost Rider this oft-repeated scenario makes sense. I mean, he's a demon with a flaming skull that frequently beats seven shades of hell out of anyone that crosses his path - it's easy to understand why some people would think he's a villain. We do get a bit of advancement in the (rather simple) storyline at the end, with the heroes realizing that they're on the same side. Tsin Hark's introduction on the last page is fairly ominous, with the words "innocent blood" being used for maximum dramatic effect...we all know how the Ghost Rider reacts to THOSE two little words.

The artwork by Jones and Harper really shines in this chapter. You wouldn't think it when you see the rough, scratchy style of the duo, but they can illustrate one mean fight sequence. There's still a distinct lack of backgrounds, but the sheer kinetic motion of the fight between the Rider and Masters is excellent. I'm really enjoying the artwork in this story, even if I probably shouldn't due to the sheer simplicity and occasional sloppiness.

So it's a chapter that's light on plot and big on action - but what action it is!

Grade: B+

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 137

Cover Artist: George Pratt

Published: Sep. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 1: "Rage of Honor"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

In Hong Kong, an elderly fisherman named Tsui Wu has a conversation with three others in shadow. The three tell Wu that they have reviewed his plea and are granting him their services; "we relieve you and those you speak for of the burden of vengeance". Wu thanks them, then cries for his daughter Michiko, who will finally have justice.

Much later, in New York City, Daniel Ketch sits astride his motorcycle at a pier. He looks out over the water and feels something, a calling or an omen, that causes him to ride out toward Chinatown. As he rides, he transforms into the Ghost Rider, who realizes that something has called him forth, the wailing voices of murdered innocents. He follows the feeling to its source, an abandoned warehouse. As he approaches the doors on foot, he is struck in the back by a dagger. He turns to find himself surrounded by the Golden Fist, a group of red-clad ninjas, who tell him that the penalty for trespassing is death. The Ghost Rider eagerly battles the ninjas, unaware of three robed strangers watching from nearby - three strangers who assume that the Rider belongs to Hark. After the Ghost Rider quickly defeats his attackers, he is approached by the three robed strangers, whom the Spirit refers to as "distractions". The strangers discard their robes and leap at the Rider, saying that this is the first time "distractions" has been used to describe the Masters of Silence.

ANNOTATIONS 

Ghost Rider last appeared in Gun Runner (1993) # 2.

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Ant-Man.

REVIEW

We've made it to the final "Ghost Rider Team-Up" style story that graced the pages of Marvel Comics Presents (with the remaining issues being dedicated to the "Siege of Darkness" storyline before being handed over completely to Vengeance in Ghost Rider's stead), and we're given the most odd-ball pairing of all here - yes, even more odd than Typhoid Mary from several issues back.

The Masters of Silence were characters that debuted during Len Kaminski's run on Iron Man a year or so previous to this story, and it's my feeling that the writer was probably hoping the trio of ninjas would catch on more than they did. As it wound up happening, the Masters only appeared in stories written by Kaminski himself, and - to my knowledge anyway - this is the only series outside of Iron Man where they appeared. There's really not much you need to know about them: they're mercenaries with a vengeance motif.

"Fellow Travelers" is an odd, simple little story - essentially, it's just one huge fight scene stretched out over six chapters. We've got some paper-thin motivations for the Ghost Rider's involvement and the inevitable "heroes fight each other due to misunderstanding" scene coming in the next issue. But all that's okay, because this story isn't pretending to be anything more than it is...a dumb action story.

This story is the first by the artistic team of Reggie Jones and Fred Harper, and it looks rough - really, really rough. I'm not sure how much of the "breakdowns/finishes" each artist is responsible for, considering the finished result looks a lot more like Harper's style than Jones, but what matters is that despite the rough edges there's the glimmer of potential here. The gritty, sleazy atmosphere that the artists give the story is excellent, even though there's a distracting lack of backgrounds in the last half of the chapter. Don't worry, Jones and Harper are going to get better, and there's one thing I can't deny - they draw some damn good fight scenes here and in later chapters.

Overall, "Fellow Travelers" is a middle of the road MCP story for Ghost Rider - while not as bad as some that's come before it (like the Cloak & Dagger team-up), it neither has enough story to put it with the truly great ones (such as the aforementioned Typhoid Mary story).

Grade: B-

Agents of SHIELD Episode 4.03: "Uprising"

SYNOPSIS
A group of domestic terrorists claiming to be Inhumans start knocking out all electrical power in major cities across the United States, starting in Miami.  A party attended by SHIELD agent and Inhuman Yo-Yo Rodriguez is taken hostage by a group of armed militia men looking for the "Inhuman terrorist" that they know is in attendance.  Coulson, Mack, and Fitz travel to Miami and rescue Yo-Yo, and in the process learn that the militia men are part of the Watchdogs group that have caused the blackouts using an EMP device in an attempt to frame the Inhumans.  They manage to locate the EMP device in Miami and disable it, restoring power to the city.

Another EMP attack happens in Los Angeles while Robbie Reyes and Daisy Johnson are on their way to see his uncle Eli Morrow, who worked at the lab that produced the ghost scientists and is in prison for beating one of the scientists into a coma.  When the power goes out, Robbie and Daisy race to find his disabled younger brother, Gabe, and are able to rescue him from a gang of looters.  When they get back to the Reyes' home, Robbie notices that Daisy's broken bones are in need of treatment and leaves to get her some medication.  Gabe has a talk with Daisy, letting her know that he's aware of who she is and that his brother doesn't need to be around "bad people" like her, telling her to leave.  When Robbie gets back, after the power has returned, Daisy is gone.  Gabe tells him that she left after he fell asleep.

Finally, Agent May has been taken to the home of Dr. Radcliffe by Simmons, who is trying to cure her of the madness that the ghost scientist infected her with.  They realize that in order to cure her they have to "kill her", they have to stop her heart and then resuscitate her before the disorder in her brain kills her.  They stop her heart, but before they can revive her the EMP attack hits, knocking out all of their equipment.  In order to save May, Radcliffe uses the power source from his LMD Aida to restart May's heart.

REVIEW
The Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider plot is placed in the back seat in favor of, ugh, an Inhumans plot.

I get that the Inhumans were and still are a huge part of this show's make-up, it was a central plot element of the last two seasons.  This, however, is a Ghost Rider blog and I haven't even watched the previous two seasons, so everyone knows what I'm here for when it comes to Agents of SHIELD.  That said, as much as I really don't care about anything related to the Inhumans, there are I'm sure stories that can be told about them that are interesting.  This one, unfortunately, wasn't one of those stories and it produced an episode that I nearly fell asleep through.  So I'm not going to talk much about the "A" plot of this episode and instead focus on the subplot involving Robbie and Daisy.

I'm not exactly sure what transpired last season to make Daisy a fugitive, one whose face is known by just about everybody she meets apparently, but its used to good effect here.  I think the way its being used to keep her separate from the rest of SHIELD is strained at best and idiotic at worst, but since it's allowed them to pair her up with Robbie I'm willing to forgive it.  Gabriel Luna and Chloe Bennet have a very tense, interesting chemistry when they're on screen together, and the times that this episode spends focusing on them are definitely the parts worth watching.  Bennet does "wounded martyr figure" well, and her conversation with Gabe was really well done.  Daisy/Skye was one of the worst characters in season 1, which is when I initially bailed on this show, and its good to see she's become one of the more interesting.

The changes to Robbie's backstory that he gives in this episode are ones that I'm trying to figure out, because if he's not possessed by his uncle Eli Morrow's evil spirit does that mean we're looking at a more traditional "Spirit of Vengeance" than in the comics?  It looks like we're in for an interesting mash-up of traditional Ghost Rider tropes with Robbie, which makes things more unpredictable for me while watching.  The important, surface elements of Robbie's character are all intact, so if the backstory changes to the more well-known "deal with the devil" origin for the Ghost Rider, I'm fine with that.

So this episode was a slow-down after the thrills from episode two, and I couldn't be bothered with the Inhumans stuff.  I'd happily watch this show if it was just Daisy and Robbie chasing down the Darkhold.

Phantom Rider: Sex Offender

From Mockingbird (2016) # 8

So, last week I posted the Phantom Rider Chronology list, and it was actually a huge coincidence that that very same week Marvel released the eighth issue of Chelsea Cain's Mockingbird series that featured an appearance by the Phantom Rider.  Well, ONE of the Phantom Riders anyway, the only one that people bother to bring up these days.  You don't see much of ol' Carter Slade anymore, and Hamilton Slade caught a case of lead poison back in 2010 (in, yes, a Mockingbird issue).  Why does Lincoln Slade get trotted out as the de facto Phantom in question more than his heroic kinsmen?

Lincoln was the second Ghost/Night/Phantom Rider, taking up the mantle after his brother and original Ghost Rider, Carter, died saving his life.  In a time-travel story from the 1980s West Coast Avengers series, Lincoln became obsessed with Mockingbird, then wife to Hawkeye, and kidnapped her right when her teammates were stepping through their time travel portal.  Using natural herbs and spices, Lincoln brainwashed Mockingbird into losing her memory and falling in love with him.  When she eventually broke free of her conditioning, she confronted Lincoln atop Spirit Peak.  During the fight, he fell off the cliff and she watched him die, fully able to save him but unwilling to do so since he, y'know, mentally and physically (though the last was only implied) raped her.

Lincoln came back as a ghost in the present day to haunt Mockingbird through the late 1980s, she died in the early 1990s, and when she was brought back to life in the early 2000s Lincoln was trotted out pretty quickly as her ghostly arch-enemy.  The Hawkeye and Mockingbird series of 2010 is the story that brought Lincoln Slade back, possessing the body of his great-great-granddaughter Jamie Slade, and it's a pretty great series that I highly recommend. 

From Hawkeye and Mockingbird (2010) # 3

The most recent Mockingbird series by writer Chelsea Cain saw its last issue published last week with # 8, and the storyline that had been running since # 6 featured Lincoln Slade as the villain once again.  This time, though, there was a huge bit of revisionist history introduced.  According to this series, Mockingbird had a consensual relationship with Slade that ended because he got too obsessive and clingy.  She then fought him and allowed him to die by falling off a cliff.  Instead of a rapist, the Phantom Rider was turned into, well, just kind of a dick, and she killed him for it. 

Don't get me wrong, the Phantom Rider IS a huge dick in this series, and the writer treats him as kind of a joke.  However, the story does two things: it makes Mockingbird out to be a pretty terrible person who cheated on her husband and then killed the guy she was cheating with, and it does kinda sorta rehabilitate the Phantom Rider as a character.  Now the guy doesn't have RAPIST stamped across his Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe entry, and by association perhaps the more heroic Carter Slade might get some time in the spotlight. 

(Oh, and be sure to check out Cain's Mockingbird series, because it's really, really great).