On Sale Date: January 2006
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Clayton Crain
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Colorist: Clayton Crain
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Cover Artist: Clayton Crain
Kazaan addresses the demons from the top of the building, telling them that it was time to declare war on man and take the Earth for themselves. Gustav's assistant, Ms. Catmint, pleads with her boss to stop what they are doing; he tells her its all her fault for following his instructions, despite her belief that it was just a bizarre hobby. Outside, at the building's entrance, Ghost Rider finds his motorcycle and reclaims it for himself. Ruth is waiting on the steps, having destroyed the demons, and Blaze tells Hoss to keep her occupied while he goes for Kazaan. Using the bodies of guards, Hoss and Ruth duel, with Hoss quickly becoming overpowered. Meanwhile, at a large crane not far away, Father Adam sits and waits with his long-range rifle.
Ghost Rider arrives at the top of the tower, but realizes that he is on the opposite side of the chasm from Kazaan and Gustav. Kazaan says that the Rider is a fool, who has been duped by Malachi. Just then, Father Adam fires his rifle, but misses his shot. Ghost Rider shoots a blast of hellfire from his mouth, which hits the crane that Adam is sitting in, making it explode. While Ghost Rider and Kazaan go back to their discussion about Malachi, Adam, who is barely alive and badly burned, grabs his gun and asks for one more chance.
From their position on the moon, angels Daniel and Malachi see the portal to Hell that Kazaan has opened in Texas, allowing an army of demons to pour out onto the Earth. They see that Hoss and the Ghost Rider are on site, which gives Malachi hope that they can reach Kazaan before the archangel Ruth. They also note that Father Adam has arrived nearby, under orders from Hell to bring the Ghost Rider back. Inside Earl Gustav's tower, which has been split in two by the escaping demons, Kazaan notes that the only two people who can reverse the portal spell now are the two of them. Ruth enters the elevator, but is restrained by demons. Hoss plows his Cadillac through the demon horde with the Ghost Rider providing defense.
Kazaan addresses the demons from the top of the building, telling them that it was time to declare war on man and take the Earth for themselves. Gustav's assistant, Ms. Catmint, pleads with her boss to stop what they are doing; he tells her its all her fault for following his instructions, despite her belief that it was just a bizarre hobby. Outside, at the building's entrance, Ghost Rider finds his motorcycle and reclaims it for himself. Ruth is waiting on the steps, having destroyed the demons, and Blaze tells Hoss to keep her occupied while he goes for Kazaan. Using the bodies of guards, Hoss and Ruth duel, with Hoss quickly becoming overpowered. Meanwhile, at a large crane not far away, Father Adam sits and waits with his long-range rifle.
Ghost Rider arrives at the top of the tower, but realizes that he is on the opposite side of the chasm from Kazaan and Gustav. Kazaan says that the Rider is a fool, who has been duped by Malachi. Just then, Father Adam fires his rifle, but misses his shot. Ghost Rider shoots a blast of hellfire from his mouth, which hits the crane that Adam is sitting in, making it explode. While Ghost Rider and Kazaan go back to their discussion about Malachi, Adam, who is barely alive and badly burned, grabs his gun and asks for one more chance.
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| Such a great visual! |
CHAIN REACTION
Ghost Rider has, at worst, taken a literal back seat to the other characters in a series named after him, and at charitable best is a small part of an ensemble cast.
There are just way too many damn characters in this mini-series, and the amount of time needed to not only introduce them but to do routine check-ins with them manages to successfully crowd poor Johnny Blaze off the page. Malachi, Daniel, Ruth, Hoss, Father Adam, Earl Gustav, Ms. Catmint, Kazaan, fucking Buttview...why are all of these characters here? Sadly, I think it's because Garth Ennis himself even admitted that he wasn't very interested in Ghost Rider as a character, so he filled the book with his own creations to try and disguise his creative malaise. I'm a big Ennis fan, going all the way back to Hellblazer, and the thought of him writing Ghost Rider was a dream come true at the time. But this series is lazy, and for someone who actually wants to read about Ghost Rider it's a big disappointment.
Blaze does at least get more to do this issue than he did in the last, where he spent the entirety of his screen time in the back seat of a Cadillac. He gets his motorcycle back and finally confronts the main villain, Kazaan, and gets a really spectacular show of power when he spits hellfire at Father Adam in the crane. It's still not enough, though, when the focus of the issue is on Ruth and Hoss. I don't care anything about them, both are stereotypical Ennis characters there only to service the plot. Service, hell, they've taken over the plot and become the nominal lead characters.
Clayton Crain, however, continues to impress with this series. His work is textured, dark (though maybe a bit too dark, to the point where it gets muddled), and fascinating to look at from panel to panel. For it to be completely computer generated art, there are no issues with characters looking stiff or posed, they emote appropriately and move believably across the page. He draws a great Ghost Rider, and his touches with the fire effects are breathtaking. I just wish he actually got to draw Ghost Rider more in this series, which is disappointing.
There's one issue left for Ennis and Crain to tie everything together, and anyone expecting Ghost Rider to step up and save the day is going to be let down big time.
There are just way too many damn characters in this mini-series, and the amount of time needed to not only introduce them but to do routine check-ins with them manages to successfully crowd poor Johnny Blaze off the page. Malachi, Daniel, Ruth, Hoss, Father Adam, Earl Gustav, Ms. Catmint, Kazaan, fucking Buttview...why are all of these characters here? Sadly, I think it's because Garth Ennis himself even admitted that he wasn't very interested in Ghost Rider as a character, so he filled the book with his own creations to try and disguise his creative malaise. I'm a big Ennis fan, going all the way back to Hellblazer, and the thought of him writing Ghost Rider was a dream come true at the time. But this series is lazy, and for someone who actually wants to read about Ghost Rider it's a big disappointment.
Blaze does at least get more to do this issue than he did in the last, where he spent the entirety of his screen time in the back seat of a Cadillac. He gets his motorcycle back and finally confronts the main villain, Kazaan, and gets a really spectacular show of power when he spits hellfire at Father Adam in the crane. It's still not enough, though, when the focus of the issue is on Ruth and Hoss. I don't care anything about them, both are stereotypical Ennis characters there only to service the plot. Service, hell, they've taken over the plot and become the nominal lead characters.
Clayton Crain, however, continues to impress with this series. His work is textured, dark (though maybe a bit too dark, to the point where it gets muddled), and fascinating to look at from panel to panel. For it to be completely computer generated art, there are no issues with characters looking stiff or posed, they emote appropriately and move believably across the page. He draws a great Ghost Rider, and his touches with the fire effects are breathtaking. I just wish he actually got to draw Ghost Rider more in this series, which is disappointing.
There's one issue left for Ennis and Crain to tie everything together, and anyone expecting Ghost Rider to step up and save the day is going to be let down big time.
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| Ghost Rider has better aim. |
Personally, I loved Hoss, liked Ruth (obviously far more evil than the "demon"), and didn't give a damn for Ghost Rider, who could, er, go to hell for all I cared.
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