Inner Demons Episode 18: "Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Hellfire"

Happy Holidays from Inner Demons!  As our gift to you, we present this special mini-episode dedicated to the Christmas season, which would surely warm our souls had we not already sold them to the Devil.  In this Ho-Ho-Horrific episode Brian and Chris take a fond look back at the Ghost Rider stories from Marvel Holiday Special (1992) # 1 and Marvel Holiday Special 1994 before finishing off with 2016's Ghost Rider X-Mas Special # 1!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Inner Demons Episode 17: "Hanging Out In a Bookstore With Blade"

Inner Demons is finally back to throw out tons of unnecessary exposition and tell you a whole lot of stuff about nothing particularly important!  This episode has Brian and Chris braving the wilds of new Ghost Rider material by reviewing Spirits of Vengeance (2017) # 2 & 3 and Thanos (2016) # 13.  Only one of those titles has a Cosmic Space Ghost Rider that is also a Herald of Galactus...the other one has a bookstore?  Exciting!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Buy This Comic

I realize it's been quite a long time since I've posted anything of note here on the blog, that will hopefully change soon.  In the meantime, I want to point out that all Ghost Rider fans should pick up Thanos # 13 by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw that came out this week.  You absolutely will not regret it.

SERIOUSLY, READ THIS COMIC.

Inner Demons Episode 16: "Hellfireface"

After too long a delay Inner Demons is back with another new episode!  This time Chris and Brian are talking about Iceman getting dating assistance from the Champions and little kid Spirits of Vengeance on flaming Big Wheels, among other things.  Reviewed this episode are Iceman # 6-7 and Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur # 24. Also, as a special flashback section, we review two 1990s promotional comics: Marvel Collector's Edition (1992) # 1 from Charleston Chew and Ghost Rider Collector's Edition (1993) # 1 from Kaybee Toys!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Podcast Update

Just to update everyone who's waiting for the next episode, there won't be a new one released this week.  Personal lives have intruded on our recording schedule, so we're forced to push back the next release by a week or two.  So sorry everybody, thanks so much for all your support for the show!

Inner Demons Episode 15: "Canadian Bacon"

After a bit of a delay, Inner Demons is back with a brand new attack!  This episode Chris and Brian take a look at two new Ghost Rider related comic releases, namely Marvel Legacy # 1 and Spirits of Vengeance # 1!  Then, in place of our regular classic reviews, we take a fond look back at a Very Special Issue from Ghost Rider history, Amazing Spider-Man: Hit and Run # 3.  Remember to always wear your helmets when riding your bicycles, kiddos!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Bad Timing

This morning I posted the newest episode of Inner Demons for everyone to download and listen to, and in that episode Brian and I discussed Ghost Rider # 5 from 1973.  That issue featured a villain named Roulette attacking Las Vegas and destroying a casino, killing lots of people in the process.  We recorded this episode over a week ago, and I had it scheduled in advance for today's release.  The episode went live this morning, and I thought nothing else about it when I announced the release here and on the Vengeance Unbound Facebook page.

Obviously, I wasn't considering that Las Vegas had just experienced a mass shooting at a concert on Sunday night that claimed 59 innocent lives.  Had we recorded this episode after that incident, our conversation would have certainly been a lot different.  When creating material for entertainment, in this instance discussing a comic book that was published 40 years ago, we have no way of accounting for a real life tragedy.

So, if listening to the episode this morning with no warning of the content has made you upset, I absolutely understand.  It wasn't until a listener sent me a message saying that it was a little too early to be talking about mass murder in Las Vegas that I even realized how our content was now being viewed a hell of a lot different than normal.  If you don't want to listen to that section, skip ahead about 45 minutes to completely bypass our review of Ghost Rider # 5.

Thanks to Jason Hall for pointing this out to me, it certainly wasn't my intention to upset anyone with the content. 

Inner Demons Episode 14: "Ms. Jemima Catmint: Spirit of Vengeance"

Do you get frustrated when the villain you're trying to give your Penance Stare to turns out to be a robot?  Do you hold the popular belief that all motorcyclists should be lined up against a wall and shot?  Do you ever become angry when you realize your freedom from Hell was all just an elaborate game where you were the witless pawn? Then welcome to our magic floating castle everyone, Inner Demons is back with another new episode!  Brian and Chris take a look back at Ghost Rider (1973) # 5, Ghost Rider (1990) # 10, Ghost Rider (2005) # 6, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 8!  

Warning: This episode contains talk about a scene of mass death and destruction in Las Vegas, which was recorded before the Las Vegas shooting on 10/1/17.  If you do not wish to listen to that section, please skip ahead 37 minutes.

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Inner Demons Episode 13: "Edge of Orbverse"

We've got Spider-Man to the left of us, Spider-Man 2099 to the right, and now we're stuck in the middle with Thor!  Inner Demons is back with unlucky episode # 13, and this episode we look at Marvel Team-Up (1972) # 15, The Mighty Thor # 429-430, Ghost Rider (2005) # 5, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 7!  This episode was recorded before the news broke of Len Wein's passing, an unfortunate coincidence that this episode featured us looking back at his one time writing Ghost Rider.  R.I.P. Mr. Wein.

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Inner Demons Episode 12: "Ghost Passenger"

Hope everyone's ready to cruise around in the back of a Cadillac, because Inner Demons is back with a new episode!  Brian and Chris examine Ghost Rider (1973) # 4, Ghost Rider (1990) # 9, Ghost Rider (2005) # 4, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 6.  Always remember: flaming skulled stunt biker vigilantes can totally hide behind rocks in the middle of the night and not be seen by dune-buggy driving police officers.  That information might save your life some day.

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Inner Demons Episode 11: "Total Eclipse of the H.E.A.R.T."

Unzip your pants and let your tentacle appendages loose for the newest episode of Inner Demons, the 'net's best (i.e. only) Ghost Rider podcast!  This time Brian and Chris turn a critical eye toward Edge of Venomverse # 3, where Robbie Reyes totally tongue kisses Mr Hyde (spoilers ahoy, of course).  Then the classic reviews shine a light on Ghost Rider (1973) # 3, Ghost Rider (1990) # 8, and Ghost Rider (2005) # 3!  Finally, stick around 'til the end of the episode for a very special creator interview with a legendary Marvel Comics creator!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Lost Spirits of Artwork

I realize that it's been a while since I've posted any new content, and for that I apologize.  I've been taking some time away from blogging/reviewing comics the last few weeks to deal with some personal stuff (not the least of which is impending eye surgery on the 23rd of August, yikes!), so that's why Vengeance Unbound has been relatively quiet of late.

Don't worry, though, because the Inner Demons podcast is still going strong, and in fact we just recorded the 11th episode last night! There's going to be a very cool creator interview in the next ID episode, so everyone be on the lookout for it when it's posted this weekend!  

And, just because I don't want to go TOO long without spotlighting something here on the blog, I thought I'd post a few pieces of artwork for everyone to enjoy.  These were all covers that had originally been commissioned for publication, but for various reasons never saw the light of day.  If this is the first time you're seeing them, awesome!  Hope you enjoy!

This first piece of art is from Salvador Larroca from his time as Ghost Rider artist in the mid 1990s.  Specifically, this was originally the cover for Ghost Rider (1990) # 65, the conclusion of the "Ghost Rider In Chains" story-arc.  That issue's cover (and contents) were altered last minute when the book was drafted into the "Over the Edge" crossover, but the original cover art made its way online.  Awesome!

Next comes this piece from Trent Kaniuga, the artist on the Ghost Rider: The Hammer Lane mini-series.  This art piece was originally the cover for the follow-up miniseries "Ghost Rider: Redux" that was in the works by "Hammer Lane" creative team Devin Grayson, Kaniuga, and inker Danny Miki.  While the series never made it to publication, this fantastic piece of art survived!

Marko Djurdevic was the cover artist during Jason Aaron's run on Ghost Rider in 2008, and this was an unused cover piece by him that was scrapped when the art direction went in a more humorous tone.  There are several other unused cover drawings by Djurdevic, all of which can be seen in the Ghost Rider by Jason Aaron Omnibus!

Finally, there's this awesome cover drawing for Spectacular Spider-Man # 207 from 1994, which was originally supposed by a direct tie-in to the "Siege of Darkness" crossover event!  When the story content changed and Ghost Rider was dropped as the issue's guest-star, the cover had to be scrapped.  Still, it's an awesome piece of artwork!

If anyone has any other unused Ghost Rider cover images they'd like to send my way, please do so and I'll include them here on the blog!

Inner Demons Episode 10: "No Donuts For Bad Cops"

The tenth episode of Inner Demons comes at you like a flaming chariot pulled by demon horses!  Chris and Brian take a critical look back at Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 12, Fantastic Four # 347-349, Ghost Rider (2005) # 2, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 5.  Highlights include: the Son of Satan living in a heavy metal album, Ghost Rider as Spider-Man and the Hulk's stern older brother, and Ghost Rider 2099 barbecuing his own human body!  Tell me that's not worth the price of admission, folks!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and feel free to send us a message.  Thanks for listening!

31st Century Spirit of Vengeance Chronology

Cover Artist: Jim Valentino

At the request of reader Alex Maki, here's a chronology of Wileaydus Autolycus, the Spirit of Vengeance of the 31st century!  This character is an interesting side-note to the Ghost Rider legacy, and his creation and presence actually say a lot more in subtext than one would think.  Created by Jim Valentino in 1991 during the writer/artist's run on Guardians of the Galaxy, Wileaydus was an alien possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance, making him a future iteration of Ghost Rider.  He lived on the planet Sarka, which was ruled by an oppressive religion called the Universal Church of Truth.  The Church went about policing their world with practices straight out of the Spanish Inquisition, and was actually a priest in the Church in his human guise.  As the Spirit of Vengeance (never called "Ghost Rider", just "Spirit of Vengeance"), Wileaydus fought against the Church's regime but was often just as judgmental and murderous as his enemies.

Eventually, Wileaydus came into contact with the Guardians of the Galaxy.  This was the original incarnation of the team, the 31st century group with characters like Vance Astro and Starhawk, not the modern day movie star team.  After some expected misunderstandings and clashes, the Spirit of Vengeance became an ally to the Guardians and was drafted into a spin-off group called the Galactic Guardians (original, yes, I know).  This team included other future versions of Marvel heroes, such as Phoenix, Firelord, and Wonder Man.  Following the conclusion of the 90s' Guardians series Wileaydus fell into limbo and has yet to make any more appearances.  But who knows, maybe he'll pop up again in some time travel story down the line?

Most interestingly is what he means to the Spirit of Vengeance concept, that subtext I mentioned earlier.  He's not from Earth, he's an alien with no contact or knowledge of humanity, yet he's possessed by an entity seemingly created by the Christian deity of Earth.  Does this mean Yahweh is the "one true god" of every planet, race, and civilization in the universe and has created Spirits of Vengeance to police all of them?  Does this mean the Spirit of Vengeance somehow made its way across the stars to settle on another world after Earth's near-destruction in that future timeline?    A story that detailed just HOW Wileaydus Autolycus became a Ghost Rider is one I would be truly interested in reading, though the likelihood of ever seeing that is slim to none.

1991
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 13
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 14

1992
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) Annual # 2

1993
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 34 (cameo)
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 35
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 36
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 37

1994
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 47 (cameo)
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) # 50 (cameo)
Galactic Guardians (1994) # 1
Galactic Guardians (1994) # 2
Galactic Guardians (1994) # 3
Galactic Guardians (1994) # 4

Ghost Rider Collected Editions, or the Lack Thereof: Redux

Marvel recently let loose a preview book to retailers that details all of their trade paperback and hardcover/omnibus releases through April of 2018.  Naturally, I poured through the catalog in hopes of seeing some new Ghost Rider collections, because we're damn sure due a few, and lo and behold I found a whopping ONE listing, for the new SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE mini-series.

That pisses me right he hell off, people.

In that same catalog is listings for books like "Werewolf by Night Classic Volume 2" and "Ka-Zar Masterworks Volume 2".  Those are characters that I'm sure have fans of their own, and I'm not trying to knock any attempts to release Marvel's awesome back catalog of comics.  When Ghost Rider gets ignored in favor of those niche characters, though, I am simultaneously disappointed and surprised.  I had hoped that Marvel had more Ghost Rider collections coming, after the release of the "Rise of the Midnight Sons" and "Hearts of Darkness" trade paperbacks, but apparently they think fucking Ka-Zar has more of a chance at selling copies than Ghost Rider.

So, for my own benefit more than anything else, I've put together a list of Ghost Rider collections that Marvel NEEDS to make happen.  How can they expect the character to catch on with a wider audience if there's nothing printed for them to read?  I'm going to break this down into a couple of different categories, and you're going to see some repeats in material.

OMNIBUS EDITIONS - The Omnibus is honestly my favorite way to see comics collected, because they look awesome on a bookshelf and they can pack in a LOT of material in one volume.  However, the price point for most of these, usually $100 or more per book, can turn away anyone other than the most die-hard collectors.  So far, Ghost Rider has had only one Omnibus edition published, which collected the Jason Aaron run.  That should be rectified with the following:

Ghost Rider: Johnny Blaze Omnibus (Volume 1)
Collects: Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider (1972) # 5-11, Ghost Rider (1973) # 1-9 & 11-20, Marvel Spotlight on the Son of Satan (1972) # 12, Marvel Team-Up (1972) # 15, Marvel Two-In-One (1973) # 8, Daredevil (1964) # 138
Written by: Gary Friedrich, Tony Isabella, Len Wein, Steve Gerber, and Marv Wolfman
Illustrated by: Mike Ploog, Tom Sutton, Jim Mooney, Ross Andru, George Tuska, Sal Buscema, Frank Robbins, Herb Trimpe, and John Byrne

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Omnibus (Volume 1)
Collects: Ghost Rider (1990) # 1-24, Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness, Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 64-71, Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) # 28
Written by: Howard Mackie and Roy Thomas
Illustrated by: Javier Saltares, Mark Texeira, John Romita Jr., Ron Wagner, Larry Stroman, and Chris Marrinan

Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes Omnibus
Collects: All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 1-12, Ghost Racers (2015) # 1-4, Ghost Rider (2016) # 1-5, Ghost Rider X-Mas Special # 1, Secret Wars: Secret Love # 1
Written by: Felipe Smith and Method Man
Illustrated by: Tradd Moore, Damion Scott, Juan Gedeon, Danilo Beyruth, Felipe Smith, and Anthony Piper

MARVEL MASTERWORK EDITIONS - These are the really high-end collections of Marvel's Silver and Bronze Age comics.  These hardcover editions usually come with restored pages and in some cases touch ups on color and print quality.  The only Masterwork collection to feature Ghost Rider to date has been last year's Champions collection, and it's a shame that such a seminal character of the 1970s has been neglected in this format.

Marvel Masterworks: The Western Ghost Rider
Collects: The Ghost Rider (1967) # 1-7, Western Gunfighters (1971) # 1-7, and the back-up stories from The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 3-5, 7-13, & 15-20
Written by: Gary Friedrich, Len Wein, Dan Slott, Tom Brevoort, and Mike Kanterovich
Illustrated by: Dick Ayers

Marvel Masterworks: Ghost Rider (Volume 1)
Collects: Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider (1972) # 5-11, Ghost Rider (1973) # 1-9, and Marvel Spotlight on Son of Satan (1972) # 12
Written by: Gary Friedrich and Tony Isabella
Illustrated by: Mike Ploog, Tom Sutton, Jim Mooney, and Herb Trimpe

OVERSIZED HARDCOVERS - These are the same size dimensions as the Omnibus editions, but generally collect a much smaller amount of comics.  These can fit side by side with the Omnibus volumes on a bookshelf, though, and would be the perfect format for the following books:

Ghost Rider by Garth Ennis & Clayton Crain HC
Collects: Ghost Rider (2005) # 1-6, Ghost Rider (2005) Director's Cut # 1, Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears (2007) # 1-6, and Shadowland: Ghost Rider # 1
Written by: Garth Ennis and Rob Williams
Illustrated by: Clayton Crain

All-New Ghost Rider HC
Collects: All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 1-12
Written by: Felipe Smith
Illustrated by: Tradd Moore, Damion Scott, and Felipe Smith

EPIC COLLECTIONS - These are high-end trade paperbacks, which collect a LOT of comics in chronological order, printed out of sequence (so you could have a "volume 4" of the back catalog printed first, for example).  These have the goal of printing all of Marvel's evergreen/tent-pole titles in a recognizable numbered order, sort of like color versions of the Essential books from years ago.  Naturally, a Volume 1 of Ghost Rider would include the same material as the first Masterworks volume I listed above, so I'm going to go another route:

Ghost Rider Epic Collection: The Curse of Jonathan Blaze (Volume 5)
Collects: Ghost Rider (1973) # 63-81
Written by: Michael Fleisher, Roger Stern, and J.M. DeMatteis
Illustrated by: Luke McDonnell, Jack Sparling, Tom Sutton, Don Perlin, and Bob Budiansky

TRADE PAPERBACKS - Naturally, there are some comics that need to be collected, but either a) don't warrant an expensive hardcover or omnibus or b) wouldn't fit within the confines of the Epic Collections.

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Classic Volume 3
Collects: Ghost Rider (1990) # 21-27, X-Men (1992) # 8-9, and Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness
Written by: Howard Mackie and Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by: Mark Texeira, Ron Wagner, Jim Lee, and John Romita Jr.

Spirits of Vengeance: Midnight Massacre
Collects: Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 7-13, Ghost Rider (1990) # 39-40, Nightstalkers (1992) # 10, Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins (1992) # 11, and Morbius: The Living Vampire (1992) # 12
Written by: Howard Mackie, Dan Chichester, Chris Cooper, Larry Hama, and Gregory Wright
Illustrated by: Adam Kubert, Joe Kubert, Ron Garney, Vince Giarrano, Kirk Van Wormer, Rurik Tyler, and Ron Wagner

Ghost Rider: In Chains
Collects: Ghost Rider (1990) # 56-66
Written by: Howard Mackie
Illustrated by: Salvador Larroca

Ghost Rider 2099 Volume 1
Collects: Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 1-12
Written by: Len Kaminski
Illustrated by: Chris Bachalo, Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, and Kyle Hotz

Ghost Rider: The Last Temptation
Collects: Ghost Rider (1990) # 87-93, Ghost Rider (1990) # -1, Venom: Sign of the Boss # 1-2, and Ghost Rider: Finale
Written by: Ivan Velez Jr.
Illustrated by: Javier Saltares, Karl Kerschl, Josh Hood, and Tom Derenick

Ghost Rider by Rob Williams: The Complete Collection (New Printing)
Collects: Ghost Rider (2011) # 0.1 & 1-9, Shadowland: Ghost Rider # 1, Amazing Spider-Man/Ghost Rider: Motorstorm # 1, and Venom # 13, 13.1-13.4, & 14
Written by: Rob Williams, Rick Remender, and Jeff Parker
Illustrated by: Matthew Clark, Clayton Crain, Lee Garbett, Sana Takeda, Tony Moore, Emanuella Luppachino, Dalibor Talajic, Brian Ching, Lan Medina, and Julio Totino Tedesco

There you go, Marvel, there's your marching orders.  Seriously though, I realize that many of these are longshots, especially stuff like "In Chains" and "The Last Temptation", but it sure would be nice to see those get collected for new readers to discover.  I'm telling you, Marvel Collections Department, you are underestimating how many fans there are of Danny Ketch and Ghost Rider 2099, you might just be surprised by how well some of these would actually sell.

Rant over!

Inner Demons Episode 9: "The Self-Righteous Spider-Man!"

E-Mail the Body Banks and get 'em ready for rush hour, Inner Demons is back with a new episode!  Brian and Chris talk about the Marvel Legacy announcements and what it means for future Ghost Rider comics by giving an impromptu math lesson!  On the review docket this episode are Ghost Rider (1973) # 2, Spider-Man (1990) # 6 & 7, Ghost Rider (2005) # 1, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 4!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and feel free to send us a message.  Thanks for listening!

Spirits of Vengeance and the Champions Reunited for Marvel Legacy

So, lots of information has been released this week about the two Ghost Rider related titles that are part of Marvel's fall "Legacy" relaunch.  ICEMAN, by writer Sina Grace and artist Robert Gill, are reuniting the Champions, including Johnny Blaze, for a two-issue storyline!  Meanwhile, what everyone assumed was a new ongoing SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE series is actually a 5-issue mini-series by writer Victor Gischler and artist David Baldeon.  Huh, didn't see the mini-series news coming, but I think I prefer that over it being launched as an ongoing series and then get cancelled 5 issues in like the last GHOST RIDER series.  Anyway, here's the solicitation artwork and text for both books!

SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #1 (of 5)
VICTOR GISCHLER (W), DAVID BALDEON (A)
COVER BY DAN MORA
WAR AT THE GATES OF HELL Part 1
A dead angel. A silver bullet. A kept promise. For ages, the war between Heaven and Hell raged in the unseen corners of society, both sides in delicate balance that could topple if the right weapons were in the wrong hands… When an undercover angel is murdered, Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, must find the killers and punish them…But this time he won’t do it alone: A deadly team must rise from the darkest depths of the Marvel Universe to form an unholy alliance – HELLSTORM! SATANA! BLADE! They are the SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE!

ICEMAN #6
SINA GRACE (W), ROBERT GILL (A)
COVER BY KEVIN WADA
CHAMPIONS REASSEMBLED
ICEMAN, one of the most powerful mutants within the Marvel Universe, discovers his powers and his outlook on life evolving. He needs to lead the charge with a team who stand proudly by his side in the war to “protect those who can’t protect themselves.” Hercules, Ghost Rider, Black Widow, Darkstar, and Angel re-unite with Marvel’s fearless frozen fighter setting ICEMAN on an all-new path. As more unexpected enemies emerge, can Bobby mature into the warrior he’s destined to become? Hope he survives the experience!

Inner Demons Episode 8: "Ninja Clown Machine"

Inner Demons is back with the 8th episode and there are ninjas EVERYWHERE.  Brian and Chris take a critical look back at Ghost Rider (1973) # 1, Marvel Comics Presents # 64-71, Marvel Mangaverse: Ghost Riders # 1, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 3.  We also teach some valuable life lessons, such as: only perform a motorcycle jump over a canyon in the daytime, throwing people through walls is a perfectly acceptable solution to all of life's problems, and never trust a smiling manga werewolf.

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and feel free to send us a message.  Thanks for listening!

Marvel Legacy Math Quiz

So, going by all the information that's been made available so far, it looks like SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE will be the only Ghost Rider related series getting launched as part of Marvel Legacy.  What I think, though, is that another Ghost Rider series focused on Robbie Reyes has to be in the pipeline for a future launch.  Marvel has invested way too much in Robbie as an intellectual property to leave him out in the cold, so I'm predicting that the first quarter of 2018 is going to see a new GHOST RIDER series focused on Robbie.

Now, even though SPIRITS is launching with a new # 1 issue, Marvel's whole deal with this Legacy initiative is returning titles to their original pre-relaunch numbering.  For a lot of the titles getting pre-numbered that means Marvel is adding up all the issues of various volumes of comics.  A title like MOON KNIGHT, for example, gets launched with issue # 188 after you add up all of the relaunched Moon Knight comics from the past 30 years.  That got me thinking about Ghost Rider.

If the series does get relaunched as another Robbie Reyes series, which I predict is going to happen sooner rather than later, there are two ways Marvel can do the Legacy pre-numbering.  The series would start with either issue # 22 or issue # 248; follow along with me as I do the math.  If they decide to only count the comics which featured Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider, here's what they'd be adding up:

ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER (2014) # 1-12
+ GHOST RACERS (2015) # 1-4
+ GHOST RIDER (2016) # 1-5

That equals 21 issues of Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider comics, all written by Felipe Smith (and who I assume would be the one writing a new Reyes series, despite the failure of the most recent series).  However, if they decide to add up EVERY issue of Ghost Rider, including all of the comics that featured Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, they'd reach a much higher number, as shown here:

GHOST RIDER (1973) # 1-81
+ GHOST RIDER (1990) # 1-93
+ GHOST RIDER (2001) # 1-6
+ GHOST RIDER (2005) # 1-6
+ GHOST RIDER (2006) # 1-35
+ GHOST RIDER (2011) # 1-9
+ ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER (2014) # 1-12
+ GHOST RIDER (2016) # 1-5

That brings the tally up to 247 issues, which would naturally start a new Ghost Rider series right before the 250th issue (and we all know how much Marvel loves anniversary issues, almost as much as they love relaunching titles!).  You'll notice that I left GHOST RACERS off this count, since that would punt the pre-numbering past issue 250.  If they actually don't care about hitting issue 250 they could do some wacky stuff, like counting the 7 issue Carter Slade series from 1967 or the "Heaven's On Fire" mini-series that concluded the 2006 volume.  My money is on the list above, though, so they can hit that sweet, sweet anniversary number just three issues into the new series.

Which do you think would be more likely, that we'll see ROBBIE REYES: GHOST RIDER # 22 or straight-up GHOST RIDER # 248 in 2018?

Aw, one can hope, right?

Ghost Rider (1990) # 91

"The Last Temptation, Part 2: Down Among the Dead Men"

Cover Date: December 1997
On Sale Date: October 1997

Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Andrew Pepoy
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor In Chief: Bob Harras

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

The Ghost Rider, near death after having his heart ripped out by Pao Fu, has been left to lay alone in Hell, visited by the ghostly woman that had visited him previously in the Void.  Elsewhere in Hell, Blackheart approaches Michael Badilino and offers to send him back to Earth as Vengeance, but Badilino refuses the offer and his torture resumes.  The mysterious woman tells Ghost Rider, addressing him by his real name Noble, to think before he makes his next choice.  The Rider's body is pulled by demonic hands and delivered to Blackheart's throne room, where the Hell-Lord orders his consort Black Rose to share some of her power with the Rider so they can talk.  She does so, which awakens Ghost Rider just in time to see Blackheart's four ersatz Spirits of Vengeance arrive: Doghead, Wallow, Verminous Rex, and Pao Fu, who holds Ghost Rider's heart.  She delivers it to Blackheart, who explains to the Rider that as long as he holds his heart the Ghost Rider is his to command.

Meanwhile, in the Void, Danny Ketch waits to regain his body after the Ghost Rider is finished on Earth, unaware of what has happened.  He's visited by the ghost woman, who tells him that Blackheart has set things in motion that will affect both Dan and the Ghost Rider.  Danny becomes angry, stating that he wishes he were free of the Ghost Rider.  The woman sighs and tells him that his wish is about to come true.

Back in Hell, a weakened Ghost Rider is forced to watch as Blackheart condemns the soul of a woman to the pits, the woman that caused Doghead's mortal death.  Blackheart explains that he is going to renegotiate all of the treaties with other realms that had been forged by his father, Mephisto, including the one regarding the Ghost Rider and his bloodline.  He introduces the new Spirits of Vengeance and says that he wants the Ghost Rider to lead them; and to sweeten the pot, he will offer up Pao Fu to become the Rider's wife.  Meanwhile, back on Earth, Stacy Dolan takes her frustration out on an illegal gun runner.  She talks with Ski, who she still has feelings for even though she truly loves Danny.  Ski surprises her by asking her to marry him.

In Hell, Pao Fu reveals herself as the woman that Ghost Rider attempted to save but failed, and that his was the only kind face she ever knew.  She is in love with him, but he refuses her, telling the four Spirits that Blackheart is using them.  They all disagree, praising Blackheart for giving each of them what they truly desired.  Blackheart then sweetens the deal even more by offering to break the bloodline curse, freeing Noble Kale's descendants from hosting the Spirits of Vengeance.  While this is happening, the Void begins to break apart around Danny, and the ghost woman disappears after calling Dan her "baby boy".  Blackheart reveals that he has recovered Noble Kale's mortal body, and offers it to the Ghost Rider as a gift for accepting the deal.  Even though he knows that Blackheart has ulterior motives, Ghost Rider accepts the deal with one condition, that he be given Black Rose as a wife along with Pao Fu.  Blackheart laughs and accepts, tossing Ghost Rider's heart back to him.  The Rider approaches his human body and places the heart inside.  In the void, Danny feels himself dying as the dimension is destroyed around him, but he suddenly finds himself waking up in his own bed.  Finally, in Hell, Blackheart and the Spirits of Vengeance gather around Noble Kale, now in his own body again with the Brand of Vengeance blazing on his chest.

Low blow, Blackheart, try to keep the gloves up!

THE ROADMAP

Lian, the girl who became Pao Fu, died in Ghost Rider's arms in Ghost Rider (1990) # 88.

Doghead's death was caused by the woman condemned to Hell in this issue during Ghost Rider (1990) # 89.

The identity of the ghost woman is revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 93.

Vengeance destroyed himself to kill Anton Hellgate in Ghost Rider (1990) # 76.  He appears next, still in Hell as Blackheart's prisoner, in Ghost Rider (1990) # 93.

CHAIN REACTION

"The Last Temptation" is living up to its promise to completely upend the book's status quo with an issue that has little action but a whole load of very interesting developments.

Ivan Velez's run always had a good balance of action and introspection, plenty of character-building quiet moments in between the fight scenes.  This issue, though, is a real change of pace for the series, because it deals completely with conversations.  This was the issue, honestly, that really sold me on this arc as a whole, given that the first chapter wasn't bad so much as it was just setting up the conflicts we see played out here.  Blackheart really gets a chance to shine as more than just a Mephisto stand-in, the new Spirits of Vengeance all get some excellent definition to their characters, and the mystery of the ghost woman starts to become clearer.  The faux Spirits of Vengeance, in particular, get a fantastic summation in one panel for each Spirit when they reveal what Blackheart has truly given to them.  Pao Fu: "Redemption.  Vengeance."  Doghead: "Relevance. Vengeance." Verminous Rex: "Respect.  Vengeance."  Wallow: "Righteousness.  Vengeance."  These villains are getting fleshed out properly and becoming more than just bad guys for Ghost Rider to beat up, their nuances are coming to the fore.

I'm hard pressed to remember a time when this Ghost Rider was as defeated and weakened as he is in this issue, and that along with his acceptance of Blackheart's "deal" really serves to humanize a character that had long been defined by his inhuman characteristics.  That's actually another hallmark of Velez's time as the title's writer, he was able to humanize Ghost Rider in some really unexpected ways, such as the cruelty he started to display after he learned his origin story.  The Ghost Rider that he'd been developing over the last twenty issues is one who could accept Blackheart's deal without it breaking the character, because the Ghost Rider of Howard Mackie's tenure would never have accepted.  That's not to say that Velez's version isn't valid, because he put in the time and the effort to get to this point and have it all flow naturally.  Ghost Rider's attitude and Danny's rejection of the Ghost Rider, both of which lead to the dissolution of their connection, are things that Velez had been building to for nearly two years, and it starts the conclusion of some really interesting character evolution for them both.

Of course, all of this is benefited greatly by the presence of Javier Saltares on art.  This title finally feels like its hitting the high notes again after months of sub-par artwork from some wildly inappropriate artists.  While next issue reunites the Saltares/Texeira team, this issue has Andrew Pepoy on finishes for Saltares, and while its not quite the same as when Tex is involved its still some high quality work.  Saltares definitely sells how far Ghost Rider has fallen through his depiction of the hands clawing at his body, the hellfire gone from his skull and gaping hole in his chest.  I am one of many readers who appreciated editor Tom Brevoort's attempts to right this ship by getting Saltares back on board, and I can't help but think if it had just been six months earlier maybe this series would have made it to issue # 100.  Just look at that cover, it's magnificent, and it jumped off the shelves when I first saw it.

"The Last Temptation" winds up being Velez's swan song on the series, and it's definitely proving to be a wild and unexpected ride.  It's an arc I highly recommend, this issue being the particular stand-out.

Unexpected loopholes in a deal with the Devil? Never!

X-Force/Champions Annual '98

Cover Artist: Terry Shoemaker

Published: December 1998
Original Price: $3.50

Title: "Demon From Within"
Writers: Tom & Mary Bierbaum
Artist: Terry Shoemaker
Inker: Sean Parsons & Harry Candelario
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Marie Javins
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

SYNOPSIS
The Cult of Hades, worshipers of the Olympian god of the underworld led by a man named Link, have discovered that one of their members, Victoria, is a traitor.  The next morning, the seven young mutants of X-Force have their road trip interrupted by an earthquake.  When they investigate the source of the tremors they discover a giant hand erupting from the ground, while Hercules fights with Link and the Cult of Hades.  X-Force's intervention forces the Cult to flee, which slows down the emergence of the giant hand.  Hercules explains that years ago he teamed up with other heroes in a team called the Champions and fought against Hades' plot to overthrow Olympus by raising a giant Titan.  When Hades as stopped, Zeus forced the death god to give the five Champions the ability to counter the Titan spell if it should ever be used again.  Somehow, the Cult of Hades have discovered the spell and are attempting to raise the Titan.  Hercules had been alerted to the Cult's plan by Victoria, who has become smitten with Cannonball of X-Force after he saved her from Link.  When Moonstar reads the spell and notes that the Titan will immediately kill the person who summons it, Victoria feigns confusion.

Hercules and X-Force contact the other four members of the Champions, and soon they are joined by Archangel, Iceman, Black Widow, and John Blaze (formerly Ghost Rider).  Hercules explains the situation and the Champions begin to perform the spell to banish the Titan, but Danielle Moonstar realizes that the heroes have been tricked into freeing the Titan instead of sending it away.  Link returns and finds Victoria, who tells him that she has successfully tricked the Champions into freeing the Titan, and now they will be the ones that the Titan kills.  Link reveals himself to be Hades and engages in a battle with X-Force and the Champions, with the heroes quickly being overpowered.  Hades gloats that he planted a false memory of the banishment spell in the minds of the Champions, who he hates after being defeated by them years ago. Iceman manages to goad Hades into admitting that it was him who orchestrated the release of the Titan, which causes the giant to turn its attention toward the god.  Hades flees, leaving Victoria to be captured by X-Force after she had left Cannonball to die in an avalanche.  The Champions use Hades' spell to re-open the gateway and Moonstar uses her power to conjure up a person's greatest fear against the Titan.  Whatever the monster sees frightens him enough that he goes back through the gateway, which is then closed behind him.

Later, the Champions answer questions from reporters, with Black Widow stating that the team has not reformed due to them all having moved on to other things in their lives.  Victoria and the rest of the Cult of Hades are taken into custody, with Cannonball confronting her about her deceit before she's taken away.

ANNOTATIONS
John Blaze last appeared in Ghost Rider: Finale and won't make his next appearance until Ghost Rider (2001) # 1.

This issue states that Blaze is still owner of the Quentin Carnival, which hasn't been seen since Blaze (1994) # 12.  When Blaze reappears in Ghost Rider (2001) # 1 three years have passed and he is working in an accounting firm.  Johnny visits the ruins of the abandoned Quentin Carnival in Ghost Rider (2006) # 5.

The Champions came together as a team to stop Hades' plot to conquer Olympus with the other Lords of Hell in The Champions (1975) # 1-3.  The bits about the Titans and the spell to bring them to Earth were not in the original story and were retroactively added in this issue.

The Champions disbanded in a flashback sequence in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man # 17.

REVIEW
The Champions reunite for a team-up with X-Force in this seriously bizarre Annual from 1998.

For decades, the Champions of Los Angeles were nothing more than an embarrassing footnote for the five characters that made up the team's core cast.  Sometimes there was a casual reference, usually in regards to the team's failure to do anything much of note, but everyone seemed to be pretty happy to forget that the team (and similarly the comic series) ever existed.  Hercules had gone on to be a mainstay of the Avengers for many years, Black Widow found a home with Daredevil and then the Avengers for a long tenure, Iceman and Angel bounced from the Defenders to X-Factor and finally back to their home in the X-Men, and Johnny Blaze seemed content as a partner to the second Ghost Rider.  No one ever expected or even desired to see those characters reunite as a team again, but lo there came the year 1998.  That year, all of Marvel's Annuals had a "team-up" gimmick, like the X-Men/Fantastic Four or Deadpool/Daredevil.  Most of them were pretty straight forward, but then X-Force found themselves without a dance partner...

...and the Champions returned!

These days, a Champions reunion isn't far-fetched at all, and in fact is going to actually happen again soon in the pages of Iceman's ongoing series.  There's a new Champions series running, albeit one with a totally different line-up and concept, and the original Champions series has seen numerous reprints and flashback stories published.  Back in 1998, though, this was a huge surprise for readers, but not one that was necessarily important enough to set the sales charts on fire.  The Champions have never been a team that needed to exist, and the only thing that warranted its resurrection either in '98 or today is nostalgia.  Still, this comic was published and I guess we need to acknowledge it, especially since it's the last time Johnny Blaze makes an appearance until 2001's "The Hammer Lane".

All told, really, this isn't a bad comic, and it does hit all of the nostalgia points that one should expect and demand if they're really going to reunite the "Team For the Common Man".  The heroes have a reason to reunite, even if it's a bit contrived and reliant on a retcon of how their first story-arc ended back in 1975 (though hell, it's more of a reason than they had when the team actually formed in the first place, so it's got that going for it at least).  Hades' plot doesn't make a ton of sense; if he's wanting to raise the Titan to conquer Olympus, then why is he releasing it on Earth at all?  Is he really just wanting to dick over the Champions, is that his only real endgame in all of this?  It's nice that the Champions get to actually affect the plot and are the ones responsible for defeating Hades again, not with their superpowers but with their brains and ability to mock bad guys on a Spider-Man level.  It's also interesting to see these characters together again after all the changes made to them over the decades since the team disbanded, with Blaze no longer Ghost Rider and Angel being the blue-skinned Archangel (and Hercules being beardless for some strange reason).  X-Force get their appropriate amount of time being showcased, of course, with romantic subplots carried over from their series proper that actually add to the story in this issue.

The artwork is by Terry Shoemaker, who I recognize from his numerous fill-in gigs on the late 1980s X-Men line of books, specifically New Mutants and X-Factor.  His work has gotten a lot sharper since those days, and his work here is crisp and really engaging.  Why this guy didn't have a better career in comics I don't know, and I'm not sure if he did anything of note after this issue, but his work here is really quite good.  He has a staggering amount of characters to juggle, and none of X-Force are in costumes at all, so making them stand out in their late 90s plain clothes (lots of Jnco and Dungarees, I imagine) was a monumental feat.  He also gets the scale right for a story like this involving a giant figure emerging from the Earth, it really feels like something godly is going on around these characters.

The Champions never needed to reunite, they're a team that no one cared about in 1998.  Still, I'm glad they did, and I'm glad the creators did them justice.

Grade: B+

Inner Demons Episode 7: "Satan On Speed-Dial"

Inner Demons returns with an episode full of flaming piles of splat, electrical wrist chainsaws, and bodies stuffed with straw.  Chris and Brian spend their time and yours reviewing Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider # 11, Ghost Rider (1990) # 7, Ghost Rider (2001) # 1/2, and Ghost Rider 2099 # 2.  

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from either Stitcher or iTunes .  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and feel free to send us a message.  Thanks for listening!

Marvel Legacy

On Friday Marvel released covers for the 52 titles they're relaunching in October as part of the "Marvel Legacy" event.  Normally these relaunches don't mean much to me, but this one actually has two really important Ghost Rider events!  The cover images were released as GIFs that show the new cover and the original Marvel Comic cover they're replicating.  Click on all images to enlarge!

First up is the brand new Spirits of Vengeance series, which from the cover seems to be starring the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider, Daimon Hellstrom, Satana, and Blade!  The cover art is by Ken Lashley and is an homage to 1975's Giant-Size X-Men # 1.  No word on the creative team yet, but I wouldn't be opposed to Lashley being the artist, his recent run on Uncanny X-Men was great.

Also releasing in October is a new arc for the Iceman series, which reunites the classic Champions team of Ghost Rider (Blaze), Hercules, Black Widow, Archangel, and of course Iceman!  The series is written by Sina Grace but there's no information on the artist.  The cover, which is an homage of Gil Kane's cover for The Champions # 1 from 1975, is drawn by Michael Ryan.

I do find it strange that there's no sign of Robbie Reyes in a Ghost Rider series, though he does appear in two different covers for the Marvel Legacy one-shot by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic.  That one-shot, releasing in September, is introducing a "prehistoric Avengers" team that features the very first Spirit of Vengeance along with characters like Odin and the Ancient One, so that should be awesome.

Lots of really cool Ghost Rider material coming up, people!  Finally, Brian and I will have new stuff to talk about on the podcast again!  Though, naturally, we recorded an upcoming episode the day BEFORE all of this stuff was announced, so we'll be talking about really old news when we finally talk about all of this "on air".  That's the way the podcasting cookie crumbles, I suppose.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 87

Cover Artist: Karl Kerschl

Published: August 1997
Original Price: $1.99

Title: "Wallow"
Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.
Artist: Karl Kerschl
Inker: Al Milgrom
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor In Chief: Bob Harras

SYNOPSIS

A young woman named Melissa stands on the edge of a rooftop and is compelled to jump off the building by a sinister ghost with a doll's face.  In the alley below, Ghost Rider chases down two muggers and gives them the Penance Stare.  He finds Melissa, barely alive from her fall, and rushes her to the nearest hospital where he demands she receive medical attention.  The ghost, Wallow, has followed Melissa to the hospital and his presence begins to make everyone in the building start to feel hopeless and suicidal.  Ghost Rider rides across the rooftops and thinks that he should relinquish control back to Danny Ketch, but changes his mind and decides to wait one more day.

A young homeless man named Michael has a nightmare about when his father shot and killed his mother, then tried to jump off a building with Michael and his sister Melissa before he was shot by the police.  Michael is attacked by Wallow, who claims to be the boy's father there to save him from the cruelties of life.  Michael runs to a church but is pulled back by Wallow, only to be rescued by the Ghost Rider.  Wallow flees and Ghost Rider demands answers from Michael, who tells the Rider about his father and sister.  At the hospital, Wallow goes to Melissa in her hospital room and hands her a pair of scissors to kill herself with.  Ghost Rider and Michael arrive at the hospital just as Melissa stabs Wallow with the scissors, telling him that she hates him for what he did to her mother.  Ghost Rider grabs Wallow by the doll mask on his face and gives him the Penance Stare, which turns him into ash.  Later, in Hell, Wallow is brought before Blackheart, who claims to have a deal for him.

ANNOTATIONS 

Wallow returns as one of Blackheart's Spirits of Vengeance in Ghost Rider (1990) # 90.

A character named "Wallow" appeared in the 2007 Ghost Rider film as one of Blackheart's minions, the Hidden.  Other than the name, the film character is totally unrelated from the Wallow that was introduced in this issue.

This issue's "Ghost Rider" logo reverts back to the original one that was first used on the cover of Ghost Rider (1990) # 1.  The logo was last seen on the cover of Ghost Rider (1990) # 76.

REVIEW

After the events of last month's Flashback issue, Ivan Velez starts the build-up to his next major story-arc with this first in a series of seemingly unconnected oneshots.

If there's one thing I really appreciate about this era of the series under Ivan Velez, its that he wasn't afraid to create and introduce new villains for Ghost Rider to fight.  Granted, it meant that a lot of the classic villains like Blackout and Deathwatch were dropped completely, but getting some new blood in the series by way of interesting new villains was appreciated, at least by me.  This issue introduces Wallow, the first in the set of four new villains that Velez will use to create Blackheart's "Spirits of Vengeance" during "The Last Temptation" mega-arc later in the year.  Out of all those new villains, which also included Pao Fu, Verminous Rex, and Doghead, Wallow is probably the most interesting as a concept.  Having a villain that revolves around suicide is always a tricky proposition that come across as insensitive and callous, sort of like when Howard Mackie introduced a villain whose literal name was Suicide, but Velez was able to side step that problem with Wallow.  Making him a villain that's an actual ghost, one that doesn't rely on physical means to harm its victims, may not make him much of a threat to Ghost Rider, sure.  But Wallow's power comes from his ability to instill despair just by being in his general vicinity, and it adds to the character's creepy vibe.

All told, though, this is a pretty simple done-in-one story that we've not seen much in the pages of Ghost Rider for quite a long time.  It's really refreshing, honestly, after the long stretch of continuous issue-to-issue storytelling that's dominated Velez's run up to this point.  I think the Flashback issue, and the change in editorial hands to Tom Brevoort, have given Velez some much-needed focus on where he wanted to take the series.  This issue, which on the surface is a pretty breezy story that doesn't seem very consequential to the overall plot of the series, is actually a fairly depressing affair and the start of a really dark trend in the subject matter of Velez's issues (with the next couple of stories dealing with human slave trafficking and immigrant discrimination, all cheery topics).

The artwork is by a fill-in artist this month, the always welcome Karl Kerschl.  The artist was still at the start of his career, but had in fact drawn some of the Toy Biz action figure tie-in comics a few years before, so he has at least a small prior involvement with Ghost Rider.  While its true that he's saddled with the terrible red and yellow racing outfit and blocky red motorcycle, he is able to get a lot of mileage out of the truly wonderful design he gave to Wallow.  The character is downright creepy, yet so simple: just a dark brown, featureless form that's accented with a small doll's mask on his face.  The doll mask does all of the emoting, and it works so well visually.  My only problem with the artwork is with the colors, if I'm being honest, because I think Brian Buccellato makes his series way too bright when it should be bathing in blacks and dark blues.  Of course, there's that red and yellow costume monstrosity squatting in the heart of the comic, so I guess he's just playing his color palate off of that.

Overall, "Wallow" is the most successful issue that Velez has turned out in quite a while, and it's a very welcome change of pace.

Grade: B-

Ghost Rider Special Edition (1995) # 11

Cover Artist: Karl Kerschl

Published: 1995
Original Price: N/A

Title: "Ghost of the Past"
Writer: Chris Cooper
Artist: Karl Kerschl
Inker: Dan McDonnel
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Scott Marshall
Editor: Glenn Herdling

SYNOPSIS

Sensing danger, Dan Ketch feels himself transforming into Ghost Rider, the Spirit of Vengeance.  He's immediately attacked by Johnny Blaze, who has once again become the "original" Ghost Rider under the control of Zarathos.  Ghost Rider finds himself unable to fight his friend, but is also being destroyed by Blaze's blasts of hellfire.  Ghost Rider sees a shield made of hellfire laying nearby and grabs it, realizing that it must have been created by Blaze, who is fighting Zarathos' control.  Using the shield and his chain, Ghost Rider grabs Blaze and gives him the Penance Stare, which frees John from being the evil Ghost Rider and heals the wounds he had received.  Ghost Rider and Blaze wonder what Zarathos will attempt next, unaware that the demon is watching them and plotting his next move.

ANNOTATIONS 

This mini-comic was the eleventh in a series packaged with Toy Biz's line of Ghost Rider action figures. This issue came with the Ghost Rider III figure.

There's really no place to fit this series into established continuity. It obviously takes place after "Siege of Darkness" and Ghost Rider (1990) # 50, but the relationships between Ghost Rider, Blaze, and Vengeance certainly don't fit the characters at the time.

If this follows the standard Marvel continuity (which is questionable, at best), then Zarathos was banished to another dimension at the conclusion of the "Siege of Darkness" crossover in Midnight Sons Unlimited (1993) # 4.

Blaze was wounded by Outcast in Ghost Rider Special Edition (1995) # 8, and he was saved from his wounds by Caretaker in Ghost Rider Special Edition (1995) # 9.

REVIEW

The Toy Biz mini-comic series ends with a battle between Ghost Riders, giving an extremely truncated version of what most fans really wanted to see in the main comics of this era.

As a whole, the Toy Biz comic series is only there to help support the action figures and give kids the barest of bones for story structure and plot.  As long as it explains the powers and broad stroke personality of the action figure its packaged with, it's done its job admirably.  That said, and as simplistic as the plot line is here, I think the 4-part story that was packaged with the second wave of figures was more successful than the first.  Sure, the first wave of comics had a more ambitious storyline, with the riots caused by DJ Zarathos and the Wacky Morning Crew, but this second arc (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) hit on something that most fans would have killed to see in the actual Ghost Rider comics.

Hanging over the series, especially around the time of "Road to Vengeance" and "Siege of Darkness", was the mystery of Ghost Rider's origin and the return of Zarathos.  What readers got out of those stories were some pretty disappointing resolutions, and I myself am stunned that the creators refused to produce what everyone really wanted.  Setting things up for John Blaze to become the evil Zarathos-possessed Ghost Rider again, and the inevitable showdown with the Dan Ketch Ghost Rider, was a perfectly logical and anticipated way to conclude everything that had been building in the series to that point.  Instead, we got "Siege of Darkness" and the Blood/Fallen nonsense, leaving that tease of a much better storyline to be played out in the pages of a toy tie-in series.  While the end product isn't spectacular, the promise of that Blaze/Ketch Ghost Rider face off is what makes this simple little Toy Biz pamphlet so interesting to me.  Chris Cooper does what he can to liven things up, but with only 6 pages to give both a satisfying Ghost Rider fight and conclude the story, he doesn't really get to strut his stuff much.

The artwork, though, is by an early Karl Kerschl and it's actually quite good for what it is.  I assume that the art was drawn at full comic size and then just shrunk down at the print stage, so it squashes details into a mess of lines at different points in the series.  Kerschl's clean linework is perfectly appropriate for the format, though, because nothing is muddled or unclear.  His Ghost Riders both look on-model, not just to the characters but to the toys they're emulating, and he gets to do a decidedly G-rated Ghost Rider transformation sequence on the first page.  No melting flesh or anything, but it still looks appropriately horrific for kids.

These mini-comics aren't particularly good, but they're definitely an interesting curio for the character at the end of his popularity peak.  Ultimately, though, they're for hardcore collectors only.

Grade: B

The Supernaturals (1998) # 1

Cover Artist: Jim Balent

Published: December 1998
Original Price: $3.99

Title: untitled
Writers: Brian Pulido & Mark Andreyko
Artist: Ivan Reis
Inker: Joe Pimentel
Letterer: Comicraft
Colorist: Elizabeth Lewis & Dean White
Editors: Tim Tuhoy & Brad Gould
Editor-In-Chief (Chaos!): Brian Pulido
Editor-In-Chief (Marvel): Bob Harras

SYNOPSIS

When two young boys, Daniel and Jericho Drumm, attempt to use voodoo to bring their mother back to life, they accidentally started the "Chaos! Event", which caused all of Earth's superhumans to disappear instantly.  Daniel Drumm also disappeared after the event, which still haunts his brother Jericho even 13 years later.  Jericho wakes up as the Halloween anniversary of the event is causing unexplained phenomena around the world, and despite his successful musical career Drumm realizes that only Doctor Strange can help him.  Meanwhile, at Stone Hinge, a young couple witness a powerful entity crossing over to Earth.

Elsewhere around the world, several young men and women, including Maria, Jack Russell, Isaac Christians, and BMX biker Johnny Blaze are watched by mysterious individuals.  Back in New York, Jericho Drumm transforms into Brother Voodoo and goes to the home of Dr. Strange, only to find it a wreck and its owner missing.  Drumm picks up the Eye of Agamatto and sees a vision of the people he will need to find in order to save the world from a repeat of the Chaos! Event.  The first of the five people is near him, a young woman named Felicia Hardy.  Meawhile, the others are all attacked by the watchers, which causes the targets to reveal their mystical natures.  Isaac Christians transforms into the hulking Gargoyle and destroys his attackers, which Christians did not want to happen.  During Blaze's X-Games competition, which Maria is also attending as a model, the creatures attack as well.  When zombie pirates attack the show, Maria transforms into Satana and Blaze becomes the Ghost Rider.  Finally, in Los Angeles, Jack Russell has become the Werewolf by Night, who is attacked by small demons that merge into a larger more powerful form.  Back in New York, Felica Hardy is sexually harassed by a co-worker, and when she tells him to "drop dead" he flies backward through the window to his death.  Brother Voodoo arrives in time to witness this, unaware that they are all being watched by the being from Stone Hinge, Jack O' Lantern.

ANNOTATIONS
The Supernaturals was a 4-issue mini-series released weekly in October of 1998.  The series was produced outside of Marvel editorial by Chaos! Comics, who were the publishers of comics like Evil Ernie and Lady Death.  This series exists outside of established Ghost Rider continuity and is considered an alternate reality.

Each issue of this mini-series came with a cardboard mask of one of the main characters stapled in the middle of the series.  A smaller number of issues came packaged with the "rare" Ghost Rider mask.

REVIEW
Chaos! Comics gets the opportunity to revamp Marvel's horror characters with this 4-issue weekly mini-series released just in time for Halloween.

In the late 1990s, Marvel was struggling both creatively and financially.  This led to the company farming out a lot of its properties and output to independent production companies, the most notable example being the "Heroes Reborn" event that gave titles like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four over to Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld to produce and release by way of Image Comics.  It happened again at the end of the decade when Joe Quesada's Event Comics was given the Marvel Knights imprint, which allowed them to revamp properties like Black Panther and Daredevil outside of Marvel's own editorial base.  A much smaller attempt to give creative control of Marvel properties to an outside comic company was this mini-series, The Supernaturals, which allowed Brian Pulido's Chaos! Comics (yes, the exclamation mark is in the name) the chance to revamp Marvel's horror characters.  Chaos! was the publisher of the insanely popular Lady Death series, which wasn't exactly popular for its writing as much as it was the character's breast measurements, but for better or worse they were one of the top contenders for quote/unquote horror comics in the late 90s.  So allowing Pulido the reins of the Supernaturals was probably an easy decision for Marvel, with the hopes that they'd at least make a quick buck off the series.

Whether or not this series was successful financially is a question I can't answer, I didn't pick it up when it was released nearly 20 years ago and I don't remember what its sales figures were like.  Creatively, though, this project is a mis-fire on just about every conceivable level, mainly due to the creative team's disastrous attempt to "update" the Marvel horror characters.  It's not enough to simply give the individual heroes a consistent origin story, now they all have to be "extreme, dude!" in that way that mocks popular fads of the time while trying to be as hyper serious as possible.  Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night, is now a black belt martial artist that wants to be Bruce Lee; the Gargoyle is a kid who turns into a fire-breathing Hulk type of monster; and Brother Voodoo is a "gangsta rap" record producer.  The most egregious example of this has to be poor Johnny Blaze, though, who is immediately both obnoxious and ridiculous, and I think only the former was intentional.  I get that the "stunt motorcyclist" bit from Blaze's origin is outdated, but making him a teenage X-Games BMX biker saps away anything that might be inherently cool about the character.  This was 1998, and the X-Games were a big deal, but like with all of the other character "updates" it's extremely patronizing and some pretty awful shorthand that's stuck there in lieu of proper characterization.

Plot-wise, this story hinges on the "Chaos! Event" (there's that damn exclamation mark again!), which 13 years ago wiped all of the superheroes off the planet.  That's a fair plot device, and it allows the creators to make this an inherently darker world than the established Marvel Universe, but on the surface it really doesn't appear that much has changed.  Guess Marvel's heroes weren't really that needed all those years after all, huh?  Outside of the anniversary backdrop, though, this comic doesn't do much at all other than giving really brief introductions of each cast member.

The artwork is by a very young Ivan Reis, who is just at the start of his career.  While you can certainly see the promise in his work, and this guy is going to go on to be a pretty great artist about 10 years later in his career, here he's saddled with some of pretty terrible aspects of that era's comic zeitgeist.  For every awful character redesign, like Brother Voodoo and his knock-off Spawn costume/cape or the Gargoyle's tiny-legged Hulk form, you also get the totally anachronistic return of Johnny Blaze's original Ghost Rider outfit.  And now that I think about it, if he's a BMX biker, why in the world does he show up on a big fucking chopper and leather jumpsuit when he arrives as Ghost Rider?  Shouldn't he be on a flaming BMX bike with spiked knee and elbow pads?  Still, Reis is already a solid superhero comic artist by this point, he's just not reached his peak yet.

I'm really not much of a fan of this mini-series, and it's been so many years (over a decade at least) since I read it that I don't even remember what happens in later issues.  For a debut, though, this does nothing to make me care about the next three issues at all.

Grade: D