Cover Date: April 2017; Publication Date: February 2017
Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples & Jesus Aburtov; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Felipe Smith
Late at night in East Los Angeles, Ghost Rider has tracked down the group of kidnappers that he had last encountered in Hillrock Heights. Despite Eli pushing him to murder the criminals, Robbie lets them go after scaring them. Robbie's refusal to give in to his rage is making him sick, and Eli tells him that if he doesn't unleash his wrath soon then Eli will take over their body again.
The next morning, the heroes that are tracking down the alien monster (Totally Awesome Hulk, All-New Wolverine, and Silk) have joined forces with Agents Coulson and May of SHIELD. They track the alien's energy signature back to Hillrock Heights, directly beneath Canelo's Auto & Body repair shop. Inside, Robbie watches Ramon Cordova interact with gangsters, and Eli tries to talk him into destroying the ex-convict. Outside, Ramon tells the gangsters to leave, breaking one's nose and threatening to kill the other. When Ramon goes back inside, he yells at Robbie's little brother Gabe, who had taken Ramon's tools and put them away without permission. Robbie, meanwhile, has been confronted by Wolverine and Hulk in their civilian identities, and while Robbie says he can repair Wolverine's car he's not interested in teaming up with them to find the alien.
Later, while the team of heroes and SHIELD agents stake out the repair shop, Robbie drives to Cordova's house to talk to him about what happened with Gabe. Cordova tells Robbie to back off, saying he's not cut out for street life, but before Robbie can reply the gang members that Ramon chased off arrive and start shooting. Ramon saves Robbie, telling him to stay down while he takes care of the thugs. Robbie is able to transform into Ghost Rider without Ramon seeing and takes out the gangsters, possibly killing one of them. Back at the auto shop, the alien arrives and is engaged by SHIELD. When the heroes attack as well, the alien grabs Agents Coulson and May, biting them both on their necks.
CHAIN REACTION
"Four On the Floor" reaches chapter four and produces the first issue in the series that actually reads like a Ghost Rider comic. Now this, THIS, is more like what I expect out of this title.
As I've said over and over again, this series' biggest problem is that Felipe Smith seems far more interested in writing a comic about the guest-stars than Ghost Rider, to the point where Robbie Reyes has become an afterthought for the first three issues. Finally, though, Ghost Rider gets some time in the spotlight, and it's a welcome change. The guest-star nonsense with the purple alien is all still there, of course, and it's just as frustratingly annoying as it's been in the first three chapters of the story, but it at least takes a backseat to the developments surrounding Robbie. Which, I hate to have to point out, is HOW IT SHOULD BE.
So, let's get the negative points taken care of first. As I said, the guest-stars are still pointless and in the case of at least one of them absolutely infuriating to read. Totally Appalling Hulk, I will literally do a happy dance when you're no longer appearing in this comic. The other two superhero guest-stars are just kinda there, because Wolverine and Silk really don't add anything to the story other than to play straight-women to Hulk's attempts to be flippant. This issue also brings in Coulson and May from Agents of SHIELD, and while they don't do anything of note either at least their appearance makes a modicum of rational sense outside of the plot demands. Robbie's turn as a star in the first quarter of the Agents of SHIELD television show practically ensured their appearance in the series as some point. I just wish they'd have done something other than be useless and then get utilized in a baffling cliffhanger where the alien bites them on the neck. Speaking of the cliffhanger, this issue doesn't really end, instead it just sort of stops mid-dialogue. Baffling decisions being made in this series, I just don't get it.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the GOOD parts of this comic, which is all of the stuff involving Robbie, Eli, and Ramon. Smith created Robbie, and so naturally he has a wonderful handle on the character and the plots that revolve around him. Having him teeter on the edge of breaking down, fighting back against his curse to the point where it's literally making him vomit, is great character work. All of the back-and-forth between Robbie and Eli really sells the struggle that Reyes is fighting through, and it's obvious that it's only a matter of time before he breaks completely. This issue also gives a lot more focus to Ramon Cordova, "El Perro Rabioso", as the ex-con looking to break good and leave his past behind him. I was ambivalent about this character and his subplot in the previous issues, but here it all clicks wonderfully into place. I was expecting this guy to revert to type and turn into a villain of some kind, but he's actually something far more interesting. He's obviously not a nice person, yelling at Gabe (though I agree with Canelo, the kid kinda deserved it and really shouldn't be at Robbie's place of work hanging out, but I digress) and just being kind of a bastard. But then he saves Robbie's life, genuinely acting to protect the boy that had just come to try and fight him on his front lawn. I am now totally invested in this part of the story, and it's night-and-day more interesting than anything involving purple aliens and superheroes.
Danilo Beyruth continues as the artist, and he's still turning in a perfectly serviceable job on the art. I still think he struggles with faces and expressions, but his action scenes are solid enough. I really love that he's finally getting to draw some sweet Ghost Rider stuff, which has been too long in coming. It's like this issue finally delivered on a lot of the things that were so infuriatingly absent from the earlier issues. Beyruth sells the otherworldly aspect of Ghost Rider as well, he's almost a beast who is a moment away from turning into something truly monstrous. While I still wish this series was being drawn by Tradd Moore or by Felipe Smith, Beyruth hasn't been a disappointment.
This is what I was hoping for when this series first launched. It's not perfect, and the flaws in it are still very much a problem, but it's certainly a big step in the right direction. Nevertheless, I will be very happy when this arc concludes next issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment