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| Cover Artist: Salvador Larroca |
Original Price: $1.95
Title: "Blue Shadows"
Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Inker: Sergio Melia
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Ashley Posella
Editor: James Felder
Executive Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Bob Harras
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Ashley Posella
Editor: James Felder
Executive Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Bob Harras
SYNOPSIS
While Ghost Rider sits with this thoughts in a Bronx cemetery, a nearby police chase ends with the criminals car speeding onto a sidewalk full of innocent people. Ghost Rider intervenes, saving a mother and her child, while trying to understand the fear he instills in the people he's trying to save. He stops the two criminals and gives them the penance stare, causing the two reckless cops to fire upon him. He questions whether or not he's punished the wrong people, then tells the cops to be more careful in the future before departing on his bike.
Meanwhile, a collection of mob bosses working for Anton Hellgate have gathered to meet with their superior, Snowblind, who demands a 25% increase in their earnings. When Snowblind leaves, someone else arrives and murders the criminals. Later, Stacy Dolan and Jim Sokolowski are awakened by a call alerting them to the murders. They arrive at the Paralux Hotel to investigate and find more charred bodies and the words "no penance" written on the wall.
Danny Ketch wakes up from a nightmare in his bed and realizes that he's late for his class. He rushes outside and jumps on his bike, watched by Choocho and his friend. The two punks then meet with Makusa, a mid-level criminal who hires them to kill a young activist named Melissa Maro, who has been stirring up trouble for Snowblind. At Rearden College, Danny arrives late for his class and sits next to Melissa, who reluctantly helps him with notes. The two go to a nearby diner and discuss their studies, with Danny admitting that he might like to become a social worker. Despite shooting down his advances, Melissa does accept the offer of a ride home from Danny and the two get on his motorcycle. Before they can leave, Choocho and his friend arrive with masks on and shoot both Danny and Melissa multiple times.
Meanwhile, a collection of mob bosses working for Anton Hellgate have gathered to meet with their superior, Snowblind, who demands a 25% increase in their earnings. When Snowblind leaves, someone else arrives and murders the criminals. Later, Stacy Dolan and Jim Sokolowski are awakened by a call alerting them to the murders. They arrive at the Paralux Hotel to investigate and find more charred bodies and the words "no penance" written on the wall.
Danny Ketch wakes up from a nightmare in his bed and realizes that he's late for his class. He rushes outside and jumps on his bike, watched by Choocho and his friend. The two punks then meet with Makusa, a mid-level criminal who hires them to kill a young activist named Melissa Maro, who has been stirring up trouble for Snowblind. At Rearden College, Danny arrives late for his class and sits next to Melissa, who reluctantly helps him with notes. The two go to a nearby diner and discuss their studies, with Danny admitting that he might like to become a social worker. Despite shooting down his advances, Melissa does accept the offer of a ride home from Danny and the two get on his motorcycle. Before they can leave, Choocho and his friend arrive with masks on and shoot both Danny and Melissa multiple times.
ANNOTATIONS
Snowblind first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 21 and was killed by Deathwatch in Ghost Rider (1990) # 24. Prior to this issue he was revived as an nonliving slave by Anton Hellgate, as revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 74.
The identity of the "No Penance" killer is revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 73.
Snowblind first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 21 and was killed by Deathwatch in Ghost Rider (1990) # 24. Prior to this issue he was revived as an nonliving slave by Anton Hellgate, as revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 74.
The identity of the "No Penance" killer is revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 73.
Stacy Dolan discovered that Dan was the Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 18. She then helped the NYPD Task Force to capture him in Ghost Rider (1990) # 61.
REVIEW
After last issue's introduction to the new setting and supporting cast, new writer Ivan Velez gets down to business with his first story-arc that brings back a few different villains from the past.
If you asked me to take a wild guess at which Mackie villain Velez would choose to bring back in his first story arc, I probably would have said someone like Blackout or Scarecrow. Instead, color me surprised as hell to see Snowblind show back up after a pretty definitive death some 50 issues previous. I wasn't disappointed, I always thought Snowblind was an interesting villain that didn't get utilized much before shuffling off the mortal coil, and he definitely works in the context of the story that Velez is beginning to tell. Snowblind is a mid-level underboss for bigger bads, first with Deathwatch and now with Hellgate (another Mackie villain I was surprised to see get a stay of execution, so to speak). Snowblind naturally still doesn't have much in the way of a personality, and Larroca's artwork makes him appear about 20 years younger than when he last appeared, but it's still nice to see an early villain make a reappearance.
The subplots and character developments are what drive this issue, though, and it's a mixed bag. Velez has an immediately engaging take on Ghost Rider as a character, with his monologues and thought narratives putting off a flashing neon sign that signals where the writer is going to take things. Ghost Rider has always questioned why people fear him when his actions should speak more than his appearance, but Velez ups the ante with GR actually wondering why he's playing the hero at all when all gets in return is hatred and screams of fear. I really like this new side of Ghost Rider, one that's starting to chafe at his mission and is becoming more cynical because of it. The way he handles the two cops, who yes were obviously the real instigators of the chaos at the start of the issue, was great. Where Velez tends to struggle is with his dialogue, especially when everyone is yelling things in BIG BOLDED EXCLAMATIONS with spiky speech bubbles. Still, these are early days for him, and a little stilted or overwrought dialogue is acceptable when the story itself is solid, which in this case it certainly is.
Salvador Larroca is performing as expected with his usual fantastic artwork, and when I was re-reading this I was amazed that he was allowed to have such a long, uninterrupted run on this title when he was obviously becoming a hot commodity within Marvel. He has improved phenomenally in the last 20 issues, and his work has become less stiff and a helluva lot more dynamic. That dynamism does lead to a few points of confusion, but that's acceptable when you see shots like the one of GR saving the woman and her baby. Where the comic falls down artistically is with the colors, which relies way too much on the computer enhancements that were just coming to the fore in the industry. Everything is garish and way oversaturated, and it really detracts from the enjoyment of the art. I will say that at least they started coloring Ghost Rider's flames a normal yellow and orange again instead of that god awful digital flame effect that showed up in the last couple of issues.
This was where the Velez run really took off, and from here it spirals out into a whole load of subplots and action pieces that run for around a year. Good solid start to a good solid run on the book.
If you asked me to take a wild guess at which Mackie villain Velez would choose to bring back in his first story arc, I probably would have said someone like Blackout or Scarecrow. Instead, color me surprised as hell to see Snowblind show back up after a pretty definitive death some 50 issues previous. I wasn't disappointed, I always thought Snowblind was an interesting villain that didn't get utilized much before shuffling off the mortal coil, and he definitely works in the context of the story that Velez is beginning to tell. Snowblind is a mid-level underboss for bigger bads, first with Deathwatch and now with Hellgate (another Mackie villain I was surprised to see get a stay of execution, so to speak). Snowblind naturally still doesn't have much in the way of a personality, and Larroca's artwork makes him appear about 20 years younger than when he last appeared, but it's still nice to see an early villain make a reappearance.
The subplots and character developments are what drive this issue, though, and it's a mixed bag. Velez has an immediately engaging take on Ghost Rider as a character, with his monologues and thought narratives putting off a flashing neon sign that signals where the writer is going to take things. Ghost Rider has always questioned why people fear him when his actions should speak more than his appearance, but Velez ups the ante with GR actually wondering why he's playing the hero at all when all gets in return is hatred and screams of fear. I really like this new side of Ghost Rider, one that's starting to chafe at his mission and is becoming more cynical because of it. The way he handles the two cops, who yes were obviously the real instigators of the chaos at the start of the issue, was great. Where Velez tends to struggle is with his dialogue, especially when everyone is yelling things in BIG BOLDED EXCLAMATIONS with spiky speech bubbles. Still, these are early days for him, and a little stilted or overwrought dialogue is acceptable when the story itself is solid, which in this case it certainly is.
Salvador Larroca is performing as expected with his usual fantastic artwork, and when I was re-reading this I was amazed that he was allowed to have such a long, uninterrupted run on this title when he was obviously becoming a hot commodity within Marvel. He has improved phenomenally in the last 20 issues, and his work has become less stiff and a helluva lot more dynamic. That dynamism does lead to a few points of confusion, but that's acceptable when you see shots like the one of GR saving the woman and her baby. Where the comic falls down artistically is with the colors, which relies way too much on the computer enhancements that were just coming to the fore in the industry. Everything is garish and way oversaturated, and it really detracts from the enjoyment of the art. I will say that at least they started coloring Ghost Rider's flames a normal yellow and orange again instead of that god awful digital flame effect that showed up in the last couple of issues.
This was where the Velez run really took off, and from here it spirals out into a whole load of subplots and action pieces that run for around a year. Good solid start to a good solid run on the book.
Grade: B-
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