On Dale Date: December 1991
Title: "Death's Eyes"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco
Cover Artist: Mark Texeira
CHAIN REACTION
Ghost Rider takes out a group of arms dealers in his search for Deathwatch. The next day, Danny Ketch watches the news as his desire to find Deathwatch starts consuming him. He puts in a call to John Blaze, who advises Danny to take a breather and collect himself before he starts obsessing. Danny sees Deathwatch on the news as the entrepreneur Stephen Lords of International Contractors Unlimited, who has opened up the lower levels of his office building in Manhattan to the city as a homeless shelter. The rest of the building, unknown to the public, serves as the headquarters for Deathwatch's terrorist organization. The next day, Danny goes to the building and asks the receptionist that he had met once before, Renee Fuanaro, out on a date with the intention of asking her about Deathwatch. That night, while on his motorcycle, Danny and Renee are pulled over by the police...specifically Officer Stacy Dolan, who is none too happy to see her boyfriend out with another woman.
Later, Danny calls Renee and asks her about Deathwatch over the phone, which alerts Deathwatch's men that she has been talking about him. Ninjas attack Rene's apartment, killing her roommate, and Danny arrives to take Renee to safety. They go to the home of Danny's best friend and martial artist, Jack D'Auria, unaware that the ninjas have followed them. They knock Danny unconscious outside and cut the power, just as Jack is calling the police. Stacy arrives to investigate the call, and the ninjas prepare to kill all of them. Danny wakes up and transforms into Ghost Rider, defeating the ninjas and leaving Danny's friends behind. He races to Deathwatch's building and forces his way inside, where he sees Deathwatch on a television monitor. From his limousine elsewhere in the city, Deathwatch triggers the detonator for explosives in the base of the building, the resulting hundreds of deaths serving to feed Deathwatch and make him even more powerful.
Later, Danny calls Renee and asks her about Deathwatch over the phone, which alerts Deathwatch's men that she has been talking about him. Ninjas attack Rene's apartment, killing her roommate, and Danny arrives to take Renee to safety. They go to the home of Danny's best friend and martial artist, Jack D'Auria, unaware that the ninjas have followed them. They knock Danny unconscious outside and cut the power, just as Jack is calling the police. Stacy arrives to investigate the call, and the ninjas prepare to kill all of them. Danny wakes up and transforms into Ghost Rider, defeating the ninjas and leaving Danny's friends behind. He races to Deathwatch's building and forces his way inside, where he sees Deathwatch on a television monitor. From his limousine elsewhere in the city, Deathwatch triggers the detonator for explosives in the base of the building, the resulting hundreds of deaths serving to feed Deathwatch and make him even more powerful.
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| Nice try, Jack. |
THE ROADMAP
Deathwatch first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 1 and had his last encounter with Ghost Rider in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 71. However, he has been behind the scenes in several issues, having employed Blackout, H.E.A.R.T., and Snowblind; he set up the latter to be taken down by Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider (1990) # 21.
Renee Fuanaro first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 13, when Danny delivered a package to International Contractors Unlimited
John Blaze last appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 18 when he left New York to return to the Quentin Carnival. The family seen here with him are his children, Craig and Emma, and his wife Roxanne, who was last seen in The New Defenders (1972) # 146.
Renee Fuanaro first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 13, when Danny delivered a package to International Contractors Unlimited
John Blaze last appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 18 when he left New York to return to the Quentin Carnival. The family seen here with him are his children, Craig and Emma, and his wife Roxanne, who was last seen in The New Defenders (1972) # 146.
CHAIN REACTION
Ghost Rider starts making its way toward the end of its second year with the long awaited rematch against Deathwatch.
There really was this driving sense of momentum in the series around this time, This feeling that Mackie was wrapping things up, turning off the lights, and closing the doors behind him. If this series was being published today then there would be no doubt that a relaunch and change in creative team was coming soon. I'm not sure why Mackie was slowly killing off all the villains he'd introduced, maybe just to truly mark the sea change that was coming after issue 25, but it really gave these issues a weight that made them feel important.
It's certainly appropriate on a thematic level that Mackie's deck clearing exercise culminates with Deathwatch. While he was the first villain introduced for the series, Deathwatch has maintained a behind the scenes presence without becoming an overt threat since that opening arc two years prior. He's the last dangling thread to be tied off and arguably the most difficult for Danny and Ghost Rider to resolve. The skewed approach that Mackie has Danny take, showing just how piss poor a detective he is and inadvertently putting his entire supporting cast in danger, is a great showcase for the type of villain Deathwatch has developed into through the series so far. He's a manipulator, not a brawler like Blackout or Snowblind, so Ghost Rider's usual tactic for dealing with villains actively works against him. When Dan tries to take the initiative and change his approach it fails spectacularly.
There's also the case to make that Danny actually becomes more like Deathwatch during his pursuit for vengeance, manipulating the people around him to achieve his goals. By luring in poor Renee Fuanaro with promises of actual romantic interest, Dan Ketch shows just how far he's fallen while influenced by the Ghost Rider's lust for vengeance. Dan waffles around a lot throughout the series' run, going from active and aggressive participant to desperate victim of a curse that he fights against, and it does create a bit of character whiplash. Taken on an issue to issue basis, though, this portrayal of Dan isn't far off from the version that was sass-mouthing John Blaze a few issues ago. This issue does provide the opportunity to course correct Danny's characterization, after putting Stacy and Jack in danger he becomes repentant to them in a few issues' time, dragging him back closer to the kid that readers could identify with.
The artwork is by the returning Mark Texeira, who had spent time as strictly the finisher for the last couple of issues. The tone of the comic is immediately on display with that fantastic splash page of Ghost Rider taking the gunfire. Every time Ghost Rider himself is on panel the artwork just screams "iconic character representation!" at the top of its visual lungs. Having Texeira back for this seemingly final arc, culminating everything that's come before, is absolutely perfect and definitely welcoming. Greg Wright and Janice Chiang continue their excellent work as well on the colors and letters, respectively, making this a team that gels together perfectly.
The Deathwatch arc is a return to form for the series after the stumbling introduction of Badilino last issue and leaves the reader wanting more, especially after that explosive cliffhanger. Great stuff from a great creative team.
There really was this driving sense of momentum in the series around this time, This feeling that Mackie was wrapping things up, turning off the lights, and closing the doors behind him. If this series was being published today then there would be no doubt that a relaunch and change in creative team was coming soon. I'm not sure why Mackie was slowly killing off all the villains he'd introduced, maybe just to truly mark the sea change that was coming after issue 25, but it really gave these issues a weight that made them feel important.
It's certainly appropriate on a thematic level that Mackie's deck clearing exercise culminates with Deathwatch. While he was the first villain introduced for the series, Deathwatch has maintained a behind the scenes presence without becoming an overt threat since that opening arc two years prior. He's the last dangling thread to be tied off and arguably the most difficult for Danny and Ghost Rider to resolve. The skewed approach that Mackie has Danny take, showing just how piss poor a detective he is and inadvertently putting his entire supporting cast in danger, is a great showcase for the type of villain Deathwatch has developed into through the series so far. He's a manipulator, not a brawler like Blackout or Snowblind, so Ghost Rider's usual tactic for dealing with villains actively works against him. When Dan tries to take the initiative and change his approach it fails spectacularly.
There's also the case to make that Danny actually becomes more like Deathwatch during his pursuit for vengeance, manipulating the people around him to achieve his goals. By luring in poor Renee Fuanaro with promises of actual romantic interest, Dan Ketch shows just how far he's fallen while influenced by the Ghost Rider's lust for vengeance. Dan waffles around a lot throughout the series' run, going from active and aggressive participant to desperate victim of a curse that he fights against, and it does create a bit of character whiplash. Taken on an issue to issue basis, though, this portrayal of Dan isn't far off from the version that was sass-mouthing John Blaze a few issues ago. This issue does provide the opportunity to course correct Danny's characterization, after putting Stacy and Jack in danger he becomes repentant to them in a few issues' time, dragging him back closer to the kid that readers could identify with.
The artwork is by the returning Mark Texeira, who had spent time as strictly the finisher for the last couple of issues. The tone of the comic is immediately on display with that fantastic splash page of Ghost Rider taking the gunfire. Every time Ghost Rider himself is on panel the artwork just screams "iconic character representation!" at the top of its visual lungs. Having Texeira back for this seemingly final arc, culminating everything that's come before, is absolutely perfect and definitely welcoming. Greg Wright and Janice Chiang continue their excellent work as well on the colors and letters, respectively, making this a team that gels together perfectly.
The Deathwatch arc is a return to form for the series after the stumbling introduction of Badilino last issue and leaves the reader wanting more, especially after that explosive cliffhanger. Great stuff from a great creative team.
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| Deathwatch has his "Bond Villain" speeches down! |
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