Cover Date: September 2019; On Sale Date: July 2019
Writer: Jason Aaron; Artist: Stefano Caselli; Colorist: Jason Keith
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit; Assistant Editor: Shannon Andrews Ballesteros; Associate Editor: Alanna Smith; Editor: Tom Brevoort; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Stefano Caselli
While driving his younger brother Gabe to school, Robbie Reyes loses control of the Hell Charger. Speaking to him through the car, a malevolent spirit threatens Gabe and races out of control until it stops in front of the school. Only Robbie heard the voice and it makes him decide to take the car out into the desert and destroy it. When he returns home, however, the car is waiting for him in pristine condition.
Later, at Avengers Mountain, Robbie asks his teammates to help him exorcise the demon out of the car, even if it means he will no longer be the Ghost Rider. While Captain America and Captain Marvel talk to Robbie, Black Panther and Blade examine the car's engine. Robbie explains that the car had been possessed by his uncle, Eli Morrow, who was a Satanic serial killer, but he hadn't heard his voice in months. Blade tells him that the origins of the Spirits of Vengeance are still clouded in mystery, that some say they come from Heaven and others say from Hell. When Robbie attempts to transform so tests can begin, the car comes to life and attacks. It is only stopped by the supernatural expert called in by the Black Panther: Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan.
Before starting the exorcism, Hellstrom gives Blade the Breathing Gun, which is capable of killing demons, and instructs him to kill both Hellstrom and Robbie if the exorcism goes wrong. Hellstrom begins the exorcism, but minutes later Robbie and the Hell Charger disappear. Robbie wakes up on the freeway in Hell that he has experienced before and is confronted by Johnny Blaze, the King of Hell, who offers to take the Ghost Rider power away from Robbie by racing him for it.
 |
| Blade sums up the Ghost Rider origin mess pretty nicely. |
THE ROADMAP
Robbie Reyes became a Ghost Rider in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 1, when he was brought back to life by the spirit of Eli Morrow. Reyes and Morrow struggled for control of the Ghost Rider for over a year, but Morrow's presence had not been seen since Ghost Rider (2016) # 5.
Blade is in possession of Johnny Blaze's hellfire shotgun, which was last seen in Blaze's possession in Ghost Rider (2011) # 9. Blade comments that "no one has heard from Johnny Blaze in weeks", which is odd since Blade was present during the "Damnation" event that saw Blaze become the ruler of Hell.
Robbie had his first encounter with Johnny Blaze in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 8 and later saw him in Hell in Avengers (2018) # 16.
Jason Aaron previously wrote a pretty definitive origin for the Spirits of Vengeance during his time writing Ghost Rider, revealing their history in America in Ghost Rider (2006) # 33. His and others' work on the character in recent years has put that origin into question, as it seems the Spirits of Vengeance no longer originated from Heaven but from Hell once again.
 |
| Now that's a church service! |
CHAIN REACTION
Start your engines, the "Challenge of the Ghost Riders" has begun!
Jason Aaron had been building to this with his use of Robbie Reyes since Marvel Legacy # 1, when he first used the character and did his first major move to inject him more directly into the mythos of the Spirits of Vengeance. Throughout the first two years of Avengers, Robbie had either been the main focus of the stories ("The Final Host", "The War of the Vampires") or a background character that barely spoke. So getting another Robbie centric arc was very welcome, because Avengers has been at its best when Ghost Rider has been the central character. Avengers fans may beg to differ, but it was storylines like this that kept me invested in the series while it was wasting time with Namor and the Squadron Supreme.
Aaron at last started addressing the differences between his version of Reyes and the one created by Felipe Smith, flagging up his origin story and the unknown whereabouts of Eli Morrow. That edge that Smith had given Robbie had been worn down by Aaron, who essentially made him just a newbie superhero instead of the hotheaded neighborhood protector he'd previously been established as being. This issue served to bring back some of that characterization, that fierce determination to protect his brother Gabe that made him so endearing to readers back when he was introduced in All-New Ghost Rider.
It's also interesting just how much of the supernatural elements of the Marvel Universe that Aaron had pulled into his Avengers run so far. Along with Ghost Rider and Blade being actual members of the team, this issue featured both Man-Thing (or, well, Boy-Thing) and Daimon Hellstrom. Aaron's run really did feel like it was dead in the center of the entire Marvel publishing line, unafraid to jump from political intrigue to space stories to trips to Hell every few issues. It could be a bit jarring, I'm sure, but for someone like myself who really only read the stories that featured Ghost Rider in a central role, it made for an intriguing ability to allow readers to pick and choose their level of engagement with the series.
The artwork for this arc was by Stefano Caselli, who had been around the Marvel publishing line for years, most notably in my memory for his work on Secret Warriors in the 2000s. He had a solid style that fit in well with the Avengers pedigree of Ed McGuiness and David Marquez, though perhaps lacking the flash of those earlier creators. His character work was great, and he did a great rendition of Hellstrom as he arrives in Avengers Mountain. His final splash reveal of Johnny Blaze was similarly great, though it's essentially the exact same image as the final page reveal in Marquez's Avengers # 16.
"Challenge of the Ghost Riders" got off to a rocking start with this issue, promising that the best was yet to come. Recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment