Incoming! (2019) # 1

"Incoming!"

Cover Date: February 2020; On Sale Date: December 2019

Writer: Ed Brisson; Artist: Aaron Kuder; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Michael Garland; Editor: Tom Brevoort; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Patrick Gleason

Johnny Blaze arrives in Las Vegas and confronts a group of demons that are preparing to invade the Hotel Inferno and free their master, Mephisto. Blaze kills the demons and is then confronted by Wong, who demands to know why Johnny is there. Blaze tells Wong to stand aside, as he's come to take Mephisto himself.

THE ROADMAP

Incoming! was an 85-page one-shot that led into the Empyre crossover in 2020 and gave creative teams space to preview their titles for the coming year.

Johnny Blaze became the King of Hell in Damnation: Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider # 1.

Mephisto was imprisoned in the Hotel Inferno with Wong as his guard in Doctor Strange: Damnation (2018) # 4.

This story takes place between Ghost Rider (2019) # 3 and Ghost Rider (2019) # 4.

Robbie Reyes also appears in this issue in a non-speaking role as one of the Avengers. He last appeared in Avengers (2018) # 30 and appears next in Empyre: Avengers # 0.

CHAIN REACTION

Brisson and Kuder get to trailer their ongoing Ghost Rider series in this oversized one-shot that detailed Marvel's upcoming output for 2020. Little did they know a pandemic was coming that would throw all their plans into chaos.

There's really not a whole lot to say about this 4-page vignette, other than it acts as a relatively unnecessary bridge between issues 3 and 4 of the Ghost Rider series. Johnny shows up in Las Vegas, kills some demons, and tells Wong to get lost; that's it, nothing much more than that. What this really serves as is a showcase for Aaron Kuder, who gets to throw down some really impressive panel compositions that incorporate the sound effects into the art in interesting ways. See how the panel flips upside down as Johnny races past the Welcome to Las Vegas sign on the first page of the story, complete with sound effects written in the flame trail. It's really gorgeous stuff, as all of Kuder's work on the series has been.

It works as a trailer to sell the ongoing series, but if you're strictly a Ghost Rider fan it's not worth the hefty price tag. If you're following the main Marvel Universe then it's probably essential reading.

Aaron Kuder strutting his stuff.