Cover Date: May 2020; On Sale Date: March 2020
Writer: Ed Brisson; Artist: Juan Frigeri; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Jason Keith; Editor: Chris Robinson; Senior Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Aaron Kuder
On Long Island, Stacy Dolan's home is visited by Blackheart and the corrupted Emma, who tells Stacy that they need her. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Danny Ketch and the Caretaker attempt to explain to Punisher and Wolverine that the cop killed by Johnny Blaze was really a demon. When the Punisher pushes for answers, Danny stabs him in the chest with the Spirit of Corruption's sword, temporarily incapacitating him. Wolverine attempts to intervene, but the fight only stops when the Caretaker steps in and Danny transforms back into his human form.
Elsewhere, on a snowy mountaintop, Johnny and his captive Mephisto are confronted by Dr. Strange. Blaze is furious that Strange left him abandoned and alone to rule Hell; while Strange attempts to explain that he hadn't forgotten about Johnny, Mephisto continues to mentally manipulate Blaze. Realizing that they are actually inside one of the rooms of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Johnny demands to know where the door to leave is located. Dr. Strange attacks, starting a fight between the two, while Mephisto slips off during the confusion. Mephisto leads them to the door out while Strange again attempts to reason with Johnny.
Back in New York, the Caretaker has led Danny, Punisher, and Wolverine to the morgue containing the dead cop's body, where she uses a spell to prove that he was a demon. She explains that every time Johnny uses his Damnation Stare on a demon he becomes more evil and corrupt and they must stop him before he goes too far. Outside of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Dr. Strange goes flying onto the street, where a fully demonic Johnny tells him that he should have walked away when he had the chance.
THE ROADMAP
Johnny Blaze became the King of Hell to save Dr. Strange and Las Vegas in Damnation: Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider (2018) # 1.
Johnny killed the detective possessed by the demon in Ghost Rider (2019) # 2.
CHAIN REACTION
Johnny faces off against Dr. Strange while the "Hearts of Darkness" trio continue their investigation.
I think it's an unspoken rule that every Ghost Rider series has to devote at least one issue to a fight with Dr. Strange. It makes sense, I suppose, as Strange is the most prominent supernatural character in the Marvel Universe, but it's almost becoming a cliché by this point. At least it makes narrative sense in this series, given the events of the "Damnation" crossover the year before where Dr. Strange was adjacently responsible for Johnny being trapped in Hell. Just like with Wong earlier in the series, it's cathartic to see Johnny finally get to confront Strange over what happened, flagging up the character's sense of betrayal and resentment that's honestly justified.
Now, however, the series is starting to drown in guest-stars, with Strange joining both Wolverine and the Punisher as prominent characters. The Blackheart plot may be simmering in the background, but so far this storyline does little to call back to its "Hearts of Darkness" predecessor other than the characters it chooses to involve. It's almost like nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, which is never a good excuse for a story. It also feels like the Danny part of the story is spinning its wheels with exposition and explaining things to the characters that the readers already know. The Blaze portion is ticking away nicely, but the Danny sections are becoming a little tedious.
Juan Frigeri continues to produce quality artwork for the series, yet again proving that he's just as capable of carrying the title as the absent Aaron Kuder. The evolution of Blaze's demonic appearance is handled very well, with the last page reveal of his final form being appropriately compelling, and all of the bits with Danny and the Spirit of Corruption look great. There's something satisfying about seeing the Punisher get stabbed through with a giant sword.
This arc has absolutely nothing to do with "Hearts of Darkness", but it's still another example of a solid series with a quality creative team.
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