Ghost Rider (1990) # 56

"The Next Step"

Cover Date: December 1994; On Sale Date: October 1994

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Salvador Larroca; Inker: Sergio Melia; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Kevin Somers; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Salvador Larroca

The Next Wave (Turk, Snare, and Agent X) are pursued through Chinatown by the Posse, a group of assassins that have been chasing them down for the last month. After a pitched battle in the streets, the Posse have seemingly disappeared, leaving the Next Wave perplexed as to what to do until the next attack. Meanwhile, Danny Ketch and Stacy Dolan share a passionate kiss, after which Stacy tells Dan that she’s been invited to join the Police Special Task Force, the Team, as a career opportunity. Dan becomes angry, pointing out that the Task Force was formed to take down Ghost Rider. The two argue and Dan transforms into Ghost Rider, who asks Stacy to not come after him. He leaves Stacy, who is determined that neither of them will tell her what to do. Ghost Rider is located by the mysterious Shriker, who tells him about the trouble in Chinatown. 

At the police plaza, Stacy meets with Lt. Sokolowski, also called “Ski”, about joining the team. He invites her to ride along with them to the Chinatown mission and tells her he needs her answer tonight. In Chinatown, the Next Wave are still battling the Posse, but to the police it looks like the Next Wave are merely executing innocent people in the crossfire. Ghost Rider arrives and tries to convince Stacy to leave, but she refuses. Ghost Rider and Shriker attack the Posse on the nearby rooftops and drive them away, while the Next Wave releases a bomb to cover their own escape. Ghost Rider grabs the bomb and rides toward the river, but it explodes before he can dispose of it, seemingly destroying him. Knowing Ghost Rider will return, Stacy tells Ski that she wants to join the Task Force to help bring Ghost Rider down.

THE ROADMAP

The Next Wave first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 29.

The Special Task Force, or the the Team, were originally led by Michael Badilino and first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 21. Lt. "Ski" Sokolowski first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 47.

Stacy Dolan learned that Dan and Ghost Rider share a body in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 18.

The mysterious Shriker first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 52 and his identity will be revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 60.

CHAIN REACTION

The Next Wave return, Shriker steps up his game, and Stacy makes a big decision as Mackie and Larroca lay the foundation for the book’s upcoming status-quo shakeup.

Ah, the Next Wave, whoever thought they would ever appear again? I mean, as stand-ins for the Image creators that had left Marvel back in 1992, the Next Wave were a spot-on parody with their big guns, web-like nets, and generic swords and energy blasts. Taking them as serious threats, though, is a bit of a stretch of the imagination. In order to circumvent that, Mackie has them being chased by an amorphous Posse of assassins that can disappear and reappear at will. Perhaps there’s some parody there as well, with the Posse representing readers turning on the Image creators for being little more than Marvel copycats? If that’s what was intended it’s very obtuse and not played up at all, there’s none of the tongue-in-cheek tone of their debut story at play here.

No, instead this one reads like it should be taken totally at face value, especially when you factor in the subplots at work here with Shriker and Stacy Dolan. Unlike their debut story, the Next Wave are not the focus of the story. Instead they are simply there to spur the subplots into action, which is fine for villains like this. I could see the Next Wave popping up from time to time as generic action rogues while more important things happen around them, sort of like whenever the Wrecking Crew appear in a story. Stacy’s evolution continues to be the most interesting part of the series, as her slow heel turn from supporting character to antagonist is playing out beautifully. Stacy has shown actual growth and development over the course of this series, and to have it all build to a head like this is fascinating.

Larroca and Melia on artwork are similarly fascinating, as their work becomes crisper and more stream-lined with each new issue. They are aided expertly by colorist Kevin Somers, who makes the pages just pop off the page with dynamic, bold colors. This isn’t the drenched-in-darkness of the Saltares/Texeira/Wright days, it’s Ghost Rider as an action superhero, and it works perfectly for the tone Mackie is intending for the series.

The Next Wave may be written off as lesser villains, but their presence here is a welcome and unexpected diversion while the subplots simmer to a boil. A good, solid comic, this one.