Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 128

"The Walking Wounded, Part 6: Roll the Bones"

Cover Date: May 1993; Publication Date: March 1993

Writer: Ann Nocenti; Artist: Steve Lightle; Letterer: Michael Higgins; Colorist: Steve & Marianne Lightle; Editor: Terry Kavanagh; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Steve Lightle

Ghost Rider has entered the realm of insanity to face Dusk, unaware that he has left the sane parts of Dan Ketch behind on Earth. While the shopping mall descends into madness, the various people trapped inside face their fears: Father Louis is reunited with his wife and son, the pregnant Eve is rescued by a resident of the insane realm, and the women of the equal rights movement come across the glowing form of Dan Ketch and attack him. 

While Ghost Rider fights his way through the realm of insanity he is confronted by one of Dusk's minions, the Necromancer. Meanwhile, Typhoid has realized that she has been betrayed by Dusk, who had promised to remove the Mary Walker persona from her mind. Finding the entrance to the realm of madness inside the mall, Typhoid jumps through, unaware that she has left the sane part of herself behind.

THE ROADMAP

This issue of Marvel Comics Presents also contained stories featuring Wolverine, American Eagle, and Iron Fist.

CHAIN REACTION

Ghost Rider literally goes crazy as the shopping mall slips further into the realm of madness.

Everything sort of clicks into place with this chapter of the "Walking Wounded" serial, as Dusk's motivation to lure Ghost Rider into his dimension is revealed. The confusion from the earlier chapters are sort of cleared away, as everything is being seen through this filter of Dusk's influence. It's made perfectly clear here what's going on, I just wish that clarity had been there earlier in the series. Nocenti seems to do well with the Marvel Comics Presents format of 8 page chapters, giving each one enough weight and meat to make them satisfying as individual parts of a hole. There's a great trick in this chapter, with the Ghost Rider sequence taking place across the top portion of the pages while the subplots tick along on the bottom, culminating in the final page with Typhoid Mary. 

Steve Lightle continues to keep pace with Nocenti's manic script, providing some great visual cues for the increasing state of madness happening around the characters. His Ghost Rider is appropriately fearsome, and both creators get across the idea of him losing his grip on sanity throughout the story. Confronting Ghost Rider with images of his missing sane part, namely the face of Danny Ketch, is a nice touch.

I'm still really enjoying this story, mainly because it forces the reader to think and rewards them for going back and re-reading previous chapters. If only it was a little more focused on clarity, it would be near perfect.