Ghost Rider (2019) # 7

"Hearts of Darkness II, Part 3"

Cover Date: September 2020; On Sale Date: July 2020

Writer: Ed Brisson; Artist: Aaron Kuder; 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 the street outside of the Sanctum Sanctorum, a fully demonized Johnny Blaze confronts the defeated Dr. Strange. This is witnessed by one of Lilith's children, who allows Lilith to see the events through their eyes. Lilith puts out a call to the demons in Manhattan to join her by killing Blaze and his captive, Mephisto. Blaze, fully corrupted by the demons he's sent back to hell with his Damnation Stare, prepares to kill Dr. Strange, but is stopped by a hail of bullets. Danny Ketch has arrived with Wolverine, the Punisher, and the Caretaker, and Danny transforms into the Spirit of Corruption. While Danny and Johnny fight, the other three are left to defend Mephisto and Dr. Strange from the incoming demon horde. Johnny quickly gets the upper hand in the fight, beating Danny mercilessly; but before he can finish the battle Danny stabs him in the chest with his sword, incapacitating him. This gives Dr. Strange the opportunity to exorcise Johnny of the demonic corruption that is influencing him, returning him to his human form. Johnny hugs Danny and thanks him for saving him from the demonic corruption, but promises that he isn't done with his mission. Johnny transforms back into the Ghost Rider and rides away with Mephisto dragging along behind him, stating that they still have to face Lilith.

Later, at the Fadeaway Bar, Danny and the Caretaker enter to find both Emma and Stacy Dolan held captive by Blackheart. The Son of Mephisto states that Danny will join him against Lilith or everyone he holds dear will die.

Ghost Rider (2019) # 6

"Hearts of Darkness II, Part 2"

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.

Ghost Rider (2019) # 5

"Hearts of Darkness II, Part 1"

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

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

At the docked cruise ship in Manhattan, where Johnny Blaze killed a host of demons including one possessing a cop, the Punisher and Wolverine examine the crime scene. Realizing that Danny Ketch had been there they assume he was responsible for the deaths of who they believe were innocent people and go about tracking him down. Meanwhile, at a motel in Utah, Johnny Blaze interrogates the captive Mephisto about the escaped demons. Mephisto tells him that all of this has been orchestrated by Lilith, who is furious at both of them for Johnny's place on Hell's throne.

In Cypress Hills Cemetery, Danny Ketch drinks at his mother's grave and talks to her about the Spirit of Corruption inside of him. His drinking is interrupted by the Caretaker, who tells him to sober up and help her stop Johnny from going mad with power. While they talk, Danny's bar is invaded by Blackheart, who asks the bartender Emma about Danny's whereabouts. When Danny and the Caretaker leave the cemetery they're stopped by Punisher and Wolverine. Danny transforms into the Spirit of Corruption and fights the two vigilantes, neither of whom are able to hurt him. Caretaker stops the fight and Punisher states that a Ghost Rider killed the people on the cruise ship, and with Johnny in Hell that just leaves Danny, who replies that Johnny's not in Hell anymore.

Elsewhere, at a bar in Kentucky, Lilith and her Lilin torture the Orb, using his all-seeing eye to track the whereabouts of Blaze and Mephisto. Johnny, as the Ghost Rider, drags Mephisto behind his motorcycle as they race down the highway, but of both them unexpectedly enter a magic portal that sends them to a snowy mountain. There they are confronted by Dr. Strange, who wants to know why Johnny has taken Mephisto.

Ghost Rider (2019) # 4

"The King of Hell, Part 4"

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

Writer: Ed Brisson; Artist: Aaron Kuder & 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

At the Caretaker's library in Brooklyn, Sister Sara opens up a portal to Limbo. She tells Danny that he must find Belasco and ask for the aid of Necrosis, a being powerful enough to defeat Johnny Blaze as the King of Hell. Danny steps through the portal and emerges in Limbo, told before he goes that Belasco will find him.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Blaze and Wong defend the Hotel Inferno from a horde of attacking demons that are determined to free Mephisto. When the demons are defeated, Blaze goes to get Mephisto himself but is stopped by Wong, who tells him that Mephisto cannot leave his prison. Johnny defeats Wong and gives him the Penance Stare before entering the hotel and finding Mephisto. Desperate for information about Hell and the escaped demons, Blaze frees Mephisto and wraps him chains, dragging him out of the hotel behind his motorcycle.

Back in Limbo, Danny finds Belasco and entreats on him for assistance. Belasco laughs and tells him that if he wants help from Necrosis he must first defeat the creature in battle. Danny fights valiantly but is quickly overwhelmed by Necrosis until Belasco intervenes, beheading Necrosis himself. Belasco then uses Necrosis' blood to infect Danny, transforming him into a new Spirit of Corruption.

Ghost Rider (2019) # 3

"The King of Hell, Part 3"

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

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

A flashback to the year 1654 shows the Spirit of Vengeance named Chief Hellhawk fighting Necrosis, the Spirit of Corruption. Necrosis gains the upper hand and kills Chief Hellhawk.

In the present day, Danny is pulled from the East River by Sister Sara, the Caretaker, who tells him that he's the only one that can stop his brother Johnny. Meanwhile, an angry Blaze realizes that there's only one person he can turn to for help in returning Hell's escapee demons. At the Fadeaway Pub, Danny and Caretaker have a conversation about what's happening to Johnny and how being the King of Hell is corrupting him. In Hell, Lilith addresses an army of demons and opens a portal, sending them to Earth to kill Blaze and give her the throne to Hell. Danny meets with his ex-girlfriend Stacy Dolan outside of her home and tells her that Johnny is responsible for the deaths on the cruise ship. Stacy convinces Danny to help stop his brother, and the Caretaker arrives on her motorcycle to take Danny with her. Finally, in Utah on the road to Las Vegas, Johnny kills two demons who are on their way to the Hotel Inferno before making his way to see the imprisoned Mephisto.

Ghost Rider (2019) # 2

"The King of Hell, Part 2"

Cover Date: January 2020; On Sale Date: November 2019

Writer: Ed Brisson; Artist: Aaron Kuder w/ Craig Yeung, John Lucas, & Luciano Vecchio; 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

In New York City, Johnny Blaze finds and tortures a demon, demanding to know the whereabouts of the other escapees from Hell. At the Fadeaway Pub, Danny Ketch is awakened by Stacy Dolan, who is investigating the death of one of the bar's regular patrons and the eyewitness reports of a "man with a flaming skull". Danny insists that he wasn't responsible for the patron's death and Stacy asks him to help find out who killed him. In Hell, the demon tortured by Blaze is rescued from his punishment by Lilith, who applauds the demon for leading Blaze right where she wants him to go.

On a boat at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, Blaze is in the process of killing the Hell escapees, who have taken over the bodies of innocent people. He uses his Damnation Stare to send the demons back to Hell, but to everyone else it appears that he is just killing normal people. Stacy arrives with the police outside and calls Danny, who quickly transforms into the Ghost Rider and races to the cruise ship. He arrives in time to stop Johnny from killing another demon and the fight leads outside, where a demon has possessed the body of the SWAT Team leader. Sensing the demon's presence, Johnny kills the police officer and then rides off, pursued by Danny. Atop the Brooklyn Bridge, Johnny gets the upper hand over Danny and strips him of the Spirit of Vengeance before dumping his body in the river.

Ghost Rider (2019) # 1

"The King of Hell, Part 1"

Cover Date: December 2019
On Sale Date: October 2019

Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Aaron Kuder
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

In Hell, a group of demons loyal to Mephisto open a portal to Earth. They are attacked by Johnny Blaze, the King of Hell, and his demon soldiers, but some of the escaping demons make it through the portal to possess new human bodies. Leaving his lieutenant D'Kay behind to guard the portal, Blaze travels to Earth himself to hunt down the escapees.

In Brooklyn, at the Fadeaway Pub, Danny Ketch gets in a fight with two men, which is interrupted by a visit from his ex girlfriend, police detective Stacy Dolan. Danny tells her not to worry about him, and after she leaves he goes out back and transforms into the Ghost Rider. He finds not only a giant rampaging demon but also his brother, Johnny Blaze. Danny kills the demon by riding down its throat and turning it inside out. Meanwhile, back in Hell, D'Kay is killed by Lilith.

At the Fadeaway, Johnny asks Danny to help him round up the escaped demons. Danny refuses, saying he just wants to be left alone. Blaze notices one of the patrons leaving, then chides Danny before leaving the bar himself. While Danny goes to the cemetery to visit his mother's grave and get drunk, Blaze follows the man from the bar back to his apartment. Johnny attacks the man, revealing him to be a demon before sending him to He'll. Danny is visited by his mother's ghost, who tells her son that Johnny has been corrupted by Hell and must be stopped.

"The Caretaker Chronicles"

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

Sister Sara, the granddaughter of the Caretaker and inheritor of his mantle, rides through the desert, following a psychic summoning. She arrives at a cave, where she finds a library of books similar to her grandfather's.  She touches one of the books and experiences a vision of things to come involving the Ghost Riders.

Danny is perpetually having "one of those days".

THE ROADMAP

Danny Ketch/Ghost Rider made his last appearance in Absolute Carnage: Symbiote of Vengeance # 1, when Johnny Blaze asked him to help Alejandra Jones.  Danny failed and Alejandra was killed by Carnage during the events of that issue.

Johnny Blaze became the King of Hell in Damnation: Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider # 1 and last appeared in Avengers (2018) # 25.

Stacy Dolan, Danny's ex-girlfriend, first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 1 and was a regular supporting character throughout that series.  She last appeared in Marvel Comics Presents (2007) # 12.  Danny's mother, Audra Ketch, also first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 1 and she made her last appearance in Ghost Rider (1990) # 90.  She apparently died not long before this issue.

Blaze's lieutenant in Hell, D'Kay, first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 116.  He last appeared in Iron Fist (2017) # 80.  He is killed in this issue by Lilith, who first appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 28 and appeared last in Witches (2004) # 4.

Sister Sara first appeared in Ghost Rider (2006) # 26 and became the new Caretaker in Ghost Rider (2006) # 27 when she touched her grandfather's books about the history of the Spirits of Vengeance.  She last appeared in Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire (2009) # 6.

This issue also has a "Legacy Numbering" that factors in all previous issues of Ghost Rider through various reboots over the years, with this issue clocking in at # 237.

Those chains look freaking PAINFUL.

CHAIN REACTION

Danny Ketch rides back into his first ongoing series since the 1990s and it is a glorious sight to behold.

To say that this comic was eagerly anticipated by Ghost Rider fans is a bit of an understatement, and it's a rare case of Marvel hedging their bets and actually providing some excitement and buildup for Danny Ketch's return.  With all of the focus on Johnny Blaze over the last 20 years it seemed like Marvel had forgotten that Danny Ketch's 1990s series was the most successful that the Ghost Rider character has EVER been.  Now, I'm sure no one expected this series to sell like its predecessor, which was one of the most popular comics of its time, so allowing the creators to slowly build interest in the series over the previous year was very smart.  With the Avengers series doing a concurrent Ghost Rider story and the previous appearances of Ketch throughout the Marvel Universe (Absolute Carnage, Punisher, etc...), it looked like Marvel was really serious about making this book a success.  It was a huge sea change from when Marvel cancelled the last Ghost Rider series after five issues, with its sixth already solicited and never published.  Marvel was confident about Ghost Rider, and specifically Danny Ketch, as a character again.

They also couldn't have picked a better writer to handle this series than Ed Brisson (other than Howard Mackie coming back, of course), who has guided Danny through his appearances in the prior year and made him a compelling lead character.  Brisson's first issue of this series is brimming with nods to past Ghost Rider continuity, just as his previous stories were, and it's like a nod toward everyone else who grew up with the 1990s Ghost Rider.  He's also writing a Danny Ketch that's spot-on, updating him from his 90s personality by incorporating the slightly dodgy stuff that Jason Aaron and Simon Spurrier did with him in 2008.  Nothing has been disregarded, Brisson's Ketch is a fascinating integration of those two interpretations of the character.  He's put upon and downbeat, and in comparison to his more successful (I say in quotes) brother he's not really much of a Ghost Rider at all.

Which is where this newest look at Johnny Blaze comes into play as the King of Hell.  We've seen Johnny in this role during the previous year, specifically in the "Challenge of the Ghost Riders" arc in Avengers that was eagerly painting him as a villain.  It's a natural consequence to ruling Hell, I'd assume, that he'd go just a little corrupt.  At least here he seems to have pure motives until the end, but his bullying toward Danny is pretty par for the course considering their tumultuous history as brothers.  In fact, it's an interest inversion of their last major encounter, when Danny was the one that had been corrupted and overpowered by Zadkiel.  So having Johnny be the one in power and looking down on Danny is a great role reversal that I'm sure Brisson will likely flag up in coming issues.

The artwork for this comic, oh sweet Jesus the artwork, is by Aaron Kuder.  I'm familiar with Kuder's work in passing for his Guardians of the Galaxy and Action Comics runs, but not because I read those titles, just from cover art alone.  I wasn't prepared for how much I enjoyed his art here, it is absolutely on point for every panel of every page.  His work reminds me a lot of a toned down Frank Quitely, with his lanky and haggard figures and texture of the environments.  His panel compositions and action staging is impeccable, especially the pages with Ghost Rider fighting the giant demon.

Overall, I could not be more satisfied with this comic. It absolutely lived up to my expectations and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Highest possible recommendation.