Happy Halloween from Vengeance Unbound!

For a character that looks the way he does, it's a little surprising that most Ghost Rider stories are not very scary.  A skeleton on fire jumping around on a motorbike seems to naturally sway toward the direction of superheroes, or even at its darkest just street-level crime with the occasional dollop of weird thrown on top.  However, since Halloween is upon us, I thought I'd offer up some thoughts on a few Ghost Rider comics that ARE genuinely scary, if not downright disturbing.

"TRAIL OF TEARS"

Cover Artist: Clayton Crain

The image above us there is a somewhat recent example, the 2006 mini-series "Trail of Tears" by Garth Ennis and Clayton Crain that re-imagined the western Spirit of Vengeance as a murdered former slave killed by bigots.  Ennis isn't a stranger to writing horror comics, as evidenced by his classic series Preacher and (my personal favorite) his run on John Constantine, Hellblazer.  His first go-round with Ghost Rider, 2005's "Road to Damnation" mini-series, was less scary and more tongue-in-cheek in its approach, but Ennis got deadly series with the follow-up.

I was tempted to disqualify this series as "horror", given the obvious influence of the Spaghetti Western on the material.  This is a western story, with a lot of tropes from that genre, but the tone of the book is so goddamned dismal and oppressive that the horror elements tend to overshadow the cowboy motif.  Clayton Crain is a lot of the reason for this, the man's digitally-painted artwork is beautiful and monstrous at the same time.  "Trail of Tears" is a Ghost Rider series that doesn't show the titular character's flaming skull until the last issue, which is pretty brave...but also effective, because Crain's design of the hooded Rider is extremely memorable.

And he has vultures and crows as pets-slash-weapons.  Why haven't we seen Johnny Blaze with the power of weaponized devil-birds?  Missed opportunity, methinks.

"STAINED GLASS AND SHADOWS"

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

If Ghost Rider Classic is what you fancy, I have a suggestion for you: find a copy of either the Essential Ghost Rider volume 4 or the Original Ghost Rider Rides Again 7-issue mini-series and prepare yourself for the best Ghost Rider stories you'll ever read.  At the end of a fantastic run of comics are issues 80 and 81, the final 2-part story of the 1970s Ghost Rider series, which actually (and kind of surprisingly), gave a satisfying conclusion to Johnny Blaze's struggle against the demon Zarathos.  Writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist/co-plotter Bob Budiansky started the story with the chilling fate of a small town fallen prey to a pastor capable of stealing away a person's soul and ended it with a Ghost Rider withering away to nothing while still fighting against his other half.

The old "fire 'n' brimstone" country preacher archetype is an easy one to fall into cliche and caricature, but the Sin-Eater of this story is charismatic and unassuming, which makes it even more terrifying when his true face is revealed at the climax to issue # 80. Nothing's scarier to me than religion taken to extreme, and green soul-eating tentacles are about as bible-thumping as it gets.  I'm from Kentucky, I know all about the Tentacle Soul-Sucker of Latter Day Saints, trust me.

"THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, ILLINOIS"

Cover Artist: Arthur Suydam

If you're looking for something scary that was published within the last decade, pickings are a little slim.  Jason Aaron's run was absolutely batshit amazing, but I wouldn't really call it scary.  Weird as hell, sure, but it wasn't really horror.  So, how about a story that's actually set during Halloween and features a villain that is simultaneously the Devil and a guy with a flaming fucking pumpkin for a head?

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Illinois" is one of the highlights of the mid-2000s run by Daniel Way, Javier Saltares, and Mark Texeira.  Despite being a peripheral tie-in to the Civil War crossover, the 4-part story arc uses the Halloween imagery of villain Jack-O'-Lantern as an effectively frightening comparison to Johnny Blaze, flaming head and all.  The artwork is what really sells this story, elevating the otherwise bloated/padded story into something worth reading.  Saltares and Texeira are legendary Ghost Rider artists, and seeing how they illustrate Blaze dragging Jack-O'-Lantern through a cornfield by his chain is pretty sweet.

"OBSESSION"

Cover Artist: Mark Texeira

My vote for the most pants-shittingly terrifying Ghost Rider story goes to this one from the first year of the 1990s relaunch.  Ghost Rider # 7 by Howard Mackie and Mark Texeira revamped a somewhat ridiculous Silver Age Iron Man and Captain America villain, the Scarecrow, into an absolute nightmare.  Replacing the cheesy version of the villain with a horrific portrait of a childhood abuse victim turned serial killer, Mackie and Texeira turned the Scarecrow into a lasting protagonist for Danny Ketch all through the 1990s.

As if that wasn't enough, this issue also cemented Blackout as one of the most chilling villains in Ghost Rider history.  Using his ability to extinguish light around him, Blackout stepped up and changed the game for this series with his actions here.  The scene is horrifying without being gruesome, with Blackout sitting in a darkened hospital room to monologue before placing his fangs to the victim's throat.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cover Artist: Steve Lightle

There are a few other stories worth mentioning, and when I have time I may give them a longer look.  For fans of the scary stuff, I recommend "The Walking Wounded" from Marvel Comics Presents, which placed Ghost Rider opposite Typhoid Mary in a story by Ann Nocenti and Steve Lightle (and was recently reprinted in the Daredevil: Typhoid's Kiss trade paperback, to boot!).  Ghost Rider # 34 from the tail end of Jason Aaron's run is also a pretty nice terror-tale, with both artwork by Tony Moore and the return of the Highwayman from early 1980s obscurity U.S. 1.

I'd love to hear other suggestions for scariest Ghost Rider story, so feel free to leave a comment below if you'd like to chime in.  Happy Halloween, Flameheads!

All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 6

Cover Artist: Tradd Moore

Published: Oct. 2014
Original Price: $3.99

Title: "Legend", Part 1
Writer: Felipe Smith
Artist: Damion Scott
Inker: Robert Campanella
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Val Staples
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso

SYNOPSIS

Late at night in East Los Angeles, two children are outside playing in the street, one of them wearing a mask created to look like the “Robot Racer” or “Skeleton Driver” seen in the neighborhood the week before.  When the boys’ mother comes outside to make them go to bed, fearing for their safety, the boys respond that the “Racer” would protect them.  After they go inside, a street race led by Robbie Reyes rushes past down the street.  Reyes wins the race in his Hell-Charger, the latest of many he’s won using the car’s power.  The spirit of Eli that resides inside both the car and Robbie’s head is not happy, saying that Robbie is misusing their power.

The next day, a news report from Hillrock Heights following the recent battle between the new Ghost Rider and Mr. Hyde is seen by a mysterious individual in a bar.  The man finishes his beer and gets on his bike, riding out of New York.  Back in Los Angeles, Guermo and his gang report to school in slings and casts following their beating at the Ghost Rider’s hands.  During Mr. Wakeford’s class, Robbie casually taunts the seemingly docile Guermo, and after class he tells the teacher that he and Guermo “worked things out”.  Guermo, on the other hand, has convinced his crew to attend a mysterious meeting.  They arrive by bus in downtown L.A. and enter an abandoned building.   

Meanwhile, at the developmental school, Robbie meets with his handicapped brother Gabe’s teacher, who tells him that Gabe’s progress recently has been amazing.  He then uses the money won through racing to pay off part of Gabe’s therapy bill, to the surprise of Gabe’s teacher.  That night, Robbie puts Gabe to bed and counts his money while Eli becomes more and more impatient, urging Robbie to go out and seek vengeance.

The next evening in Venice Beach, Robbie wins yet another street race, while in downtown L.A. a homeless man shows his friends a baggie of Zabo’s pink pills that he found in Hillrock Heights after the gunfight.  After the homeless men go to sleep, their pet dog eats the pills and transforms into a monster.  Using a machine gun left behind by Zabo’s men, the dog is gunned down and dies, but not before it kills all of the men.  The rest of the pills are then eaten by a collection of rats, cats, and birds.  Guermo and his boys, meanwhile, are meeting with the escaped Dr. Zabo, who introduces to them his newest concoction in the form of a blue pill.

ANNOTATIONS                              
The story behind Eli Morrow is revealed in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 8.

The mysterious man in New York is revealed to be Johnny Blaze in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 7.  Blaze last appeared in Thunderbolts (2013) # 32.

REVIEW
The newest Ghost Rider series begins its second arc, which introduces a new artist while spinning its wheels narratively.

Following up the spectacular first arc could not have been an easy task, and there are so many things that Felipe Smith does right in this opening chapter of “Legend” that it makes me sad to see the series already starting to go off the rails due to a few bad story decisions.  I’ll highlight the good parts first, because they’re definitely great forward steps.  Highlighting the improved life of Robbie Reyes and the counterpoint of an increasingly frustrated Eli is fascinating, because it’s an exact inverse of the traditional Ghost Rider motif.  With Blaze, Ketch, and even last volume’s Alejandra, the main conflict came with the human host struggling to hold in check the fiery vengeance of the spirit inside him, and being barely able to do so.  Robbie, on the other hand, seems to have complete control of the power inside him and has effectively locked the ghost of Eli Morrow away with the power to do little more than bitch and moan.  It’s eventually going to turn the other way in upcoming issues, of course, but it’s a neat turn of events that I didn’t expect.  Robbie has no problem turning away from vengeance at this point, because he’s getting everything he wants (and, admittedly, it’s turning him into a bit of a dick), and until Eli make his heel turn later in the arc I really felt like Robbie was doing the wrong thing by denying his responsibility as a (pseudo) Spirit of Vengeance.  Smith also doesn’t waste any time with setting up the eventual return of Johnny Blaze in a scene that immediately echoes the character’s return in the 90s Danny Ketch series, and that’s awesome. 

The problems set in pretty quickly though, because instead of moving forward the plot is stuck in neutral.  Once again the story is revolving around Mr. Hyde/Dr. Zabo and his enhancement drugs, turning what was a novel idea in the last arc into a retread here.  Smith gives us the twist with the animals taking the pills, but I really wanted to see Reyes have to face a NEW threat, especially considering how thoroughly it seemed Zabo was defeated in the last issue (how did he evade capture by the cops, anyway?). 

Of course, where the comic truly stumbles has nothing to do with the story, it’s the artwork.  Damion Scott is brought in as the book’s new regular artist, and it’s honestly not very pretty to look at.  Following up as distinct an artist as Tradd Moore, who truly defined this title’s aesthetic, had to be a true struggle for the editor, and I can see why the choice was made to go to someone like Scott.  He’s been working in the comics field for years, and I even have fond memories of his work on titles like Batgirl and Robin over at DC.  He has distinct style, though one that’s found in the work of people like Skottie Young, and it has a certain look to it that resembles graffiti, which works well for the East LA setting and characters.  However, the finished product is an absolute mess.  Scott attempts to capture the same kinetic energy as Moore, with the multiple insert panels laying over top larger splashes, but it all comes out as a jumble.  The characters look doughy and malformed, a definite style shift from the previous arc’s sharp angles and extremely tight lines.  His work reminds me of two other controversial Ghost Rider artists from years past, Pop Mhan and Trent Kaniuga, and it surprises me that Marvel keeps going to these types of artists to work on this character. 

So, despite such a strong opening arc, All-New Ghost Rider is already starting to show signs of trouble.  Here’s hoping Smith can regain the momentum as the arc progresses.

Grade: C+

All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 5

Cover Artist: Tradd Moore

Published: Sep. 2014
Original Price: $3.99

Title: "Engines of Vengeance", Part 5
Writer: Felipe Smith
Artist: Tradd Moore
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Val Staples
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso

SYNOPSIS
After taking his brother Gabe out for ice cream, Robbie Reyes is driving home and talking in his head with the spirit of Eli Morrow, who is attempting to convince Robbie to burn down all of the criminals and gangsters in his neighborhood. Robbie gets a phone call from the auto shop where he works and is asked to come in and work the next night. Robbie agrees and calls a friend to babysit Gabe, then when witnessing a fist-fight outside starts to agree with Eli's message of vengeance. Elsewhere in Hillrock Heights, the mutated gang leader Grumpy is murdered by Mr. Hyde, who tells his men that they will be executing the rest of Grumpy's gang at their other hideout the next day as a message to all other gangs in the area.

The next day, Guermo Valdez and his friends are being watched by the remnants of Grumpy's gang, who know that it was Guermo who sold them out to Zabo/Hyde. When the gangsters confront Guermo in the street, they are interrupted by Zabo's mercenary army, and a gunfight breaks out in the middle of the neighborhood. At Canelo's Auto and Body Shop, Robbie hears the news that a gang shootout is happening near his house, and realizes that Gabe's babysitter lives near there as well. The school bus from the development center, in which Gabe is riding, unknowingly drives straight into the massive firefight, causing the bus to crash onto its side. While Robbie races to the scene, Guermo's friends work to help the injured handicapped children off the bus. Guermo reluctantly helps rescue Gabe, but is attacked by the leader of Zabo's mercenaries. Gabe moves in front of Guermo to save him, but before the soldier can open fire Robbie arrives as the Ghost Rider and kills the merc with his chains. Robbie places Gabe in the trunk of his car, which transports him back to the Auto Shop for safe keeping.

Robbie watches the violence and destruction going on around him and hears both the voice of his teacher telling him to be a positive force and the voice of Eli telling him to burn everything down. The mercenaries attack Robbie, who manages to take them out easily. Then, from a helicopter overhead, Mr. Hyde jumps down and enters the fight. He thinks he recognizes Robbie, wondering why he's driving a car now, but after he quickly gets the upper hand Hyde comments that whoever he is, Robbie is “not the Ghost Rider”. Neither Robbie nor Eli know what Hyde is talking about, and before Hyde can kill him Robbie uses his car as a weapon to knock the villain off balance. Afraid of losing, Hyde takes a handful of the pink pills and shoves them in his mouth, mutating further into a monster. Zabo and Hyde fight for dominance as the mutation transforms them, with Zabo stating that Hyde has caused them to overdose. Hyde turns back into a helpless Zabo, and Robbie leaves as the police arrive at the scene.

At their hideout later, Guermo and his gang talk about how awesome the Ghost Rider was during the fight, and suddenly the Rider is standing in the room with them. Robbie sees Gabe's stolen wheelchair in the corner, beats up the gang, and takes the wheelchair back before driving away.

ANNOTATIONS
The story behind Eli Morrow is revealed in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 8.

While traditionally a foe of Captain America and the Avengers, Mr. Hyde has had three previous encounters with a Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) in Ghost Rider (1990) # 4, Ghost Rider (1990) # 36, and Ghost Rider (1990) # 55.

REVIEW
“Engines of Vengeance” comes to a conclusion, which also signals the departure of artist Tradd Moore from the series.

Had this series been launched as a 5-issue mini-series from the start, I think we would have had one very tight series. Felipe Smith introduced a LOT of stuff in this initial arc, just look at everything given to us over the last five issues: a new Ghost Rider, an entirely new set of characters both main and supporting, character conflicts on both personal and superheroic levels, a possible new twist on the Spirit of Vengeance concept separate from what's come before, and even an unfamiliar setting/location for traditional Ghost Rider stories. The fact that both Robbie Reyes and the world he inhabits comes out as fleshed-out and fully-formed as it does is a testament to how much work Smith put into the creation of this series. Reyes feels like a real person, much more so than Danny Ketch did in the opening arc of the 1990s series, and his struggles seem both genuine and dramatic.

Even the familiar parts of the story take a on a new life, specifically the mystery surrounding Eli Morrow as the “spirit of vengeance” attached to Robbie and his new car. We've seen Spirits with personalities before (hi, Zarathos, hey Noble Kale!), but even here before we know any of the details Eli just seems OFF somehow. He's a little too eager to push Robbie to extremes, and his breezy tone is far more frightening than a demon screaming for souls. Eli is the personification of the little devil sitting on Robbie's shoulder, contrasted interestingly with the portrayal of Robbie's teacher as the angel of conscience. Smith knows that comics fans are suckers for continuity, though, and he uses the one piece of Marvel canon – Mr. Hyde – to bring things back around to Ghost Rider history. Having Hyde be the one to name Robbie as a “Ghost Rider” is a nice touch, almost as nice as having him be the ultimate drug pusher overdosing on his own inability to control his darker impulses.

The story works, it works very, very well, but Smith could not have achieved this without the work of Tradd Moore on art. Moore bows out after this issue, and the series immediately loses the strongest gun in its arsenal, namely the sense of movement and fluid energy that Moore brought to every panel. These panels aren't depicting static posed images, everything is in motion in some way, and it's beautiful to look at. Replacing Moore had to have been a thankless job, because there only a handful of artists that I think could come close to replicating the kinetic life of this first arc (early Tan Eng Huat, maybe?).

“Engines of Vengeance” was almost perfect from start to finish, and honestly the series suffered badly afterward. Smith and Moore succeeded in introducing a new Ghost Rider that I wanted to read about, and for once I didn't miss Johnny Blaze.

Grade: A+

All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 4

Cover Artist: Tradd Moore

Published: Aug. 2014
Original Price: $3.99

Title: "Engines of Vengeance", Part 4

Writer: Felipe Smith
Artist: Tradd Moore
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Val Staples
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso

SYNOPSIS
At his home, Robbie Reyes shaves his head and discovers a series of scars, which Eli tells him is a sign that the two of them are becoming one. The night before, the Ghost Rider fought the gangster Grumpy, who had ingested Dr. Zabo's strength-enhancing pills. Grumpy was far stronger than the Rider, who managed to get an upper hand against the drug dealer by using his car as a weapon. However, Grumpy mutated, growing an extra set of arms, and beat Robbie into submission before leaving.

The next day, Dr. Zabo argues with his other self, Mr. Hyde, about how to fix the problem with his mutagenic drug. He realizes that the problem is in the chemical compound, and that he must change it to make the pills work correctly, changing their color from pink to blue. At school, Robbie and his rival, thug Guermo Valdez, are asked by their teacher to help with a community outreach program, which Valdez laughs about before leaving. Meanwhile, Grumpy confers with his gang about getting more of the pink pills, his mind and body severely changed by the drug.

Robbie takes his little brother, Gabe, out for ice cream in his new car, while Guermo and his friends are approached by Zabo and his men about the whereabouts of Grumpy. Zabo offers Guermo both cash and a chance for great power by helping him, which Valdez accepts. Robbie sees Guermo on the street talking with Zabo, and despite Eli telling him to seek vengeance on his rival, Robbie resists the urge and continues on his way with Gabe. While Grumpy continues to consume the drug, Zabo comments that until he finds his pills all of Hillrock Heights will burn.

ANNOTATIONS
The concept of there being many different Spirits of Vengeance, each with their own appropriate vehicle, was introduced by writer Jason Aaron in Ghost Rider (2006) # 27. That issue even showed a glimpse of a Ghost Rider that drove a muscle car similar to the one used by Robbie Reyes.

The recap page for this issue gives the full name of the Spirit of Vengeance inhabiting Robbie as Eli Morrow.  Eli's origin is revealed in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 8.

While traditionally a foe of Captain America and the Avengers, Mr. Hyde has had three previous encounters with a Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) in Ghost Rider (1990) # 4, Ghost Rider (1990) # 36, and Ghost Rider (1990) # 55.

This issue was released with a cover variant by Felipe Smith that was first used as the cover of May 2014's issue of Lowrider magazine as a promotional tie-in to the new series. 

Cover Artist: Felipe Smith

REVIEW
Smith and Moore provide a quiet interlude while they set up all of the pieces for next month's showdown between all of the various characters, while Robbie fights the Ghost Rider's influence.

Following the high-impact energy of the last two issues, the opening arc's fourth chapter slows things down considerably. Aside from the first few pages being used to close up the cliffhanger ending from last issue, everything present here is either plot or character development. That is, of course, far from a bad thing. Smith has done a lot in the past three issues to build not only the setting for the book's conflict but also the motivations for each of the principle characters. Robbie, naturally, gets the lions share of the development, and I both like and dread where the writer is taking the character. An established aspect of all the various characters that been Ghost Rider is the effect of vengeance on their personalities and the world they live in. Some, like Johnny Blaze, fought against the little voice in his ear telling him to burn the world to ashes, while others like last volume's Alejandra embraced it and was led to ruin. Robbie is following down an increasingly similar path as previous hosts, but it's unclear as to which outcome he'll eventually embrace.

Smith isn't exactly subtle in his characterization of Robbie, with him shaving his head to reveal the flame-like scars on his scalp, but there is some nuance present. I've said before that Reyes is a character teetering on the edge of blowing up with rage, and the tension between his desire to be a good person and his desperate need to gain payback for all the shit heaped on him is building nicely. You can see it every time he interacts with Guermo Valdez, and it's getting worse now that he has Eli speaking to him. Eli (whose last name, according to the recap page, is apparently Morrow) is interesting, because despite his more familiar way of speaking he seems like a very strong echo of Zarathos. He's like a snake wriggling his way deeper into Robbie's psyche, getting on his good side by complimenting Gabe while at the same time driving Robbie to "annihilate!". The dueling voices are a theme, and again not a very subtle one, when you look at the book's main antagonist, Dr. Zabo, who argues with his other self like a schizophrenic.

Tradd Moore doesn't get as much of an opportunity to show off as he did in the first three issues, but he still produces quality work. He over-exaggerates when it's appropriate, such as the grotesque transformation of Grumpy when he grows his extra arms, but he also does very well with the quieter scenes. The high stylization of the artwork is still there during the school scene with Robbie and his teacher, but it's dialed down considerably in comparison to the opening fight sequence.

The only downside to this issue, as much as I hate to say it, is that it doesn't feel like much happens to further the plot. That's the double edged sword when it comes to middle chapters of arcs, though, so it's a necessary and expected snag. This is still a highly recommended series and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together next issue.

Grade: A-

"You've Got a Second Chance, Johnny Blaze!"

A banner ad made years ago for Vengeance Unbound

So, I suppose this has been coming for quite a while now...

If you're a first time visitor to Vengeance Unbound, it's a Ghost Rider comic review and annotation site that I started up waaaaaaaaaaay back in 2001 and have operated sporadically ever since.  There have been server crashes, health scares, marriages, deaths, and most recently a baby son, all things that have made the site take various hiatuses throughout the years.  Most recently, the aforementioned baby son and a change in job schedules forced yet another hiatus to take place last summer. 

Maintaining and updating a whole website, even one as simplistically designed as VU, takes a lot of time and effort.  It's energy that I just don't have left to expend in my dottering old age.  Hence, this new blog, where I will be reposting each review currently housed at the old site, along with new ones when I have the time.  The original site will stay up until everything is moved over, including all of the articles and creator interviews I've written and conducted over the years.

This blog will also be the home to the brand-new Ghost Rider podcast that I and my cohort, Jim Yost, will be bringing you in coming months.  Expect some witty debate, theological explorations, and other spiritual ephemera, it oughta be a gas.  SKULLS ON FIRE is the name of the podcast, and it will be hosted here for everyone's listening pleasure.

I invite everyone here to join us on the Vengeance Unbound Facebook page as well, where I've been known to give away Comixology download codes for new issues whenever the mood strikes me.  I am absolutely not above bribery.

That's it, that's my sales pitch.  If you enjoy comic review blogs, like reading creator interviews, dig comic related blogs, or most importantly love Ghost Rider, I hope you stick around.  If you're a fan of the original VU, enjoy the reposting of those old reviews and look out for new ones.  This site won't die until I do, which will hopefully give me a few more years at the least.

Oh, and as for my aforementioned baby son?  I don't think it will surprise anyone to learn that I named the kid Johnny...