Spider-Man 2099 (2015) # 14

Cover Artist: Francesco Mattina
Published: Aug. 2016
Original Price: $3.99

Title: "Civil War 2099", Part 2
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Will Sliney
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Editor: Charles Beacham
Senior Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso

SYNOPSIS
Spider-Man has returned to the year 2099 in search of his friend, the Captain America of 2099, and has been captured by Public Eye officer Jake Gallows.  Spider-Man remembers him as the Punisher, but Gallows has no idea what Spider-Man is talking about.  Dragging him through the air, tied to the back of his flying cycle, Gallows shocks Spider-Man when the hero refuses to stop asking questions.  Suddenly, Gallows is attacked by Zero Cochrane, the Ghost Rider of 2099.  Zero knocks Gallows and his vehicle to the ground and, with Spider-Man's assistance, knocks Jake unconscious.  When a horde of Public Eye officers are seen approaching, Ghost Rider becomes excited at the opportunity to kill more of them.  Spider-Man manages to convince Zero that they can just leave, but for a moment Zero considers attacking Spider-Man himself. 

The two fly away on Ghost Rider's hoverbike, and as they evade the Public Eye Zero explains to Spider-Man about the Anti-Powers Act, which has outlawed all super-powered individuals.  Captain America learns the same from Ravage in a local bar, before he takes her to meet some of his fellow underground heroes.  Ghost Rider drops Spider-Man off at the home of Dr. Strange, but Zero departs, stating Strange "creeps me out".  Spider-Man connects with Dr. Strange and her allies, Daredevil and Moon Knight, who are planning to take on the CEO of Alchemax.  Meanwhile, the CEO has sent for his best operatives to track down the renegade heroes, the now-adult Power Pack. 

ANNOTATIONS 
This issue is a tie-in to the "Civil War II" crossover event.

Zero Cochrane, the Ghost Rider of 2099, last appeared in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 25 from 1996.  He appeared as a digital entity in 2099: Manifest Destiny # 1 from 1998, but his appearance here seems to be from a time period pre-dating that issue.  Spider-Man notes that several things about the 2099 timeline has changed, so the Manifest Destiny one-shot may no longer be in continuity.

Alternate reality versions of Zero Cochrane appeared in 2099/2009: Timestorm # 2-4 and in Ghost Racers (2015) # 2-4. 

REVIEW
Ghost Rider 2099, the genuine article this time and not an alternate reality counterpart, makes his first re-appearance in 20 years.

I'm generally a fan of Peter David, his work on X-Factor and Incredible Hulk were at worst entertaining and at best phenomenal.  Similarly, his work on the original Spider-Man 2099 series from the early 1990s was part of what made the 2099 sub-line of titles so interesting.  Unfortunately, and I'm not sure why, but his work on this new Spider-Man 2099 series just fall flat for me.  Everything about this comic is thoroughly generic, with nothing truly exciting going on other than the familiar faces popping in to bring up the 2099 nostalgia.  The dialogue reads as forced, such as the back-and-forth between S-Man and Strange about his new costume ("Do you like it?"  "No."  "I don't care.") and the characters are all about as interesting as cardboard.  None of them have personalities outside of "super-hero" and it makes the comic really, really dull to read.

Still, it IS nice to see Ghost Rider 2099 again, though even he seems...off in this appearance.  I suppose it's because the character's creator, Len Kaminski, gave Zero such a distinct personality and voice that having another writer attempt to capture it just doesn't do him justice.  There are still some signs of the old Zero shining through, such as when Spider-Man realizes his savior was seriously considering taking him out as well, simply because he didn't want to fight the Public Eye. 

The artwork on this series doesn't really thrill me, either.  Will Sliney, whose work I don't think I've encountered before, is a perfectly serviceable super-hero comic artist.  There's nothing wrong with his artwork at all, other than it being a bit dull.  There's no dynamism to his work, everything looks very static and lifeless.  Also, whoever made the decision to change Spider-Man's costume to the horrid outfit he has on in this series made a major mistake.  Sliney does a decent job on Ghost Rider, though, so there is that.

As much as this wasn't a BAD comic, it certainly was a disappointment.  I'd hoped for better results for Ghost Rider 2099, but maybe his re-appearance here will see him show up again elsewhere (though I wouldn't bet money on it).

Grade: C+

Creator Interview: Don Perlin

In April of 2011, I got to interview Don Perlin, who has drawn more issues of Ghost Rider than any other artist.  He was an absolute pleasure to correspond with and he even sent me a scan of some original Ghost Rider art to go along with the interview!

(Again, the interview references the Top Ten Ghost Rider Comics article I ran years ago and is no longer available.  Don't worry, I'll be doing a new one soon!)

1) Mr. Perlin, thank you for taking the time to do this interview For some of our younger fans, what’s a quick way to sum up your artistic career?
 
Well Chris, the quickest way is to say, "over 60 years of drawing comics of every genre from werewolves to Scooby Doo," can't beat that. 
 
2) For many years, you set the artistic standard for Ghost Rider, and to this day you still hold the record for most issues of the series drawn by a single artist. How did you get the Ghost Rider assignment?
 
Marvel had just canceled Werewolf By Night, Jim Shooter decided to try to revive the Ghost Rider which had been down graded to a bi-monthly.  I needed another series sooo...the bald guy and the flaming skull bonded.
 
3) What was your favorite part of drawing the Ghost Rider series?

I would say that my favorite part was knowing that my work played a part in bringing the Ghost Rider from a bi-monthly to a monthly book and making it popular enough to rate a movie.
 
4) Most of your run on the series was with writer Michael Fleisher. What was it like working with him? Did you have any input on the plotting?
 
Mike did not like to write in plot form which gave the artist the opportunity to add to the plot, instead he wrote full scripts which I followed, this took some of the fun out of drawing it. The writers before Mike wrote plots which allowed for greater input from me. You will find that on various occasions, I have been given co- plotting credits on many of the titles I've worked on.
 
5) Did you ever have a desire to write as well as draw, whether it was Ghost Rider or any of the other titles you worked on over the years?
 
No, not really. On occasion I would come up with plot ideas and they were used at the writers discretion. Most of the writers I worked with were happy to have an illustrator take that kind of interest. I wrote and drew an issue of Conan the Barbarian, it was # 222. I did some writing for other publishers, but that is another story.
 
6) Last year this site did an article on the Top Ten Ghost Rider Comics of All Time and one of the issues you drew (# 36, “A Demon In Denver”) came in at # 3 on the list What do you think of that?
 
Gee only #3, shucks! Only kidding!! I am flattered and awed.
 
7) You’ve had such a long career, with artistic runs on Werewolf by Night, Defenders, Bloodshot, and others. What was your favorite series to draw? Were there any characters you wanted to work on but never had the opportunity to do so?
 
I have been asked that question many times and the answer is no favorite character, I enjoyed drawing them all. Each story had it's own challenges, my joy was in meeting them and solving them. "I was born to draw but not much more." 
 
8) What did you think of the Ghost Rider movie?
 
I enjoyed it. I like Nicholas Cage, and that Ghost Rider on the flaming horse kinda reminded me of the Bounty Hunter. When the movie was showing here in Jacksonville, the members of the Florida Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society came to Jacksonville from all over the state and SURPRISED me at the theater.  
 
9) Do you have any new projects in the works? Have you moved on from the comics field, or do you still do comic work?
 
I am semi-retired. I do commissions and any interesting projects that may come my way.
 
10) Thanks again for doing the interview, are there any parting words you’d like to give to Ghost Rider fans out there?
 
I would like to thank them all for making my run on Ghost Rider a success. Lets hope the flaming skull burns eternally!
 
 

Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 15

Cover Artist: Mike Manley
Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.75

Title: Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 4: "Trials by Fire!"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Mike Manley
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterers: Bill Oakley & Jim Novak
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Ghost Rider and Seer arrive at Quinn's cabin with the gravely injured John Blaze, whose body is being consumed by hellfire. The remaining members of the Quentin Carnival (Wolf, Kody, Miranda, and Clara) all gather around their fallen friend when Ghost Rider brings him inside. Quinn says he can help John and takes him to a hidden room inside the cabin, telling the others to wait outside. Quinn attempts to help John take control of the hellfire burning from within him, saying that it will take Blaze, Ghost Rider, and Vengeance to stand against what's coming next.
 
Meanwhile, in a mountain castle, Vengeance is in battle against a group of warrior monks who are attempting to destroy him. Vengeance escapes from the castle and rides away on his motorcycle to again attempt to kill Ghost Rider. Beneath Cypress Hills Cemetery, Lilith watches as Centurious uses magic and fire to take control of the chain he had stolen from Ghost Rider.
 
Back at the cabin, Blaze wakes up to find Quinn operating on him with a complex array of machines. Quinn tells John that the hellfire never came from his gun but from inside him, laying dormant until Centurious cut him up looking for the Medallion of Power. Using the equipment left by his father, Eli, Quinn has repaired the damage to John's body as best he could. Elsewhere in the cabin, the Carnival members are waiting for word about Blaze when Vengeance rides through the wall. Ghost Rider removes Vengeance from the cabin and the fight rages outside. Blaze hears Clara screaming for help and asks Quinn to give him his gun. Vengeance easily defeats Ghost Rider and the Carnival members, but is stopped by Blaze, who has emerged from the cabin in new clothes and cybernetic plates covering his limbs and half of his face. He shoots Vengeance multiple times, eventually causing the villain to transform back to his human form and fall down. Blaze recognizes him as Michael Badilino, the cop from New York that had been attempting to apprehend Ghost Rider. Blaze kicks Badilino in the face, then tells the others to get ready to go confront Centurious. Later, a naked Badilino makes his way through the forest and is found by the Caretaker, who says he's the only friend Badilino has.
 
ANNOTATIONS 
This story was continued from Ghost Rider (1990) # 42, and the "Road to Vengeance" crossover continues into Ghost Rider (1990) # 43.
 
Michael Badilino first appeared as the head of the NYPD Ghost Rider Task Force in Ghost Rider (1990) # 21 and he made his last appearance as Badilino in Ghost Rider (1990) # 35. He made a deal with Mephisto and became Vengeance in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 9, though his identity was not revealed until this issue. Vengeance last appeared in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 12, where he was teleported away by Quinn McIntyre.
 
Badilino's reason for hating Ghost Rider/Zarathos is revealed in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 16.
 
Eli McIntyre left two gifts to John Blaze in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 12, the first being the aid of his son Quinn and the second being the armor used to heal John during this issue.
 
Ghost Rider: The Official Index to the Marvel Universe listed the monks that attempt to kill Vengeance as the Blood, but that makes no sense with the scene as depicted in this issue.
 
The mysterious flame that pours from John's wounds was first glimpsed in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 12, when he was grazed by a bullet in the shoulder. He assumed he was shot with an incendiary round, but the flame was in fact hellfire.
 
REVIEW
"Road to Vengeance" continues its dive into awfulness as Vengeance enters the story and John Blaze gets a truly terrible revamp.
 
If there were any lingering doubts that this storyline was being driven by Marvel's marketing department, the fourth chapter dispels them immediately. I refuse to believe that THIS is what Howard Mackie had been building to for the previous four years for numerous reasons (the lack of connections to what had previous been established and the casual inclusion of every major villain so far in seemingly slapdash ways are two major pieces of evidence). Having already gone through Blackout, Deathwatch, Lilith, and Skinner, we finally have Vengeance brought back into play. If there was a single villain, outside of Centurious, whose presence made sense for inclusion, it arguably was Vengeance. His creation by Mephisto was to be the demon lord's agent in the "war that was coming", so not utilizing him would have been a curious omission.
 
However, this is the first step in what I like to call the "Venom Syndrome" for Vengeance. As Marvel did with Venom (and Sabretooth, to a degree), Vengeance was quickly transformed from a great villain into an anti-hero. The "antithesis" villains seemed to suffer this fate a lot in the 1990s, but the speed in which Vengeance went from a bad-ass villain to an "extreme!!!" hero was pretty remarkable. This issue was only his fifth appearance, and already the decision had been made to revamp him into a grittier version of Ghost Rider (who was already as gritty as one could get, except for the no-killing thing). The revelation of Vengeance's true identity isn't much of a shocker either, since Badilino was about the only candidate that made any sense at the time.
 
Vengeance's treatment isn't the most egregious of this comic's sins, though, because just look at what they did to poor John Blaze. I can't imagine the decision to turn Blaze into a cyborg was made by anyone other than an accountant who thought it would make for a better action figure. It's awful from concept right down to execution, turning a great character (and the 90s revamp of Blaze into a grizzled old man with a hellfire shotgun WAS great) into a knock-off of Cable.
 
I'm not sure who was responsible for Blaze's re-design, but I'm going to go out on a speculative limb and say it likely wasn't Mike Manley, who has been the book's fill-in artist for two issues. This couldn't have been an easy gig for Manley, stepping into the series during a huge crossover that featured an endless amount of characters and a major revamp of a lead hero. I can forgive a lot of Manley's work during this story, it's not very exciting but it at least tells the story clearly. The only ridiculous bit concerning the artwork is when Centurious "merges" with Ghost Rider's chain, which apparently cover his arms vertically like armor plates or something?
 
Mackie and Manley did the best they could do, bless 'em, but there's no saving this comic.
 
Grade: F

Ghost Rider (1990) # 42

Cover Artist: Mike Manley
Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.75

Title: Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 3: "Links"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Ron Garney
Inker: Chris Ivy
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Ghost Rider and the young woman named Seer are transported to the Blood's mystical Nightclub, where protective spells immediately transform Ghost Rider back into Dan Ketch. Dan is desperate for answers from Seer, especially now that Centurious has captured both his mother and John Blaze.

Meanwhile, at Centurious' headquarters in the town of Holly, the villain's servant Carver continues the work Skinner started by cutting away pieces of Blaze's flesh while he's chained from the ceiling. Observing alongside Centurious is the demon mother Lilith, who is approached by her Lilin Blackout. A piece of Ghost Rider's chain had been stabbed into Blackout's head, and when Centurious removes it another piece of the chain is immediately called to connect to it - a chain recovered when Centurious took possession of Deathwatch from Ghost Rider.

At the Nightclub, Seer begins to tell Dan some of the secrets of the Blood and the Medallion of Power, showing him visions in a puddle of alcohol. She stops soon after starting, unwilling to say anymore; but she then decides that if none of the other Blood care to get involved then she'll tell Dan everything. At that moment, the Caretaker steps through a mirror and throws Seer across the room, telling her to keep her mouth shut. The old man attacks Dan, who for the first time triggers the transformation into Ghost Rider on his own. The Rider quickly disables Caretaker, and the fight is finished when Seer receives a flash of pain from John Blaze. Ghost Rider and Seer depart, leaving Caretaker alone in the Nightclub, happy that things are finally moving along.

At Centurious' base, Carver is blown back by the massive amount of hellfire pouring uncontrollably out of Blaze's mutilated body. Centurious orders him to continue until he finds the piece of the Medallion that dwells inside Blaze's body. Ghost Rider and Seer arrive in Holly, which is completely empty of people, and make their way toward the church. They're attacked by three Stygian demons who are quickly killed. When they enter the church, a revived Deathwatch bursts through the floor, now under the thrall of Centurious. Ghost Rider attacks with his chain, but is caught by Deathwatch and tossed down into the church's basement for Centurious to retrieve. Deathwatch then attacks, claiming that he was really after the Medallion of Power on the night that Barbara Ketch was mortally wounded by his men.

While Ghost Rider fights Deathwatch, Seer goes in search of Blaze. Deathwatch ultimately falls under Ghost Rider's fists, and the Rider goes to join Seer in her hunt for Blaze. They find his cell behind a wall of hellfire, and Ghost Rider pulls the horribly injured John free. Deathwatch grabs Seer from behind, but before he can harm her he is blasted away by the combined hellfire of Blaze and the Rider. Seer opens up a gateway to the Nightclub for their escape, and Blaze tells them to take him to Quinn for help. Centurious and Lilith, with the captive Francis Ketch and Ghost Rider's complete chain, arrive at Cypress Hills to prepare for the final battle.

ANNOTATIONS 
"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link" continues into Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 15. The story's previous chapters were in Ghost Rider (1990) # 41 and Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 14.

Readers got the first hint that Blaze's body was contaminated by hellfire in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 12.

The full history of the Medallion of Power and the Spirits of Vengeance is revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 43. Due to revelations about the Ghost Rider's origin years later and the Caretaker's job to obfuscate the true history of the Spirits of Vengeance, as shown in Ghost Rider (2006) # 27 and Ghost Rider (2006) # 33, the story told by the Caretaker during "Road to Vengeance" is likely altered from the actual events or even perhaps outright lies.

The Caretaker was believed to have been killed by Vengeance in Ghost Rider (1990) # 39.

Deathwatch was nearly killed and left a mindless husk in Ghost Rider (1990) # 24. Centurious took possession of the captured Deathwatch, Hag, and Troll in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 9. The fates of Hag and Troll were never revealed. Deathwatch doesn't appear again for nearly 20 years, until Ghost Rider (2011) # 1.

Centurious made his first attempt at corrupting the town of Holly in Ghost Rider (1973) # 80, and it was there that the villain was trapped alongside Zarathos inside the Soul Crystal in Ghost Rider (1973) # 81. The Soul Crystal was last seen in Mephisto's possession in The Mighty Thor (1966) # 430.

REVIEW
Just like the chapters before it, this issue of "Road to Vengeance" brings back a villain we haven't seen in a while. This time its Deathwatch, who is given a horrible case of "retroactive motivation".

I have to say, there was nothing more irritating about this story (among a multitude of irritating things) than every single character suddenly claiming that they were really after the Medallion of Power all this time, even when previous stories gave no inclination of such things. In this issue, that's what Deathwatch claims, that he was really seeking the Medallion the night that Barbara Ketch was hurt and Ghost Rider was reborn. God damn it, I know you're trying to sell this Medallion of Power as a BIG DEAL, but how the hell can something that's supposed to be so secretive and mysterious be known to every single character other than the lead heroes? Its sloppy and insulting and it's a tactic that comic writers fall back on far more frequently than they should be allowed.

While Howard Mackie is scrambling to connect everything in the series-so-far back to the Medallion, to the point where he's re-writing stories he himself wrote only a few years before, we get our first solid clues as to the Ghost Rider's origins. The whole Medallion mess was something that stinks of being written on the fly, as it was only right before this arc that any mention was made of it. Before this, the big mystical macguffin was the Soul Crystal, which at least had established backstory with the characters. This story was supposed to be the big payoff for four years of teases and hints, and nothing adds up.

Artwork is by Ron Garney, who continues to do a solid job. In fact, Garney's work is pretty much this comic's only saving grace. The guy does a great job illustrating fight scenes, and I particularly enjoyed his rendition of the Caretaker as he emerges from the mirror to hoist Seer up by her pony-tail. Oh, and I've always liked Deathwatch's face mask, which he wore I believe a total of one time in this series' first issue, and its nice to see it make a return (even if it is for just a panel or two).

"Road to Vengeance" is awful; in fact, its the shining example of everything that went wrong with this series post issue # 25. At least it looks pretty, though...

Grade: D+

Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 14

Cover Artist: Mike Manley
Published: Sept. 1993
Original Price: $1.75
 
Title: Road To Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 2: "Truth Is Only Skin Deep!"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Mike Manley
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco
 
SYNOPSIS
At a truck stop along a New York highway, the Lilin named Skinner murders a trucker. Vowing revenge on both Lilith and John Blaze for the death of his children, Skinner begins his hunt. Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider tears down a Pennsylvania road, searching for Blaze. When he comes across the spot that the remnants of the Quentin Carnival have been occupying, he sees them in a vicious battle with the Lilin. The demons are there to kidnap John, alive and unharmed. The Ghost Rider intervenes, forcing the Lilin to retreat through one of Pilgrim's portals. Blaze is reluctant to hear what the Ghost Rider has to say, unwilling to endanger his friends and family any more than he already has. GR transforms back to Dan, who explains that Lilith and another have kidnapped his mother. Blaze asks who the other person was, and upon hearing Centurious' name, angrily agrees to help.
 
At their secret location, Centurious and Lilith interrogate the terrified Francis Ketch. When she fails to cooperate, Centurious decides to torture her. Elsewhere, Seer arrives at the Nightclub, where she is confronted by the mystic form of one of the Blood. The Blood tell Seer to bring the Ghost Rider to the Nightclub immediately, while they deal with the Caretaker themselves. Back on the highway, Dan and John ride toward a town called Holly, the place where Zarathos and Centurious were locked away in the Soul Crystal. As the two travel toward the small town, they are both unaware that Skinner is following them in a stolen semi-truck.
 
Three miles outside of Holly, John and Dan stop at a diner to get some food while they have an opportunity. Skinner then attempts to run them over with the semi, but the two manage to evade the truck. After Dan transforms, the Ghost Rider goes to save the people in the diner from the burning semi-truck, leaving Blaze to fight Skinner alone. John is quickly outmatched, and is sliced open several times by Skinner's bone blades. Ghost Rider then returns, allowing John to crawl away. GR quickly defeats Skinner and turns his attention toward Blaze, whose wounds are covered in a strange flame. Before the Ghost Rider can reach his friend, Centurious and Lilith appear between them. Centurious offers to exchange Blaze and Dan's mother for the medallion on GR's motorcycle, which the Rider promptly refuses. Centurious tangles the Ghost Rider in his own chain, then disappears, taking Lilith, Skinner, and Blaze along with him. As Ghost Rider frees himself from his chain, he sees a vision of the Caretaker, who tells him to find Seer and then wait for him. As the vision fades, Seer appears and takes Ghost Rider's hands, promising the answers to his questions.
 
ANNOTATIONS 
This story was continued from Ghost Rider (1990) # 41, and the Road to Vengeance crossover continues into Ghost Rider (1990) # 42.
 
Skinner first appeared in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 3, where he was sent by Lilith to kill John Blaze.
 
Although this issue shows Steel Wind as a part of Centurious' forces, this is an error. She is actually being held in a government facility built over the ruins of Blaze's carnival, which was destroyed in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 10. Steel Wind's next true appearance is Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 20.
 
Blaze's final confrontation with Centurious in the town of Holly took place in Ghost Rider (1973) # 81. The Soul Crystal, which had imprisoned Zarathos and Centurious, was last seen in Mephisto's possession in The Mighty Thor (1966) # 430.
 
The mysterious flame that pours from John's wounds was first glimpsed in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 12, when he was grazed by a bullet in the shoulder. He assumed he was shot with an incendiary round, but the flame is in fact hellfire.
 
REVIEW
The Ghost Rider Greatest Hits Villain Menagerie - also known as "Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link" - continues into the second chapter with the return of Skinner.
 
Now that the arc has made its way over to Spirits of Vengeance, Blaze and his supporting cast are brought into the story by the Ghost Rider, who's driven to find his sometimes-partner by Centurious' parting words in the first chapter. "Road to Vengeance" is remembered most for the radical changes to Blaze in the latter parts of the crossover, when he's transformed into a cyborg a la Deathlok or Cable, an event that was understandably loathed by fans. Mackie wrote Blaze very well, with his character being spot-on even when the story surrounding him was bad, and until we get to the cyborg change in chapter 4 Mackie holds true to that pattern. John Blaze doesn't want to be involved in the Ghost Rider's life, even when Dan begs him to help him save his mother, until he hears the name Centurious. That name kicks things up several notches for Blaze, bringing back memories of his final days as the Ghost Rider. He knows that if Centurious is loose than there's a chance that Zarathos is as well, and that's as close to a personal Hell as John can imagine.
 
But that's not to say John gets off easy in this issue, either, as he's given a return engagement with Skinner. Howard Mackie later named Skinner as his favorite character from the Ghost Rider series, and he's easily one of the strongest villains throughout the run due to the power of his back story. Skinner is a monster in the trappings of a man that blames everyone but himself for the murder of his family that he was "forced" to commit. I love Skinner, easily one of my favorite Ghost Rider villains, and his presence here as this chapter's main antagonist helps to push it up from merely mediocre to good.
 
Unlike Skinner, whose background and motivations are clear and appropriate, Mackie also gives us characters like Centurious and the Blood. Mackie had a clear fondness for these nigh-omnipotent characters who knew everything about the plot but refused to speak in anything other than cryptically vague sentences. In fact, it seems like everyone in the story knows everything about the plot but our lead characters and the readers themselves.
 
Now that Adam Kubert has departed the series for the greener pastures of Wolverine, veteran artist Mike Manley steps up to fill in until a new regular can be found. Manley is a chameleon, aping the styles of other artists - such as John Romita Jr. on Punisher War Journal or Bruce Timm on Black Panther - and here he's vaguely channeling the Kubert brothers in his rough, sketchy style. It's certainly decent enough work, but there's nothing real engaging about it. In fact, the work is almost too cluttered with abstract panel designs and POVs. Nothing special, but it gets the point across well enough.
 
"Road to Vengeance" is now two chapters behind us, and things are looking up slightly despite the frustrating vagueness of it all.
 
Grade: C+

Ghost Rider (1990) # 41

Cover Artist: Ron Garney
Published: Sept. 1993
Original Price: $1.75

Title: Road To Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 1: "Mother Love"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Ron Garney
Inkers: Chris Ivy
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
In Greenland, a very pregnant Lilith sings her siren call in the vain hope that one of her scattered children will come to her. She has devoured the corpses of her children that were killed by the Midnight Sons, and is ready to give birth to them once again. Her song is carried to every corner of the planet, and is heard by Centurious. Recognizing Lilith's call, he teleports away, believing that the demon queen may be able to help him in his quest for the Medallion of Power. Meanwhile, in New York, Dan Ketch sits in his apartment, thinking about all the questions that have been raised concerning the Ghost Rider's origin. Suddenly, a strange woman enters, saying that her name is Seer, one of the Caretaker's people. Dan says that the Caretaker is dead, killed by Vengeance. Seer replies that the Caretaker is probably still alive, and that Dan needs to come with her to get the answers he seeks. At that moment, hearing Lilith's siren call, Seer grabs Dan and pulls him out of the apartment.

Back in the Arctic, Lilith begins to lose hope that one of her children will come to her aid. Finally, a Lilin by the name of Outcast arrives, saying that he wants to return to the family fold. Outcast rips a hole in his mother's stomach, allowing the reborn Lilin to emerge in a flash of light. Blackout, whose face is now fully healed from the scars inflicted by Ghost Rider's hellfire, is the first to approach Lilith. She tells him that the Nine must die, that she wants their entrails as adornments. Blackout forces Pilgrim to teleport him to New York, in order to kill Danny.

Danny and Seer ride through NYC on his motorcycle, when they are attacked by Pilgrim and Blackout. Pilgrim creates a rift in the street, opening a giant chasm directly in front of Dan, who manages to grab hold of the street-edge. Dan tells Seer that he can't transform into the Ghost Rider until innocent blood is spilled, to which she says is untrue. Frustrated, Seer lets go of Danny and falls into the chasm, hoping to trigger his transformation. Blackout then grabs Dan's wrist, pulling him out of the chasm. When Dan sees the fresh blood that stains the vampire's teeth, the transformation is triggered and the Ghost Rider emerges. Pilgrim promptly teleports himself and his ally, as Blackout taunts the Rider by threatening Dan's mother.

In Greenland, Lilith and her offspring are confronted by Centurious, who seeks an alliance with the demon queen. Realizing that Centurious knows the location of the Medallion of Power, Lilith accepts the offer. Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider enters the darkened home of Francis Ketch. He finds the woman in the basement, attempting to fix the lights. Pilgrim and Blackout appear and grab Mrs. Ketch, commanding the Rider to transform back into Dan or she will die. The Ghost Rider refuses, slamming the end of his chain into Pilgrim's face (shattering it rather nicely). The demon then forms a length of the chain into a facsimile of a stake, promptly stabbing it into Blackout's forehead. Pilgrim teleports the two Lilin away, leaving GR alone with Mrs. Ketch. She tells the Rider that she knows about him and Dan, and that it's time for him to learn the truth. She is then grabbed from behind by Centurious, who blasts the Ghost Rider with an energy beam. As he teleports away, he tells GR that John Blaze knows where to find him, and that both of them must come. Seer then reappears, offering to give GR the answers to his questions. The Ghost Rider brushes her aside, opting instead to search for Blaze.

ANNOTATIONS 
Ghost Rider last appeared in Morbius: The Living Vampire (1992) # 15. "Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link" continues in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 14.

Ghost Rider (1990) Annual # 1, in which Ghost Rider fights the vampire Night Terror, takes place between scenes in this issue; specifically right after Seer picks Dan up from his apartment.

Lilith was defeated and the Lilin were killed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 31. Lilith was seen pregnant with her reborn children in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 13.

Blackout's face was destroyed by hellfire in Ghost Rider (1990) # 3. He later killed Dan's sister, Barbara, in Ghost Rider (1990) # 7 and attacked the rest of his friends and family in Ghost Rider (1990) # 25. He learned about his Lilin heritage in Ghost Rider (1990) # 28.

REVIEW
After a solid year of build-up across two ongoing titles, the pay-off for the Centurious/Zarathos/Medallion of Power storyline is finally upon us. Howard Mackie later said that this story was editorially mandated - that he preferred to keep the Ghost Rider's origins a mystery - and I can certainly see why he'd be hesitant to take credit for "Road to Vengeance".

In this opening chapter, however, things are getting off to a nice start. The reintroduction of Lilith and Blackout coupled with the first on-screen moves of Centurious go a long way in saying this storyarc is where all the cards are being laid on the table - in other words, Mackie and company are waving their arms and screaming "this is IT!" at the top of their lungs. And for this first chapter, it works...though not without some drawbacks.

Along with dealing with the origin, Mackie's main thrust in this arc seems to come down to how many villains he can throw into the narrative alongside the kitchen sink. This chapter brings back both Lilith and Blackout - while subsequent chapters include Centurious, Zarathos, Vengeance, Deathwatch, and Skinner - and it amazes me to see just how far the book's # 1 villain, Blackout, has fallen since "Rise of the Midnight Sons". Throughout the first two years of the series, Blackout was THE villain, responsible for not only the death of Dan's sister but also Dan himself. In all honesty, I feel that Blackout should have died at the end of the 25th issue, because the character had run his course. Now, with the events of this issue, everything that had made Blackout unique has been taken away - instead of a lone serial killing mutant, he's now a mystical vampire that's just one of a group of bland mystical villains. Of course, that's not to mention the fact that this issue successfully takes away the villain's complete reason for wanting revenge on the Ghost Rider once his face is healed. Mackie will succeed in bringing the character back to a touch of his former glory later on in the series, once the Lilith nonsense ended, but right now Blackout is just a shade of what made him so good to begin with.

We're also dealing heavy in retcon city with this storyarc and it's focus on the Medallion of Power. For an object that's supposed to be kept secret, it seems like a whole lotta people know about it. Motivations for characters change without explanation, including Lilith and Centurious, and it makes me wonder if perhaps Mackie originally had something else in mind for Centurious' return when he first started dropping hints a year before. But I've also never been a fan of the whole Medallion of Power concept and origin, and I seriously disliked how every villain started claiming that as their ultimate goal in this storyline when there had been no mention of it beforehand.

Only two issues into his run, Ron Garney is starting to slip a little on the book's artistic front. While I still enjoy his rendition of the Ghost Rider, the detail of his work seen on Nightstalkers is starting to get pushed to roadside in favor of a more simplistic style that doesn't go over well with me. I also dislike the way he's drawing Mrs. Ketch as a thin young woman when every previous depiction of her has been the opposite, a slightly heavy older woman.

While some of the details were decent enough, "Road to Vengeance" is a story that smacks as a big ol' mistake, featuring way too many characters and an opening villain that's a pathetic shade of his former self. And unfortunately, the story really doesn't get much better than this.

Grade: C

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 142

Cover Art: Fred Harper
Published: Nov. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 6: "Red Dawn"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Tsin Hark, transformed into a demonic juggernaut, slams the Ghost Rider against the nearest wall, declaring that he should despair as he witnesses the dawn of a new millennium. The Masters of Silence continue their battle against the Army of Darkness, commenting to one another that their sole hope for victory lies with the Spirit of Vengeance - but whatever he's going to do, he'd better do it soon.

Ghost Rider fights with Hark, but his first punch only serves to make the sorcerer angry. Hark tackles the Rider to the ground, telling him that the evils of the world demand purification at his hands. Ghost Rider strikes Hark in the mouth with his chain, declaring that the evil he sees stands before him. A single drop of Hark's blood flies from his mouth, landing in the blood pool beside them. Hark's power depends upon the blood of innocent people he'd put to death, but this has now been tainted by the sorcerer's own evil blood. The pool begins to bubble and boil, and as he approaches victory of the Rider Hark finds himself weakening and losing strength. He reverts back to his elderly body in time to see the blood pool burning out of control, destroying his spells. Ghost Rider grabs Hark by the hair - "You wanted to cleanse the world of evil -- let it begin with you, demon!" the Spirit of Vengeance says as he throws Hark into the flaming blood pool. Tsin Hark's body burns with mystical flame immediately upon landing, killing him. The Army of Darkness, the warriors summoned by Hark's power, are bound to their master - and where he leads they must follow, even if that destination is the oblivion from which they came. As the warriors depart, the building begins to shake around them. As the Ghost Rider and Masters flee the building, the mystical backlash from Hark's death destroys the warehouse in which they'd been fighting.

Shortly, the four heroes stand outside the destroyed building. The Masters of Silence tell the Ghost Rider that should their paths cross again, they will consider it their honor. Ghost Rider rides away from the scene of their battle, contemplating that while the road to vengeance is a road that must be followed alone it is good to know that there exist fellow travelers.

ANNOTATIONS 
Ghost Rider appears next in Morbius the Living Vampire (1992) # 15.

This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring the Foreigner, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW
"Fellow Travelers" finds its way to a conclusion that proves just as explosive and satisfying as the previous five chapters.

I've commented all along that this story had pretty much no plot to speak of, squeaking by with the bare essentials to provide action scene after action scene. Normally, this wouldn't work well at all, because while comics such as these are based around action sequences there at least has to be a credible story behind the fight scenes. This series didn't anything but the weakest "plot" to speak of - an elderly sorcerer that wants to eradicate science and go back to the old days of tradition - and it actually all takes place within about a few hours.

But still, it works.

As I've said, Kaminski was able to put just enough variables and changing details into each chapter to keep the multiple fight scenes from becoming repetitive or monotonous. That's held here in the conclusion as Tsin Hark goes mano-a-mano with the Ghost Rider before getting his ass handed to him, and it's a nice exercise in simplicity. Some stories in Marvel Comics Presents tried too hard to be complex and complicated (see the Ghost Rider/Cage team-up), resulting in some huge jumps in the narrative to recoup the tiny page count each chapter was allowed. "Fellow Travelers" didn't bother with that, and instead turned in a rousing action story that honestly reminded me a bit of the classic movie Big Trouble in Little China.

If there was a problem to be found with this story, it's that the Ghost Rider's co-stars - the Masters of Silence - really didn't serve much of a function other than to fulfill the "team-up" mandate. This is really odd, considering Kaminski was the Masters' creator, but they really do get sidelined in favor of their more popular co-star, Ghost Rider. Like I said in an earlier review of this story, I don't even know which Master was which out of the three - not exactly a good sign.

But still, the action is what sells this story, and Fred Harper and Reggie Jones do their usual splendid job. Their version of the Ghost Rider grew to be better and better with each chapter, and based on the strength of their work here I was happy to see them become the ongoing artistic team for the Ghost Rider side of MCP. Unfortunately, their work later never really hits the highs that it does on this story, but that's for another review to detail.

So overall, "Fellow Travelers" was a success. It was a dumb action movie in comic book form, and sometimes that's all you need to get some enjoyment.

Grade: B

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 141

Cover Artist: George Pratt
Published: Nov. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 5: "Army of Darkness"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Ghost Rider and the Masters of Silence have caught up to Tsin Hark, who has used the power of innocent blood to raise the demonic warriors of a bygone era - the Army of Darkness. Hark declares that, with the power of his Army, he will scourge the Earth of the plague of science to bring forth a new golden age of tradition, starting with the deaths of the Masters and the Rider. The four heroes stand firm as the Army moves toward them - and the battle is soon joined. With each creature they destroy, more and more appear to take their place, putting them quickly on the losing side of the fight.

While the battle rages, Hark returns to the pool of innocent blood to confer with his dark gods. A voice calls to him from beneath the blood pool, telling him that there is even greater power to be had. Hark admits that it is an intriguing offer, and he accepts by cupping a handful of blood to drink.

Continuing the battle against the Army of Darkness, Ghost Rider realizes that the monsters multiply faster than they can destroy them - and that they will be completely overwhelmed in a matter of moments. If they are to prevail, they must defeat the Army's master...so the Ghost Rider simply asks the Masters of Silence to "cover me". As the Masters take the brunt of the Army's assault, the Rider makes his way to Hark, who is still kneeling before the blood pool. When Ghost Rider reaches him, however, Hark turns and grabs him by the throat - the elder man has undergone a transformation into a large demonic creature, powerful enough to destroy even the Spirit of Vengeance.

ANNOTATIONS 
This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW
Fight, fight, fight - all day long. Fight, fight, fight - while I sing a song.

The ante keeps getting upped while "Fellow Travelers" moves closer to its conclusion, this time with an unstoppable "Army of Darkness" (a name that always makes me think of Sam Raimi's movie, which this story is obviously paying homage to). One thing I've noticed is that the poor Masters of Silence really haven't done much but yell "hai!" and cut things throughout this story, making each of them pretty interchangeable other than their different colored outfits and the fact that one of the three is a woman. Seriously, I have no idea which Master is which in relationship to their names. But Ghost Rider at least fares a little better, even if he is pushed back to his standard "innocent blood has been spilled" mantras of his early days.

It's more fight scenes, little plot, but Kaminski at least keeps the readers engaged during all of the carnage. This is helped considerably by Jones and Harper, who just keep knocking my socks off with each new chapter. Their close-up shot of the Ghost Rider in the bottom panel of page 6 is incredibly gritty and horrific, probably one of the better examples of how a flaming skull would probably look in reality.

One chapter left - or, more accurately, one fight scene left - until the end, people.

Grade: B

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 140

Cover Artist: Fred Harper
Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 4: "Throne of Blood"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
While the Masters of Silence fight against an army of undead creatures, the Ghost Rider is held paralyzed by a mystical parchment affixed to his head, helpless to aid his allies. The Masters realize that if they are to survive they must free the Spirit of Vengeance, and each of them throw their swords toward the Rider. The blades pass across the Ghost Rider's head, shredding the parchment and freeing him to fight. With the spell broken, the Ghost Rider enters the battle against the monsters.

Upstairs, Tsin Hark kneels down before a pool of blood and invokes his gods of the outer darkness, calling them to rise from their eternal slumber. He adds incantations written in fire on ashes to the pool of innocent blood and asks his gods to grant his request. As the shadows in the pool begin to change and move, Hark smiles and says "yes!".

Back downstairs, Ghost Rider and the Masters of Silence continue their battle, and shortly are the only ones left standing amidst the bodies of their undead enemies. They begin to search for Hark, finding a curtain behind the madman's throne. As they enter Hark's chamber, they find him standing before the blood pool. Rising from the depths is the army of darkness, a battalion of skeletal warriors clothed in ancient armor.

ANNOTATIONS 
This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW
"Fellow Travelers" continues on with its paper-thin plot built around a series of action sequences, and surprisingly the quality of the first three chapters is held firm.

There's really not much else I can say about this story that I haven't covered in previous reviews. The plot is completely inconsequential, with each 8-page chapter being just one fight scene after another. There was a brief respite from the constant action in the last chapter, which went through the motions of explaining the motivations of the villain, Tsin Hark, and with that out of the way there's not much else to do but have the heroes fight their way to the end.

But as I've said, this story is still hugely enjoyable despite all the reasons why it shouldn't be. Len Kaminski successfully keeps the multiple action sequences from being too repetitive, upping the ante with more and more dangerous paper tigers in each chapter. First was ninjas, then a fight between the heroes, then the undead vampire creatures, and now - at the end of this issue - a horde of skeleton warriors. There's also just enough variation in the motions of the each fight, with the Ghost Rider's imprisonment in this chapter giving a nice little spotlight on his co-stars without it seeming forced.

We're also still getting treated to some wicked artwork by Jones and Harper. These guys can illustrate a fight scene like nobody's business, and each chapter of this story just looks better and better. I'm really warming to their interpretation of the Ghost Rider, and he looks fantastic in this chapter.

So, yeah, it's the same as before, but done in an excellent way. I'm enjoying "Fellow Travelers" more than I probably should.

Grade: B+

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 139

Cover Artist: George Pratt
Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 3: "Fangs of Fury"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Tsin Hark, the man responsible for the deaths of countless Chinese immigrants, introduces himself, recognizing the Masters of Silence and the Ghost Rider, asking them why they have come. The Rider answers "vengeance", seeking retribution for the innocent blood that fills the ten gallon drums stored in the warehouse they've entered. As he descends from his throne, Hark tells them that he is attempting to purge mankind of the cancer of science. Once, he says, the world was pure and men were ruled by faith and tradition - but then then came a disease of the mind that caused men to discard the old ways for science. Now the world is dying and poisoned while cultures and traditions have been forgotten. Soon, he says as he approaches the warriors, science will be burned from the Earth - and they are perfect examples why.

Hark slaps a parchment across the Ghost Rider's forehead, a spell of binding inscribed upon it that holds the demon paralyzed. Hark leaps away from the Masters, who are descended upon by the Gynosii, creatures like vampires that were once the bodies of Hark's innocent victims. While the Masters fight the horde of monsters, the Ghost Rider can only look on the battle while immobilized. As the battle rages, the Masters realize that the hundreds of undead creatures are remorseless and tireless, unlike themselves.

ANNOTATIONS 
This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Batroc, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW
"Fellow Travelers" rolls on at a break-neck speed, with the plot and motivations of Tsin Hark laid out in a one-page montage - if anything, one can't accuse Len Kaminski of padding his stories out with unnecessary exposition.

Hark's plan to destroy science through sorcery is pretty run of the mill, but let's face it: any kind of plot in this story is simply there to move the characters from one fight scene to the next. The first chapter gave us ninjas and the second a fight between the heroes - this one steps it up even more with the Masters of Silence fighting some Chinese vampire/zombie creatures while the Ghost Rider is taken out of the fight. It did kind of strike me as odd that Hark thinks the Ghost Rider a product of science, considering he's a big flaming demon, but I did really like the way the Rider is taken out of the fight via the mystic parchment slapped on his forehead. It illustrates that while the Ghost Rider is virtually immune to anything man made, he's very vulnerable to sorcery.

Of course, this also gives the Masters of Silence a bit of time in the spotlight, which is good considering they're supposed to be the co-stars of this story (and not mere second bananas to the Ghost Rider, which they really kinda are by default). The Masters don't have much in the way of personalities, of course, so Kaminski wisely just focuses on them kicking vampire/zombie ass. And honestly, that's all we really expect from this story anyway.

The artwork by Reggie Jones and Fred Harper continues to shine, and I still have no idea why. The duo's work on later Vengeance stories in Marvel Comics Presents wound up being pretty lackluster, but they really pull out all the stops here with the nonstop asskickery going on. It's not quite as well-rendered as last issue, but still enjoyable nonetheless.

So, yeah, plot...who needs it? Apparently not "Fellow Travelers", and for once I'm not complaining in the slightest.

Grade: B

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 138

Cover Artist: Fred Harper
Published: Oct. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 2: "Lightning Swords of Death"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Outside a seemingly-abandoned warehouse, the Ghost Rider is attacked by Izanuma, Kaze, and Kaminari - the three warriors known as the Masters of Silence. With each thinking the other are assassins, the Masters engage the Ghost Rider in battle. While the Spirit of Vengeance fights valiantly, he is eventually taken down by the three ninjas. As the Ghost Rider stands once again, he tells them that they shall not deter him from his mission of vengeance. Upon hearing this, the Masters sheathe their swords, claiming that they have much to discuss. After apologizing to the Rider, the Masters state that they have also come seeking vengeance, acting on behalf of peasants from mainland China whose sons and daughters paid criminals for the chance to emigrate to America illegally. These people were murdered en route, and the Masters have traced those who took their money to this warehouse.

After this, the Ghost Rider kicks in the door to the warehouse, where the foursome finds hundreds of ten gallon drums lining the entrance. The Ghost Rider's head begins to burn brighter as he approaches the barrels - and when he punches through one, a red liquid begins to pour out. They then hear a voice behind them, the voice of the elderly Tsin Hark atop his throne, who tells them that the liquid is a rare and precious substance of great mystic potency.

Innocent blood.

ANNOTATIONS 
The names of the Masters of Silence - Izanuma, Kaze, and Kaminari - translate as "lightning, wind, and thunder".
This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Spellbound.

REVIEW
I believe that there was an unofficial rule when it came to the Ghost Rider stories that ran in Marvel Comics Presents: regardless of the character, whoever was billed as the co-star of the story would have to fight Ghost Rider in the second chapter. It was as predictable as clockwork, and this second part of "Fellow Travelers" is no different as it showcases a brutal fight between the Rider and the Masters of Silence.

There's really not much more to be said about this issue. It's a big fight sequence of the stereotypical "heroes mistake each other for villains" motif, but at least with the Ghost Rider this oft-repeated scenario makes sense. I mean, he's a demon with a flaming skull that frequently beats seven shades of hell out of anyone that crosses his path - it's easy to understand why some people would think he's a villain. We do get a bit of advancement in the (rather simple) storyline at the end, with the heroes realizing that they're on the same side. Tsin Hark's introduction on the last page is fairly ominous, with the words "innocent blood" being used for maximum dramatic effect...we all know how the Ghost Rider reacts to THOSE two little words.

The artwork by Jones and Harper really shines in this chapter. You wouldn't think it when you see the rough, scratchy style of the duo, but they can illustrate one mean fight sequence. There's still a distinct lack of backgrounds, but the sheer kinetic motion of the fight between the Rider and Masters is excellent. I'm really enjoying the artwork in this story, even if I probably shouldn't due to the sheer simplicity and occasional sloppiness.

So it's a chapter that's light on plot and big on action - but what action it is!

Grade: B+

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 137

Cover Artist: George Pratt
Published: Sep. 1993
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Fellow Travelers, Part 1: "Rage of Honor"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Reggie Jones
Inker: Fred Harper
Letterer: Ul Higgins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Richard Ashford
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
In Hong Kong, an elderly fisherman named Tsui Wu has a conversation with three others in shadow. The three tell Wu that they have reviewed his plea and are granting him their services; "we relieve you and those you speak for of the burden of vengeance". Wu thanks them, then cries for his daughter Michiko, who will finally have justice.

Much later, in New York City, Daniel Ketch sits astride his motorcycle at a pier. He looks out over the water and feels something, a calling or an omen, that causes him to ride out toward Chinatown. As he rides, he transforms into the Ghost Rider, who realizes that something has called him forth, the wailing voices of murdered innocents. He follows the feeling to its source, an abandoned warehouse. As he approaches the doors on foot, he is struck in the back by a dagger. He turns to find himself surrounded by the Golden Fist, a group of red-clad ninjas, who tell him that the penalty for trespassing is death. The Ghost Rider eagerly battles the ninjas, unaware of three robed strangers watching from nearby - three strangers who assume that the Rider belongs to Hark. After the Ghost Rider quickly defeats his attackers, he is approached by the three robed strangers, whom the Spirit refers to as "distractions". The strangers discard their robes and leap at the Rider, saying that this is the first time "distractions" has been used to describe the Masters of Silence.

ANNOTATIONS 
Ghost Rider last appeared in Gun Runner (1993) # 2.
This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Ant-Man.

REVIEW
We've made it to the final "Ghost Rider Team-Up" style story that graced the pages of Marvel Comics Presents (with the remaining issues being dedicated to the "Siege of Darkness" storyline before being handed over completely to Vengeance in Ghost Rider's stead), and we're given the most odd-ball pairing of all here - yes, even more odd than Typhoid Mary from several issues back.

The Masters of Silence were characters that debuted during Len Kaminski's run on Iron Man a year or so previous to this story, and it's my feeling that the writer was probably hoping the trio of ninjas would catch on more than they did. As it wound up happening, the Masters only appeared in stories written by Kaminski himself, and - to my knowledge anyway - this is the only series outside of Iron Man where they appeared. There's really not much you need to know about them: they're mercenaries with a vengeance motif.

"Fellow Travelers" is an odd, simple little story - essentially, it's just one huge fight scene stretched out over six chapters. We've got some paper-thin motivations for the Ghost Rider's involvement and the inevitable "heroes fight each other due to misunderstanding" scene coming in the next issue. But all that's okay, because this story isn't pretending to be anything more than it is...a dumb action story.

This story is the first by the artistic team of Reggie Jones and Fred Harper, and it looks rough - really, really rough. I'm not sure how much of the "breakdowns/finishes" each artist is responsible for, considering the finished result looks a lot more like Harper's style than Jones, but what matters is that despite the rough edges there's the glimmer of potential here. The gritty, sleazy atmosphere that the artists give the story is excellent, even though there's a distracting lack of backgrounds in the last half of the chapter. Don't worry, Jones and Harper are going to get better, and there's one thing I can't deny - they draw some damn good fight scenes here and in later chapters.

Overall, "Fellow Travelers" is a middle of the road MCP story for Ghost Rider - while not as bad as some that's come before it (like the Cloak & Dagger team-up), it neither has enough story to put it with the truly great ones (such as the aforementioned Typhoid Mary story).

Grade: B-

Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 12

Cover Artist: Adam Kubert
Published: July 1993
Original Price: $2.75

Title: "Obligations"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Adam Kubert
Inker: Bill Reinhold
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
In Dover, New Jersey, a quartet of men sneak through the forest - John Blaze, Ghost Rider, Wolf, and Kody - outside the armed military camp established over the ruins of the Quentin Carnival. The men sneak onto the base and find the large tent that house the dead bodies of their friends. They start soaking the bodies with gasoline, not wanting scientists to start dissecting them like freaks. John recovers the body of his friend, Eli, and tells Wolf and Kody to escape while he and the Ghost Rider provide a distraction. After they leave the tent, John and the Rider are confronted by a battalion of soldiers, who state that they are being taken into custody. Their mystical motorcycles arrive, allowing them to escape as the soldiers open fire, one round clipping Blaze across the shoulder. The bullets then strike the gasoline soaked tent, causing it explode as the two men ride into the forest. Atop a hill overlooking the camp, John says goodbye to his deceased friends. He then says that he has to find out the answers to the questions in Eli's letter, and the meaning of a key inscribed with the same medallion emblem as the Ghost Rider's motorcycle. The two ride off again, planning on leading the army in the wrong direction from their rendezvous point with the others.
 
At the city limits of Dover, Vengeance enters the town on his own mystical motorcycle, determined to find Ghost Rider despite being slowed down by the Caretaker in New York. Two army helicopters fly over him, ordering him to surrender, but he simply blasts them out of the sky with hellfire. At the opposite border of the city, Wolf's truck is stopped by by a military blockade who have to take a look in the back of the vehicle. Kody rips through the truck door and nearly kills the soldiers until Wolf stops him. Miranda then uses her own mystical power to make the men forget about them.
 
While the army chase Ghost Rider and Blaze, John comments that his arm feels like its on fire and that they've led the soldiers far enough away. Opening the throttles on their bikes, the two heroes easily outdistance the army. Elsewhere Vengeance, on the other hand, removes the large spikes from his shoulders and tosses them backward, killing the soldiers that were pursuing him. Fifteen minutes later, John and the Ghost Rider arrive at Eli's cabin. Leaving the bike's behind to walk up to the cabin, Blaze says that the bullet that hit his arm must have been an incendiary load. He doesn't notice the bit of flame that is coming from the cut on his shoulder. After they leave, Vengeance finds the bikes and the medallion that Mephisto ordered him to retrieve. Vengeance decides to get it later, instead making his way to the cabin to kill the Ghost Rider. Vengeance attacks Blaze and Ghost Rider, initially overpowering both of them. Nothing the two heroes do seems able to stop Vengeance, who says that he'll keep coming and coming until one day when the Ghost Rider will die. Unexpectedly, Vengeance then disappears into a mystic portal that sends him to a destination unknown. The heroes are approached by Eli's son, Quinn, who teleported Vengeance far away.
Inside the cabin, as the rest of the Carnival arrive, Quinn tells Blaze that his father was a powerful mystic, and that his only desire was to help John before he died. Quinn takes Blaze into a room with a large box, which is opened with the key inscribed with the medallion. John sees a vision of Eli, who gives him a message that he's left him two gifts: the first is in the box and the second is his son, Quinn. "The time of the Blood and the Medallion is coming", Eli says, his final words to John. Later, outside in the forest, John and the rest of his companions bury Eli and mourn the loss of their friends and family.
 
ANNOTATIONS 
This story continues from Ghost Rider (1990) # 39. Blaze and Ghost Rider appear next in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 11, which was a fill-in issue that takes place chronologically out of order.
 
The pain in John's shoulder is not caused by an "incendiary bullet" as he believes. His body is actually completely contaminated by hellfire, as revealed in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 14 and Ghost Rider (1990) # 41.
 
The first gift given to Blaze by Eli is finally shown in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 15.
 
The Quentin Carnival was destroyed by Steel Wind and Vengeance in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 10. Blaze and his companions return to the ruins of the Quentin Carnival one last time in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 21.
 
The man that became Vengeance made his deal with Mephisto in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 9. His true identity will be revealed in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 15 and his reasons for hating Ghost Rider/Zarathos will be told in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 16.
 
REVIEW
Spirits of Vengeance reaches its 1-year anniversary with this issue, which wraps up the plotlines that have been running through both this and its sister title, Ghost Rider, over the last year. In all honesty, as good as this series was, it should've been cancelled here.
 
After a brief trip over to the Ghost Rider series, Spirits picks up where it left off in issue # 10 (with # 11 being a fill-in). Following the destruction of the Quentin Carnival, Blaze and his oddball squad of freaks break into the remains to investigate just why the military have quarantined the site. Vengeance is quickly added to the situation, and all of the events surrounding the Carnival and the Medallion of Power are moved further into place. It's obvious upon reading that this series is so much more about John Blaze than anyone else, with even the Ghost Rider being saddled as more of a silent partner than co-star. But that's only fair, considering Ghost Rider already has his own series, and Blaze is a character that can easily support a series of his own even when separated from his more popular demonic alter ego.
 
This issue is excellent, no bones about it. But that's where the problem lays - this was a series that was vastly superior to its sister book, both in story and artwork, but this was also the issue where all of that ended. From here on, Spirits of Vengeance became a book continually mired in crossovers issue after issue until the "Siege of Darkness" ended with the "death" of the Ghost Rider. That left this series in a very precarious position: a Ghost Rider/Blaze team-up mag that was suddenly missing one of its co-stars. After that, the series only lasted a few issues to allow Mackie to wrap up his plotlines regarding John Blaze - the plot lines not already wrapped up in the Blaze: Legacy of Blood mini-series, that is. In essence, this series became useless and it was a mercy killing when it was finally cancelled in favor of Larry Hama's Blaze series.
 
But let's talk specifically about this issue. "Obligations" is a perfect example of just how good Spirits was in its prime, and a fitting coda to the incredible first year for both Howard Mackie and Adam Kubert. John Blaze is the star here, and you can feel the character's remorse, pain, and flat-out depression over what's happened to him and his Carnival family over the last few issues. His home has been destroyed, his wife and children sent away for their own safety, and the majority of his friends have been murdered and turned into military test subjects - and he really has no idea why all this happened. He's yet to know about Centurious' involvement in his misery, which won't happen until the "Road to Vengeance" storyline a few months down the road, and the guy is simply at his breaking point. My favorite bit of dialogue in this issue comes from Blaze: "And now? My life seems to be filled with "and nows" lately. And now I bury my friend. And now I try and pull my life together. And now..." John Blaze has hit rock bottom again in a way not seen since his early days bonded to Zarathos, and the creative team express this perfectly.
 
We also get a continuation of the Vengeance storyline, and the character continues to shine as a truly brutal threat to our heroes. Reading this and the previous "Carnival of Death" story really makes me regret the decision to make Vengeance into a Venom-esque hero a little after this, because Mackie certainly created the "lightning in a bottle" effect that's so rare in new characters. Such a shame.
 
Adam Kubert and Bill Reinhold also turn in a pitch-perfect job on the art front, and I've always considered this to be Kubert's swan song on the title before moving on to more lucrative pastures (such as Wolverine, his next assignment after Spirits). The common majority of Ghost Rider fans consider Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira to be the definitive art team for the 90's incarnation of the character - and it's much deserved, no doubt - but I feel that a lot of people overlook what Kubert and Reinhold did on this book. I'd be hard pressed to make a choice between Saltares/Tex and these two guys, because both teams brought distinctly unique takes on Ghost Rider and Blaze.
 
I loved Spirits of Vengeance during its first year, and this issue was no exception...I just wish they would've quit while they were ahead.
 
Grade: A+