Cover Date: August 2021; Publication Date: June 2021
While asleep in the Hellfire Club mansion, Conan the Barbarian has nightmares about his death the hands of the wizard Kulan Gath. When he awakens he is confronted by Emma Frost, the White Queen, who gives him permission to continue using the Hellfire Club as his home. Unable to sleep, Conan ventures out into the city, where he witnesses a person jump to their death from an apartment building. Realizing that the people inside are being controlled in their sleep, Conan enters the building and pulls the fire alarm, waking up the residents and telling them to flee their apartments. Conan is unexpectedly chained around the neck and dragged outside the building by Ghost Rider, who has sensed the essence of Kulan Gath on the barbarian.
During the battle, which takes the two into a nearby alley, Conan recognizes the Ghost Rider, stating he saw his ancestor astride a giant spider in the ancient past. Ghost Rider, confused and distracted by nightmares in his head, refuses to listen to Conan's protestations of innocence and continues the battle. When he attempts to give Conan the Penance Stare, Conan shoves his fingers in Ghost Rider's eye sockets and shatters his skull, the result of which seemingly transports Conan back into the past of ancient Aquilonia.
Johnny Blaze last appeared in King in Black: Ghost Rider (2021) # 1.
CHAIN REACTION
The disarmingly-titled "Savage Avengers", really just a series of "Conan Team-Up" stories, showcases Ghost Rider in his first appearance since his time as the King of Hell. It goes about as well as one would expect.
CHAIN REACTION
The disarmingly-titled "Savage Avengers", really just a series of "Conan Team-Up" stories, showcases Ghost Rider in his first appearance since his time as the King of Hell. It goes about as well as one would expect.
It can't be said that Marvel squandered the opportunity during the brief few years they were in possession of the license for Conan the Barbarian. Alongside several solo Conan titles, Marvel also released Savage Avengers, which brought Conan to the present day to team up with various Marvel characters in a long-form adventure against the evil sorcerer Kulan Gath. I admit that I didn't pick up any of the new Conan material other than this two-issue story that featured Ghost Rider, so I can't really speak on their quality. Judging thing solely on this issue, I can't say that the idea of Conan running around the Marvel Universe was that engaging an idea, the "man out of time" idea has been used so much in science fantasy stories.
That's not to say that the confrontation between Conan and Ghost Rider isn't interesting, because it plays beautifully with the legacy aspect of the Spirit of Vengeance. The two squaring off in the modern day is a bit of an uphill battle, as Conan on his best day shouldn't be able to stand toe-to-toe with Ghost Rider, that's just silly. The writer tries to handicap Blaze as best he can, making him paranoid and delusional to the point where he can't even talk straight, but even with his symbiote mace Conan is just a normal man. Well, maybe not "normal", but he has no superpowers of his own. Having him crack open Ghost Rider's skull with his fingers is a great visual idea, I will give it that. My real interest lies with that spider-riding Spirit of Vengeance of the Hyborian Age, which we will thankfully see more of in the next issue.
Patch Zircher is an artist that's been around Marvel for years, I remember him from his days on Thunderbolts back around the turn of the century, and he does a great job with Ghost Rider and the fight with Conan. There's a grittiness to the artwork that serves it well, while still telling the action clearly and dynamically. Plus, there's that great visual of Ghost Rider on the back of that giant spider that is truly inspired visual thinking.
I don't think I would be down for this series on a regular basis, it's just too silly a premise, but for an issue or two diversion it's really not half bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment