Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider (2023) # 4

"An Ending"

Cover Date: October 2023; On Sale Date: August 2023

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Daniel Picciotto; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Guru-eFX; Editor: Darren Shan; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ben Harvey

Several years ago, a mutant Morlock named Scav is kicked out of the community for eating the flesh of their dead. In the present day, the Caretaker recovers from wounds inflicted by the Scarecrow. He leads Danny Ketch and John Blaze through a mausoleum that mystically transports them back to Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn. At that moment, the immensely more powerful Scav holds court with the captive Stacy Dolan and Roxanne Simpson, flanked by his minions the Broker, Scarecrow, and Blackout. Caretaker leads Blaze and Ketch to Scav's base of operations in the cemetery and is confronted by the Broker, who the Caretaker stays behind to handle.

Danny and Blaze arrive at Scav's throne room, where they also find their captive loved ones. When Stacy is injured Dan goes to trigger his transformation into Ghost Rider. Scav senses the presence of the Medallion of Power and declares that he is going to devour its power. He reclaims the power given to Blackout and Scarecrow, which mutates him into a larger, more monstrous form. The Broker halts his fight with the Caretaker when he senses Scav's enhanced power and goes to stop him, stating that he has reneged on their deal. Blaze's shotgun proves ineffective against Scav as he simply eats the hellfire. Caretaker and Broker arrive and determine that they cannot allow Scav to consume the Medallion, so Ghost Rider uses Caretaker's shovel to knock out all of the villain's teeth. The Broker then takes away the depowered Scav and teleports them both to parts unknown, leaving the heroes behind to pick up the pieces of the battle.

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider (2023) # 3

"Fear the Dark"

Cover Date: September 2023; On Sale Date: July 2023

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Daniel Picciotto; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Guru-eFX; Editor: Darren Shan; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ben Harvey

Inside Cypress Hills Cemetery, the Ghost Rider threatens to kill a trio of ninjas that once worked with Blackout, demanding to know the villain's location. The Caretaker steps in and allows the ninjas to escape while Ghost Rider turns back into Dan Ketch, who is hysterical over the kidnapping of Stacy Dolan. Dan gets a phone call from John Blaze, who tells him that his wife and children have also been kidnapped. Assuming that Blackout is involved, Danny rides off to upstate New York with the Caretaker saying he will meet him there.

Elsewhere, the Broker meets with his master and informs him that their captives are safely hidden away. In a basement cell, Stacy Dolan and Roxanne Simpson, along with her sleeping children, talk about their abductions and attempt to find a way to escape. In Rhinebeck, New York, Blackout and the Scarecrow envelop the town in darkness and fear, terrorizing the citizens. Dan Ketch arrives at the town's border and finds a wall of pure darkness. The Caretaker appears and the two enter the darkness of the town, eventually coming across John Blaze. While Caretaker returns to the cemetery, Ketch and Blaze continue on until they find some of Blackout's victims, which triggers Dan's transformation into Ghost Rider

At a nearby comic book store, the Scarecrow terrorizes the inhabitants hiding inside. Ghost Rider and Blaze stop him but the two are attacked by Blackout, who Blaze shoots in the face with his hellfire shotgun, scarring him once again. Scarecrow is able to use his fear powers to tap into Dan Ketch inside Ghost Rider, causing both the collapse in terror. Caretaker arrives and Blaze saves Ghost Rider from Scarecrow. While they talk about whatever is happening to the connection between Ghost Rider and Dan, Scarecrow sneaks behind them and stabs the Caretaker with his pitchfork before escaping, seemingly killing him.

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider (2023) # 2

"A Darkening Heart"

Cover Date: August 2023; On Sale Date: June 2023

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Daniel Picciotto; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Guru-eFX; Editor: Darren Shan; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ben Harvey

Inside Cypress Hills Cemetery, the Broker finds Blackout and bestows upon him enhanced powers over darkness. Elsewhere in the cemetery, Ghost Rider punishes some criminals and is approached by the Caretaker. Ghost Rider transforms back into Dan Ketch and has a conversation with the Caretaker about the Ghost Rider's mental state and the feeling of something evil in the city. Meanwhile, at the Ravencroft Institute, the Broker frees the Scarecrow and gives him enhanced power as well. The Broker later meets with his master, who has ordered Blackout and Scarecrow to fetch individuals and return them to the master alive.

In Times Square, Dan meets Stacy Dolan for dinner and the two discuss their relationship. Suddenly all of the lights go out, plunging the area in total darkness, and screams are heard. Blackout attacks Dan but is stopped by Stacy's gunfire. Dan transforms into Ghost Rider and saves Stacy, engaging in a furious battle with Blackout, who uses his enhanced power to trap the Ghost Rider in a swirl of dark energy. When Ghost Rider frees himself the darkness in the area goes away, revealing all of Blackout's victims on the street. Ghost Rider transforms back to Dan, who realizes that Stacy has been kidnapped by Blackout.

Elsewhere, at the Quentin Carnival, John Blaze finishes up his stunt show while his wife, Roxanne, and their two children walk to their trailer. They start to experience an overwhelming sense of fear before Roxanne and the kids are attacked by the Scarecrow.

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider (2023) # 1

"Blood and Vengeance"

Cover Date: July 2023; On Sale Date: May 2023

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Daniel Picciotto; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Guru-eFX; Editor: Darren Shan; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ben Harvey

Inside Cypress Hills Cemetery, the Ghost Rider fights a superpowered killer. When Ghost Rider uses his Penance Stare the killer loses his power and states that he made a deal with an unknown individual to gain the power to get revenge on people who laughed at him, but instead only caused him pain. The police, led by officer Stacy Dolan, interrupt and cause Ghost Rider to flee the scene. This is watched by the Broker, who gave the killer his power in service to an unknown "master", who is now interested in the Ghost Rider's power. On the other side of the cemetery, Ghost Rider transforms back into Danny Ketch, who reminisces about how he first became the Ghost Rider and the mystery of the Medallion of Power that is part of his motorcycle. For the first time he notices a scratch on the Medallion and sets off to find answers.

Elsewhere in Brooklyn, two thugs named the Bagman Brothers are taught a lesson by the gangster Jimmy-6, who works for Don Fortunato. After Jimmy-6 leaves the brothers beat up in an alley, they are approached by the Broker, who offers them power to get revenge. Danny returns to his mother's home to find John Blaze waiting for him and the two men go out for a motorcycle ride. Their visit is interrupted by police sirens, which they follow to discover the Bagman Brothers, now fused together into one superpowered creature that is laying waste to Jimmy-6's men on the street. The police, including Stacy, are unable to stop the Bagman Brothers, and only when Stacy is injured is Danny able to trigger the transformation into Ghost Rider, who joins the fight alongside Blaze. After a fierce battle, Ghost Rider is able to use the Penance Stare to disrupt the villains' power, separating them once again. The police move in to apprehend Ghost Rider and Blaze, but the two escape on their motorcycles. Then the Broker arrives and takes the Bagman Brothers back to his master, a former Morlock that is also a cannibal who feasts on the brothers.

Several years earlier, in Cypress Hills Cemetery, a fierce battle for the Medallion of Power has just been won by the Caretaker and the Blood. The Caretaker fuses the Medallion to the motorcycle and notices that a piece of it has broken off. The fragment of the medallion is found by a thin hand reaching out from a nearby crypt, a hand belonging to the Morlock that will become the Broker's master.