Featuring X-Factor and The Morlocks!
Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Javier Saltares (artist), Gregory Wright (colourist), Mark Texeira (inker)
Overview: Ghost Rider continues his search for the missing children as H.E.A.R.T. launch their assault and Blackout stalks the night.
Cultural references: Another Night of the Living Dead reference this time by Jean Gray.
Review: I've began to notice a trend going on with the covers and
things looming over the main character. I don’t know if this is intentional or
what to make of it but here there’s something’s literally on top of him! And
it’s Beast! From X-Factor! Perhaps it's a pressure metaphor? Perhaps looming things just look cool in horror themed comics? I began to wonder what would hover over Ghost Rider next month just to keep myself sane. All the time hoping, praying that it would not be a giant bee.
We begin in the cemetery with Dan driving around while
the captions inform us of how he came here to escape his inner conflicts. This place has become very important in his life. He
grew up playing here as a local child, he witnessed his sister’s attack here and,
ultimately, he saw her buried beneath its grounds. I can see why this place is a focal point but why would coming here offer an escape? Surely he would be better
off someplace more cheery? The nightmares that happened last issue
are beginning to plague him and now the violence in his life is preventing him
from getting any comfortable sleep. He is becoming paranoid and irritable. When a
bush moves, he assumes it is Blackout and drives up to it shouting madly; making the homeless man, who had been hiding inside, panic and flee. Dan’s eyes convey all
the sorrow necessary to sell me on what his character is going through. He is at an emotional breaking point.
Not missing a beat, Blackout launches an attack on the
homeless man. Since his appearance in issue two, Blackout has killed a priest,
a dog, a blind man, a family, a comatose woman in intensive care, and a child.
I really don’t think it’s possible for any sane person to be any more invested
in seeing Blackout get his grand comeuppance at this point. And I REALLY hope
he does soon. Blackout starts banging the homeless man’s head against the earth
saying “Home is where the heart is, Edward…allow me to show you your home.” Blackout.
Die now. Just, bloody, die. My prayers are finally answered, Dan
transforms into Ghost Rider and slams into Blackout with his motorbike. YES! At
this point, just because I didn’t love them enough earlier, H.E.A.R.T. show up and
shoot Ghost Rider through the chest and into a mausoleum door. Blackout runs away. And I throw my
comic across the room and stubbornly refuse to pick it up for around
twenty minutes.
I never thought when I picked up the comic of
a motorcycle riding skeleton that I would be examining gender politics but - boy - was I wrong. From a male perspective, which is sadly - ladies - all I can
provide in these write ups, until very recently this book has handled its female
characters reasonably well. We’ve had Stacy who has pushed Dan to come out of his
shell, been there to support him after the accident and, in this issue, playfully
pushes Dan onto the ground and mocks him when he makes a comment about other
girls who have liked him. And, of course we have had his sister, Barbra who was a brave and fearless woman who attacked
muggers and made Dan look slightly underwhelming by comparison. For all the good
development in those characters, H.E.A.R.T.
is little more than a caricature joke. In the last issue, they talked about themselves and how professional they were.
Here, they are hot-headed Colonial Marines who shoot first and ask questions later. Much
later.
X-Factor’s appearance here is entirely pointless. More pointless than The Punisher's apperance which, at the very least, served as a plot retcon when Ghost Rider decided he couldn’t shoot people in the face pointlessly. Here's a summary of everything that X-Factor archives in the space of their one shot appearance. They see a news report about child abductions. They wrongly attribute this to something happening in their comic. They travel to the graveyard. They see children leaving a hole. They realise the issue is about to end. Scott considers stealing Ghost Rider’s bike. He doesn’t. And I thought H.E.A.R.T. was bad? God help anyone who picked up this issue hoping for some X-Action. Speaking of which, Beast has some of the most awkward dialogue ever. Before descending into the catacombs, he dives in the air and demands “Allow X-Factor to enter the nether regions.” This only makes Scott’s reply worse “Lower yourself in and take up the rear.” No. Maybe it’s just that front cover doing something to my head.
X-Factor’s appearance here is entirely pointless. More pointless than The Punisher's apperance which, at the very least, served as a plot retcon when Ghost Rider decided he couldn’t shoot people in the face pointlessly. Here's a summary of everything that X-Factor archives in the space of their one shot appearance. They see a news report about child abductions. They wrongly attribute this to something happening in their comic. They travel to the graveyard. They see children leaving a hole. They realise the issue is about to end. Scott considers stealing Ghost Rider’s bike. He doesn’t. And I thought H.E.A.R.T. was bad? God help anyone who picked up this issue hoping for some X-Action. Speaking of which, Beast has some of the most awkward dialogue ever. Before descending into the catacombs, he dives in the air and demands “Allow X-Factor to enter the nether regions.” This only makes Scott’s reply worse “Lower yourself in and take up the rear.” No. Maybe it’s just that front cover doing something to my head.
When X-Factor aren’t appearing, this issue manages
to round up some of the story quite well. It seems the kidnappings have been organized
by a Morlock named Pixie who was bringing the children to safety from the threat
of one of their own - Masque - who has gone rogue and is disfiguring children.
The reasons why aren’t covered here, and I couldn’t help but consider if we had
less pages of X-Factor messing around in the nethers we might have had more on
this story. We also finally have an explanation as to why Ghost Rider has simply been
refusing to pursue criminals conveniently at the end of the issue: daylight transforms him back into human form. Each issue must
occur in a single night. Showing this happen sometime in the first three issues would have been so much simpler. But, I'm glad they've tied it up all the same.
At issues end, Blackout enters the catacombs to kill all
the mutants. He throws Ghost Rider out of his way and savages Pixie before
escaping into darkness. H.E.A.R.T., continue to make me invest in them by stealing
Dan’s bike; tricking me into believing they were thinking, before blowing
a hole in the earth only to open fire on children they should be saving
because “they look like muties.” See...much later! Just what sort of stock, tactless soldiers are these? Newt could even turn Hudson
into a hero.
The resulting cave in traps the Ghost Rider in a logic loop. It is his
essence, as a spirit of vengeance, to avenge Pixie. However, she requests he save the children stating "What
good will your vengeance serve if more innocent blood is spilled while claiming
it?” The fantastic art fully demonstrating his agony as he wrestles his very fibre. Finally, he summons his bike from the female soldiers, it takes all the children to the surface, allowing him to face Blackout. As they battle, the killer
attempts to jog the daemons memory of Barbra. The Rider responds to this (indicating that both personalities within are struggling for supremacy?) The cavern collapses and only Ghost Rider emerges. H.E.A.R.T. go yaaaaay we rescued the children, shout girl
power, and quickly depart.
I take back my Colonial Marines comments. These dames are dimmer than Die Hard FBI agents. I suppose D.A.D.T.D.H.F.B.I.A. just didn't have that ring to it.
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