In an effort to increase content on the site and in the spirit of G.Kendall and Captain Logan, I (Abe) have challenged J-Max of our Hourglass reviews to apply his trade to 30 issues of the original Ghost Rider run. To encourage him in this task failure will result in a attack by DEADLY BEES.
How long will J-Max last? Did I gather deadly (and angry) bees for no reason? lets join him as he reivews issue 1 of GHOST RIDER
Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Javier Saltares (artist), Gregory Wright (colourist), Mark Texeira (inker)
Overview: Dan and Barbra Ketcher are strolling late one night
through the cemetery when they are almost mugged by a gang of teenagers. Dan
acts cowardly and compliant while Barbra attacks them in defence scaring them
away. Moments later, a gunshot attracts both groups to the centre where armed men threaten a convey belonging to the Kingpin over a
mysterious suitcase. One of these men is Deathwatch, a telepathic murderer who
works in the World Trade Centre who seems to be involved in a power struggle
for the city. His men murder the criminals and then, noticing they are being
watched launch an attack which wounds Barbra.
Dan pulls his sister away to hide in a nearby scrapyard and
becomes scared when he believes he sees eyes observing him from the dark.
Mysterious lights in the night illuminate a disused motorcycle which Dan
promptly tries to hotwire to take his wounded sister to hospital. Suddenly, fire
leaps from the bike transforming him into the titular character. After battling
Deathwatch’s men and saving the teenagers, one of the youths uses the chance to
escape with the suitcase in the belief that it may contain drugs. The Ghost Rider
races Barbra to hospital beating off a police pursuit and destroying a road
block. That night the teenage gang open the case and are confused by the strange
capsules inside. Both the Kingpin and Deathwatch send their men to recover the
contents.
Pop Culture References: One of the children shouts “The boogeyman’s gonna get ya.”(Halloween). “You’ve been reading too much
Stephen King little brother.”
The scene inside the graveyard and the name Barbra is
perhaps a reference to the movie Night of the Living Dead. All of these references
seem firmly place us in the horror category.
Review: In the wake of the late 80s graphic novel craze,
there was a sweeping change in the way the humble comic book was perceived across the
world. Swamp Thing, Sandman and The Dark Knight Returns had pushed the medium
in an entirely new more literary, sophisticated and gritty direction amongst
other extremely overused adjectives. Ghost Rider does not. I repeat, it doesn not even attempt to do this. Ghost Rider
knows exactly what it is. That is: it is a comic about a guy with a flaming
skull for a head who drives a flaming motorcycle and attacks villains with his
big, flaming chain. It’s a 90s comic.
The opening page informs us in B movie style “When innocent
blood is spilled a spirit of vengeance is born and Daniel Ketch finds himself
transformed into the ghost Rider.” Before we see Daniel and his sister as
they traipse aimlessly through a twilit graveyard. With such careless
abandonment for discretion this early on, I can only
assume that atmosphere is going to be more important to this series than the
story itself. And the captions do add an almost Twilight Zone/Tales from the
Crypt serial knowingness as they set the scene “Here the spirits of the dead
have found comfort and piece” I can almost taste Rod Stirling’s smoke as I read
it.
The art direction and inking is easily the most defining
element of the book and it would be impossible to go on without complimenting
it. The redesign of Ghost Rider with leather, spikes and chains would forever
become the popular image of the character from this point forward. Mark Texeira
and Gregory Wright do a superb job of handling the environment; crafting in it
as a dark entity of living breathing horror itself. Which is a good thing as
the series has only just begun and already Mackie seems to have found some
really ham fisted dialogue to give the goons who come across sounding like Rocky and Mugsy.
The first issue pushes the story along. We gain a sense of
who Daniel Ketcher is as he jumps at every corner and allows others to
intimidate and belittle him. We also have a good image of Ghost Rider who,
rather than immediately take Dan’s wounded sister to hospital, assaults
Deathwatch’s men whilst demanding vengeance. Even Death Watch himself isn’t
above the Darth Vader trope of murdering his own men who, incidentally are all
ninjas that work in the World Trade Centre.
It’s silly, violent stuff but more importantly it is fun and
with the chemical weapon storyline (which i'm pretty sure is where they are going with the briefcase), the
Freudian way that Daniel refers to his police chief father as Captain Dolan, and the declaring of Ghost Rider as
a menace (ala Spiderman 2002) leave enough additional ideas floating around in
the mist to make me want to see what happens next.
Editor Note: Hey Guys hope you're enjoyed J-Max's review, Why not drop him an encouraging message below (he REALLY doesn't like bees), Please check out the rest of the reviews HERE or if you're feeling brave why not join in his adventure HERE.
Editor Note: Hey Guys hope you're enjoyed J-Max's review, Why not drop him an encouraging message below (he REALLY doesn't like bees), Please check out the rest of the reviews HERE or if you're feeling brave why not join in his adventure HERE.
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