Ghost Rider #17 (September 1991)

J-Max was challenged to review 30 issues of Ghost Rider in (roughly) 30 days. Should J-Max succeed he shall earn his freedom (probably not). However should he fail in this task then he shall be subjected to an attack by Bees...DEADLY BEES.

So let's join him for his review of Ghost Rider #17

 You've Got to have Faith

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Mark Texeira (artist/inker), Gregory Wright (colourist).

Overview: Ghost Rider, Blaze and Spider-man set out to save Mrs Ketch from a sinister cult leader.

Cultural references:  Judging from the title someone involved in the comic is a George Michael fan. This is the second time he has been referenced in the comic.

Review: Ghost Rider is a story about nothing but its villains. When it works, it works because the villains are interesting and bring a sense of drama and tension to what is happening in the few pages provided each month. Blackout is a good villain because he murdered Dan’s sister and kills vulnerable people without remorse. Deathwatch is a good villain because he holds the strings and manipulates events within the city from a point of impunity. Even Snowblind is a good villain if only by his blind assassin shtick and ties to Deathwatch. Hobgoblin is not a good example of a Ghost Rider villain.

When we first saw hobgoblin in this comic he was gluing people to walls like a xenomoph in heat, scarring children’s faces with acid and going full Frank Booth in Blue Velvet. The rationale behind this didn’t need to be explained because he was a complete fruitcake. The great thing about having bonkers characters is that you can do anything with them. Hobgoblin wants the world to see how pious he is and he kills anyone who questions his religious belief, his methods or just when the voices in his head tell him to.

There is a difference between being invested in a fight and wading through one. There is a difference between building up suspense and plodding along. And, there is a difference between an exciting issue of 90s Ghost Rider and a boring one.  In issue #15 Mackie toyed with the readers desire to see Blackout receive his just desserts by having Ghost Rider go from encounter to encounter as the page count continued to decline with multiple distractions preventing the final battle with the villain.

When he finally faced him, I found myself so absorbed in the chase and tension of the comic that I literally shouted out when he was being beaten to the ground. I was so caught up in the drama. Comparing that to the boring, bomb chucking snorgasm of the Hobgoblin appearance in Spider-man #6 issue - where I became so derailed I began counting panels in the hopes that my head wouldn’t explode - is like comparing night to day.

I appreciate that at least Mackie here is trying to tie the Hobgoblin in with the narrative by having Dan’s mother's grief manipulated by a cult that Hobgoblin is in cahoots with. It is also a more realistic look at the way real cults act, in this respect, but that doesn’t stop the Hobgoblin's gobbledegook from being any less of a chore to read as he rambles on about God, salvation and being pious.

Blaze and Dan end up in a bar, (an issue I’d much rather be reading) and Dan threatens the local snitch for information on the goblins hideout. Is this addressing the sheer wealth of shared criminal knowledge in the city? Maybe. But none of this matters because they get into a Mexican standoff, Spider-man comes in to web away guns; keep everything PC and fresh, then he jets off saying he knows where Goblin is hiding and they follow him there. How is information received in this comic world? I’m still confused.

The three burst in on Hobgoblin before he can harm Mrs Ketch and once again Spider-man is worried that Ghost Rider is going to be too brutal in his takedown. After rescuing Mrs Ketch, he makes Ghost Rider promise not to kill Hobgoblin and the proceeds to believe him without any burden of proof which is awkward because the last time they met he nearly brought a ceiling down on a child. In the end Ghosty keeps his word. The building blows up. But the Hobgoblin is safe and sound outside of it.

They reflect how Ghost Rider has changed his methods for the better (good for him) and Ghost Rider has a monologue about true heroism (wonderful) which no self-respecting Deadpool would listen too.

Goblin comes back at the end for the trope horror movie scare and the three take him down with a combination of web, hellfire and a chain to the face. Brotherly love there folks.

Well, I suppose I should at least be glad that Hobgoblin will be going to prison and hopefully not breaking out and returning to Ghost Rider for a few months, but I couldn’t get over how soft footed this issue was. I like the idea of Ghost Rider changing to become more of a hero after his experiences in earlier issues but I don’t think he should be the sort of hero who makes speeches about the inner greatness of an individual. Let’s leave things like that to Spider-man.

I can always hope after more training with Johnny Blaze Dan can find that middle ground between Captain America and Marvel Man. His firing a flame upgraded shotgun at Ghost Rider and Spider-man to stop them from arguing over ethics when they should be saving Mrs Ketch was the best part of this issue.

Sadly, it was the beginning.

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

Ghost Rider #16 (August 1991)

 
7 DAYS UNTIL IT GETS BURNT!

J-Max was challenged to review 30 issues of Ghost Rider in (roughly) 30 days. Should J-Max succeed he shall earn his freedom (probably not). However should he fail in this task then he shall be subjected to an attack by Bees...DEADLY BEES.

So let's join him for his review of Ghost Rider #16

Changes

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Mark Texeira (artist/inker), Gregory Wright (colourist).

Overview: Dan recovers from his fight with Blaze and learns how to cope with life without the Ghost Rider power.

Review: Today, a bee came through my window and I couldn’t help but consider this an omen of my impending doom sent by Abe as the days gradually counted down to beemageddon. I had taken for granted how much time I had remaining with now no less than seven days to go he clock was ticking. I couldn't give in. I had to reach the end and save my soul from horrible, burning stinging death.
 

As a result of his encounter with Johnny Blaze, the monster is dying as is Dan with him. Arriving at the graveyard, he crashes into a tombstone and begins to morph back into Dan. This is the first time we’ve actually seen the creature in a vulnerable position. We are given the perspectives of both characters and It begins to tell Dan that the pain he feels is a direct result of its injuries and begs him to stop Blaze. Dan, on the other hand, seems taken aback and believes the creature is harming him on its own accord in order to subdue him. Before he falls unconscious he sees the shadowy figure of Blaze staring over him at his sister’s grave.

There’s been a mystery growing for quite some time now in the comic which genereally spaking cn be broken down into four questions. Is this monster Zatharos or now?  Why is it seeking revenge? How does it have some of its powers such as the hellfire and penance stare? Is it manipulating Dan? Other than the first question, I can honestly say I don’t care. Mainly because it’s obvious the creature is playing mind games at this point and the other question aren’t really that interesting ones to answer anyway. 

To compensate, I’ve thought of four far more interesting questions which actually do need answering How did Deathwatch get the job in the World Trade Centre? How did the bike end up in a scrap yard? Who was the organization Deathwatch was working for in those first few issues and why was he working for them? Sure, most of these are about the villains but does that really surprise you?

Hell, maybe some of these questions have been answered already it’s so hard to keep track because at this point the series was spinning off into so many other comics such as Marvel Presents, Fantastic Four, Punisher; sometimes even finishing entire ongoing stories in them  such as the Dr Strange issue. I understand Marvel is trying to make money here, but can they not see how irritating it is from a fans perspective to lose track of what’s going on in one book because they missed its dive into another book?

It turns out Dan is in hospital having been rescued by Johnny Blaze who has been visiting him every day to ensure he is recovering. When Dan tries to attack him he is scolded by his family, who have grown quite fond of Blaze. I found this scene quite funny, his mother even likening his attitude to being as “though he comes from heaven” a little ironic given what we know. 

When Blaze berates Dan for how easy he was to track down and points out how dangerous this whole save the world attitude is given how Blackout has already managed to track him down once, he pushes off the advice and naively barks back I’ll take karate. To which Johnny Blaze states “I’ve got a few thing I can teach you” and begins kicking his ass no less than a panel later. 

I take that back, Johnny Blaze is fast joining the villains as the best thing about the comic. I appreciate Dan is nineteen but when did he become such a bone head. He mentors Dan teaching him how to street fight over a period of time and even gets him used to riding normal bikes for the distant future where he may no longer have powers and will be relying on his natural skills alone.

An unspecified amount of time later, Dan and Johnny are fixing up a bike on the front porch when Dan notices a strange chauffeur emerging from a limousine and collecting his mother who is going to church. Finding this all a bit suspicious, Dan follows the car against Blaze’s advice and comes across a church. The Ketch family are catholic and Dan increased suspicions of his mother attending a non-denominational church are confirmed when armed guards almost kill him for snooping around. 

The two hide inside to see a reverend Styge deliver a sermon denouncing all the congregation as being punished by God for leading a life of sin. Dan’s mother seems to have been indoctrined into this cult in the belief that she is responsible for her daughter’s death and that the cult can help bring her back. 

On hearing Styrge declare he can resurrect Barbra, Dan looses himself and shouts “No!” alerting the armed guards to his and Blaze’s position and forcing them to surrender. When his mother is knocked unconscious by an armed reverendtrying to defend them, Dan and Blaze use some of their street fighting move to fight back only to discover The Hobgoblin is the brains behind the church when he bursts through a stained glass window and begins firebombing the congregation. 

At this point, the bike transforms him into Ghost Rider and Spider-man shows up to remind the monster not to hurt Hobgoblin who has now kidnapped Dan’s mother.

Was Spider-man’s appearance really necessary in this comic? I guess that’s another pressing question I can add to my list that may not be answered in my 30 Days of Ghost Rider

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

Spider-man #7 (February 1991)

J-Max was challenged to review 30 issues of Ghost Rider in (roughly) 30 days. Should J-Max succeed he shall earn his freedom (probably not). However should he fail in this task then he shall be subjected to an attack by Bees...

DEADLY BEES.

So let's join him for his review of...Spider-man #7?

Featuring Ghost Rider!

Credits: Todd Mcfarlane (writer), Todd Mcfarlane (artist), Gregory Wright (colourist)

Overview: The final showdown from the Spider-man, Ghost Rider and Hobgoblin arc

   

Review: Spider-man seven, a tale of three characters and a child in fifty seven panels.

Ghost Rider drives through a warehouse after following Hobgoblin's evil scent "beacon" and shouts "Evil!" really loudly. He declares that he is the Ghost Rider and that Hobgoblin must pay. He shows off to Spider-man and informs him to stay out of the fight. The fight is so large it takes up all the panel space in the comic and the building collapses. Spider-man tells Ghost Rider to stop doing that as he is now endangering the child they should be rescuing. Ghost Rider states he is "here to protect the innocent" He states Hobgoblin is insane, and decides to pummel him.. He pummels him until he is unconscious then pummels him some more. Spider-man tells him to stop. He leaves.

Ghost Rider is the dead beat father of the three. He has no regard for anyone or anything other than his work. He arrives, informs 'Goblin that he is going to be punished, gets mad, trashes the place and leaves.

Spider-man tries to save the child while Ghost Rider is smashing things. The child is wounded when Ghost Rider ignorantly drives directly into Hobgoblins who is still holding the child. Spider-man tries to inform Ghost Rider that innocent victims should bare some consideration. Ghost Rider leaves.

Spider-man is the concerned mother. Here she stands up to the father "You still need to learn the responsibilities that have been given to you" and protects the child from harm. Eventually, the father heads off leaving a horrible mess that Spider-man needs to clean up but the child is safe.

Hobgoblin scars the child's face with "the mark of truth" He thinks Ghost Rider is Satan and the monsters apperance in this issue a test which only reafirms his own madness. He discovers the young boy's name; Adam and decides to leave the building before it collapses. Unfortunatly, he is too busy being pummeled by Ghost Rider to do so.

Hobgoblin is the child. The fantasist and aggressive personality who spends the entire issue trapped inside a nightmare fighting Ghost Rider (his father) who is evil. Everytime he commits a morally ambguous or wrong action, having no rational explanation behind it, he blames his dad (Ghost Rider) who is in fact Satan.

I suppose this leaves the young boy as the older brother figure. He defends Hobgoblin and shows concern for him being hurt when Ghost Rider arrives and spends the majoity of the time trying to calm Hobgoblin down.

And if it sounds like I'm going into the deep end here, it's because I am. This issue is one big, stupid fight - played out like an opera - and it goes on and on, and on with dialogue that is too corny and annoying to be written, but there it is right on paper. "To me my sled." says Hobgoblin as he summons his glider and flies across the building towards Ghost Rider only to crash directly into the wall on the opposite side and explode. "Your insanity wont save you!" bellow Rider as he punches whatever it is that the art is trying to show me it is

Everything is either ripped or exploding or on fire or shattering. The art is truly something to behold and filled with energy. And, to Todd Mcfarlane credit, it is magnificantly illustrated chaos in comic form; all the while you feel the young boy is in trouble and when he is hurt later it comes as quite a punch. The problem is the over the top hammy dialogue, the fleeting nature of the story at the expense of such a glossy huge show down, and all the story really comes down to anyway is the message - wacky religious people are wacky. No, perhaps the message is: if you are going to destroy a large building with a motorbike in order to take out Jim Jones; ensure you take all the children outside first.

Obviously, any reasonable reader has empathy for this child but it's hard to care about Ghost Rider, Spiderman or anything else happening at all. Instead, you just want it all to end to ensure the young boy is safe. There is tension because of this, but who really wants to flick through a boring fight with great artwork as quickly as possible? Especially when this issue is a lot more fun to look at than it is to read.

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...

 

Spider-man #6 (January 1991)

J-Max was challenged to review 30 issues of Ghost Rider in (roughly) 30 days. Should J-Max succeed he shall earn his freedom (probably not). However should he fail in this task then he shall be subjected to an attack by Bees... DEADLY BEES.

So let's join him for his review of...Spider-man #6?

Featuring Ghost Rider!

Credits: Todd Mcfarlane (writer), Todd Mcfarlane (artist), Gregory Wright (colourist)

Overview: Hobgoblin and Spider-man do battle in New York

   


Review: Today, a parkage arrived in the mail. I was excited to see what was inside until I picked it up and saw the sender’s tag – Abe – dangling beneath. I carefully broke the seal and peered into the darkness. It seemed like a random assortment of items, all of them none Ghost Rider related. And, like a child, I excitedly began sifting through them in the hope that the man who had thrown down the gauntlet had himself been driven mad by these edgy 90s comics. From the looks of what was inside, I can only assume he had.

It appeared to be a care package. Instead, I was thrilled to find a copy of the movie Beatlejuice, a Spider-man comic, a DVD of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, a CD of The Hives album Tyrannosaurus Hives, complimentary hotel honey, an old VHS of Beatles About...wait; this has to be more than a coinsidence. I could hear the laughter of my tormenter echoing throughout my head. No sooner had I picked up the Spider-man comic, a note fell from within its pages. Unfolding it, I saw; written in boldfaced red pen, the devilish handwriting “Fifteen days remaining, keep BEAsy – Abe.” 

I tossed the package across the room in a fit of rage. I began to realise how like Dan I was becoming, always throwing things around and feeling utterly hopeless. When emotions has subsided, I realised I was hungry, and have to admit to going back for the honey, and enjoying it. I suppose I could at least be thankful for that. And, it would be interesting to read something different. Something light, and breezy, and positive for a change. Then, I noticed the writer - Todd McFarlane and realised, once again, I would be descending into the darkest of nineties…did I really just pun that badly? Jeez, maybe these comics ARE driving me insane. I don’t even like honey.

The villain this issue is a warped zealot version of The Hobgoblin – the 4^th rendition of the character – who is kidnapping street people to teach them the vow of silence along with the true meaning of Christmas - I guess - and going berserk at the slightest hint of criticism against his faith. His punishments are just. “I could kill you all in a second, yet I chose to forgive you.” He states as he walks among the cocooned and wounded people in his lair enrapt in his madness. 

In less than three pages, this character has hit the note for every stereotype that defines a cultist. He refuses to listen to criticism, he takes literal possession of his followers and prevents them from socialising with the outside world (kind of hard to do when you're gunked to the ceiling), has messianic delusions and, of course, eventually murders anyone who he deems a threat when madness overflows in his small deluded, self-righteous head.

Don’t ask for human elements in this comic there aren’t any. Even the fleeting glimpse we get of Peter Parking holding his wife in bed is paralleled with The Hobgoblin cuddling the petrified child of one of his murder victims and exists only to enhance the character's psychotic and deranged idea of love, family and the world.

The only other human page is of Peter Parker leaving his supermodel wife to get down to “some serious super-heroing” a statement that is made all the harder to believe when, four pages later, he is seen torturing a crack addict. Meanwhile, Ghost Ride is beating the living snot out of a man involved in arms trafficking. How either of these criminals are connected to Hobgoblin is entirely unexplained yet both thugs know where he is and thus the stage is set for a gigantic (panel) showdown.

 The Hobgoblin, who is still smothering that child and warping his mind, sees Spider-man and, of course, declares him to be working for Satan before carpet bombing the place with his hand glider. Spider-man fights back only for the kid to defend Hobgoblin; it turns out his young face has been ceremoniously scarred. To be continued. 

That’s the main story. Confused at how I had so quickly reached the end of the issue I decided to count panels, because I was bored and there was nothing constructive to do. There were seventy five in total. I picked up and flicked through the last issue of Ghost Rider one hundred and twenty six. The majority of this issue had been splash pages.

The issue is a two parter. It will be difficult to fully judge it until I read the next instalment. I did miss out some areas such as Ghost Rider dangling a paedophile priest over a skyscraper and The Hobgoblin blowing up his followers because the voices in his head said told him so - but there was really very little to say. The comic is obviously a run of the mill criticism of religion and we have some very nasty religious characters doing very nasty things to children and women. It covers all bases of what you would expect from a 90s comic and nothing more. I can’t say I enjoyed it but it at least is successful in hitting its mark. 

Well, on to issue two I guess.

Quote of the issue: That Mary Jane, such a sport, some day I’m going to have to divorce her just so I can marry her all over again. - Spider-man

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.