Recently in Ghost Rider Category

Beginning…a week of covers from one of the most famous fanzines of all time: The Comic Reader! 

Launched by Paul Levitz in the 1960s, and later published by Street Enterprises, TCR was a prime source of insider news on the comics world.

TCR was a digest-sized mag published in black and white for the first few years.  The magazine switched to color covers after the first 100 issues, and they were often able to snag superstar artists to draw them…like this Ghost Rider cover to issue 154 by Jim Starlin.  This cover references a story that Starlin wrote and drew for Ghost Rider #35 (1979), titled “Death Race”.  I’ve often wondered if this image was a rejected cover that Starlin had intended for that issue.  Nuff Said!

Here's a 1990 drawing by Javier Saltares that I found on Romitaman's website.  According to the description, this was a promotional drawing for the "second-generation" Danny Ketch Ghost Rider that debuted later in 1990.  Nuff said!

When Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5, I was absolutely run over (pardon the pun) by Mike Ploog's artwork and character design.  Especially intriguing was the cover blurb: Is He Alive or Dead?  I sold my original as a kid, but I was able to buy a back issue a few years ago.  It's still one of my favorite origin issues ever.

Here are the pencils to a recreation that Ploog did a few years ago, from Pheng Taing on comicartfans.

Marvel Spotlight #8 really showed me the potential of Ghost Rider as a character--by taking him out of the city and pitting him against another brand of magic.  It was also cool to see the Ghost Rider--a revamp of a Western character--in an Indian reservation.

Ploog's recreation--also from Pheng Taing--really oomphs up the crazy magic going on here.  What lucky guy to have both of these!  Nuff said.

What would a Marvel monster version of the Defenders look like?  If Mike Ploog were drawing it, something like this nifty commission done for Leo Chuah on comicartfans.

Ghost Rider, Frankenstein, and Werewolf by Night on a moonlit night.  Greatness!  Nuff said.

Ghost Rider in a Marvel Swimsuit?  It really happened, true believer!

The 1993 Marvel Swimsuit issue had this groovy centerfold featuring the Spirit of Vengeance on a beach.  Naked, which means burning on the beach.  Imagine your surprise if you got to this point in the magazine, expect to see something like a sexy Adam Hughes She-Hulk?  Nuff said.

My big plan to do a weekly review column was too ambitious.  I haven’t reviewed a modern comic since July!  The problem is that I switched to a monthly discount comic book service.  Out of the stack that I just received, here’s what I liked the best.

Captain America Reborn #3 continues to amaze with Steve Rogers becoming unstuck in time while his friends and enemies try to fish his body out of the time pool.  I won’t reprint the amazing wraparound Hitch cover that you’ve all seen—but I think this alternate John Cassaday cover featuring his take on the Invaders is pretty nifty.

The Slaughterhouse Five device allows Bryan Hitch to revisit classic Marvel moments, such as the one above where Namor accidentally releases Captain America from his icy entombment.  This scene was originally presented in the classic Avengers #4 by Jack Kirby in a few panels.  Hitch opens this scene up in breathtaking cinemascope, as you can see in the above double page splash.  Ed Brubaker described his experience working with Hitch on Word Balloon (Part 2 The Brubaker Testimony Sept 2009).  Sequences such as these were supposed to last a page or two, and Hitch opened them up and added even more to the action.

The best thing about getting a monthly package is reading four issues of Amazing Spider-Man in one sitting, including ASM # 606-607, which features the return of the Black Cat.  This story by Joe Kelly is pure fun, with great execution by artist Mike McKone. One of the great things about the new Brand New Day era is seeing Peter Parker’s romantic entanglements.  Peter’s made a faux pas after sleeping with his roommate Michele, and in this story, spends the night with the Black Cat.  As a result of Mephisto’s gift (yeah I don’t call it a curse, you One New Day whiners)—Black Cat has no memory of Peter’s identity.  Since she’s more enamored with his costumed persona, they make love in the dark.  We’ll see if she made good on her promise not to look at his face while they were asleep.

Dark Reign The List Daredevil has really proved that I have to continue buying this comic now that Andy Diggle has taken over.  The idea of Matt Murdock leading the Hand is just too irresistible.  Diggle has placed him against both the Kingpin and Norman Osborne, with Bullseye and Lady Bullseye also in the mix as well.  The final splash page by Billy Tan, showing Daredevil leading the Hand (now with new hornhead-inspired ninja costumes) promises great things to come.

Not to mention this lineup of Liltin' Landmarks: 

Ghost Riders Heavens on Fire #2:  I’ve loved Jason Aaron’s Ghost Rider since he took over the series.  Any comic that features the Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom) teaming up with Johnny Blaze is great in my eyes.  They’ve restored a lot of Hellstrom’s classic elements—the inverted Satan symbol on his chest, his trident pitchfork, and even his hellish chariot made an appearance in the first issue.  The only thing I don’t like is that Hellstrom looks Anton LaVey (Aaron’s idea) now.  I had no idea how Johnny Blaze was going to get to heaven, but we learn how by the end of this issue: Danny Ketch has sold his soul to the Devil.  Yikes, now I gotta wait a month to see what happens.

Spider-Woman #1:  I honestly wasn’t sure Alex Maleev was the right artist for this series.  Hoo boy, was I wrong, Maleev’s art is superb.  He does the inking and coloring as well.  I have to say that Maleev’s work has never been better as a result, as you can see in the above panel, with Jessica Drew in Madripoor.  Bendis’ story is wonderfully I-Spy in the Marvel Universe, as Agent Brand from SWORD recruits Jessica to hunt down all kinds of nasty aliens lurking in the dark corners of the world.  Bendis is also interviewed on a recent Word Balloon (Part 2 The Bendis Tapes Fall Edition 2009) where he says that Maleev should always color his own work—I wholeheartedly agree!  Nuff said.

I’ve started ordering again from MMComics, and noticed this nifty new Bowen Designs bust in the new catalog.

Johnny Blaze, Ghost Rider, in his Elvis-inspired motorcycle jumpsuit.  I had previously sworn never to order any new statues or busts…but this is my kryptonite.  I’ll have to get it.

Here’s one that I missed from back in June: Simon Garth, Zombie!  Man, this is obscure and for the hardcore geeks like me.  Nuff said.

Jason Aaron concluded his first arc on Ghost Rider with a bang.  The Cycle Nurses make one last ditch effort to stop him, and his quest to find Zadkiel comes to a premature end.  Danny Ketch is back on the last page, no big surprise there if you've been reading all along (it was telegraphed in the previous issue).  I loved the kick-ass, cinematic pace of this story.  Roland Boschi's artwork was off the rails as he depicts Johnny Blaze changing from human to Ghost Rider in the first few pages.  To me, what is great about this take on Ghost Rider is that he's back to his roots, tearing up the road and going after demonic (or angelic) forces. 

Tan Eng Huat (Silver Surfer: In Thy Name) is coming on board, you can see some of his artwork at Jason Aaron's forum.  Aaron's saying that Huat will do Ghost Rider #24-27, and Boschi will return after that.  Jason Aaron was also interviewed on Comic Book Resources about his plans for the next arc.  He mentions that the Hellfire shotgun is coming back, which makes me think this is a role-reversal.  In the 1990s Ghost Rider featuring Danny Ketch as the title character, Blaze came roaring in and tried to kill him with this weapon.  Now Ketch is coming back and he's Blaze's enemy.  I wonder if the part about them being brothers is still true?  Nuff said.