The Box: Ghost Rider 1-5

My inlaws bought these two boxes of comics for me at an auction for $25. I'm guessing there's 250-300 comics in there. The one on the left is all Marvel, the right a mix of stuff. In an effort to get through these boxes, I'm going to pull an issue or run out at random and give it a good read through and review it here. If the issues has one preceding or following it in the box, I'll read those too, but only those.

This week it'll be Ghost Rider Volume 2 #1-5 written by Howard Mackie and drawn by Javier Saltares from 1990. My interactions with Ghost Rider have been fairly limited, I've read random issues here and there, bought that Devon Grayson mini a few years back and saw the movie, but these are definitely the most consecutive issues of any Ghost Rider series I've ever read. And for the most part, I liked them.

As far as I can tell, this first issue is the first appearance of the second Ghost Rider Danny Ketch. I don't really know what happened to the previous GR Johnny Blaze or how his motorcycle ended up in a dump in NYC, but it didn't really hinder my enjoyment of these issues. These first five issues consist of a three part story in the first three issues, a one-off where GR fights Mr. Hyde and the first part of a two part story where The Punisher meets Danny Ketch's GR for the first time. Of course, the box contains #7 and a few other random issues, but I'm trying to follow my own rules.

So, the first three issues, like I said, deal with these three canisters that a gang kid grabs and hides thinking there's money inside. Turns out that a dude named Deathwatch (who gets off on watching deaths through others' eyes) wants the canisters so he can get off big time when the biohazard is released. He's got a bunch of Hand-looking ninjas and a light-killing vampire thing called Blackout working for him, but he doesn't succeed against Ghost Rider and the Kingpin, who also wants the vials for himself. I like that they threw Kingpin in there too, to make this solid Marvel New York comic. This is the kind of continuity I've always heard about in regards to Marvel, but haven't really experience for myself.

Following that strong sense of continuity, you get issue #4 which has Ghost Rider facing off against Mr. Hyde, who, according to some thought bubbles and an editor's note, we know has recently run into Captain America and the Hulk, the later giving him brain damage, which inhibits his ability to change. While I hoped this issue would be mostly two titans squaring off, we get a lot of Danny Ketch out of his leathers. In fact, pretty much every time Danny's in his regular identity, he's sitting next to his sister's bed and wondering if he should keep changing into GR. It's kind of intersting and definitely necesarry, and I'm sure if you were reading these things monthly, you might not notice, but reading five months' worth of issues in one sitting it got a bit old. Once he does finally fight Hyde, it's pretty cool, but it could have gone on long.

Finally, we end with the Punisher guest appearance. Turns out that Flag Smasher is trying to give away free guns to kids for some reason (guess I'll have to fin #6 to find out). Earlier in the issue we get a news reporter who wonders if GR and Punisher are one in the same, which is a pretty ridiculous concept, why would the dude dress up in two different costumes? Also, it doesn't seem like anyone remembers that there already was a Ghost Rider, but whatever. Maybe he only operated in secret in the west, I dunno. This is definitely a set up issue and I'm sure the next is full of radness, but we do get a fun little fight between Punisher and GR.

So, all in all, I liked these issues and would definitely not be opposed to delving deeper into Ghost Rider and this series. I have one random issue of Midnight Sons from back in the day and really want to check it out. Also, I know it's totally 90s, but I love the design of the bike. I like how it changes from a regular motorcycle into this crazy mech-looking thing. Fun stuff.