"Ghost Rider" Discussion (Comic Book Version, Possible Spoilers)

[Spider-Man]

The Spirit of Vengeance! Discuss all his incarnations, forms, comic book series, etc, here! Do you prefer Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch? Discuss it all! With the movie (discuss here (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=184019)!) based on this classic Marvel character the #1 film at the box office it seems like a perfect time to dive into the very origins of this great Marvel character!


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/87/Ghostrider1.jpg/400px-Ghostrider1.jpg

What are your thoughts on the comic book version of Ghost Rider?

[wonderfly]

Spider-Man is helping us here at the CBC by kicking off our newest event: Whenever a new comic book movie comes out, (and it looks like we're going to get several this year) we're going to have a "Theme Week" style thread in honor of the movie!

First up this year is Ghost Rider which did indeed earn $45 million at the box office this last weekend. Post your thoughts on the Ghost Rider character here, and look for some more "Theme Week" style events as the week progresses!

[Michael24]

I was really only familiar with the name and his look all these years. I didn't even know there had been more than one Ghost Rider until recently. But thanks to the movie (which I really enjoyed), I'm about to dive into the world of Ghost Rider. I've been playing the new PS2 game for the last couple of days, and I've already ordered Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 and am looking forward to catching up. I see there is also a brand new Vol. 2, but I'll get that later.

Any other advice for someone reading Ghost Rider for the first time? :)

[wonderfly]

The thing you have to remember is that Ghost Rider works best not as a super-hero, but as a rebel on the fringes of society, delivering vengeance in places where the law won't deliver justice, and having the occasional strange encounter with the supernatural.

I first cut my teeth on the Ghost Rider character in the early 90's, (the Dan Ketch version) and those were fun times, as Ghost Rider fought all sorts of cool super-villians, and teamed up with Spider-Man, the Punisher, and the X-Men...but I have since read some of the original 70's material, and while I must say I LOVE the costume design for the 90's Ghost Rider, (which is the version they're using now in the latest series), the 70's version had the most solid concept: Ghost Rider is a Supernatural Western - an occult character roaming the American Frontier. So I for one am happy that Daniel Way's latest ongoing series is in tune with that philosophy, (even if Way's plots can be a bit confounding).

Daniel Way's plot is keeping it simple: Lucifer is loose upon Earth, and has taken up residence in 666 recently deceased bodies, and is now terrorizing Earth...and Johnny Blaze, (as the Ghost Rider) has to track down each and every one of them and send them back to Hell. Blaze is not a welcome visitor wherever he travels, he's often a fugitive from the law, having to avoid corrupt small town cops as he hunts down Lucifer's latest manifestation. It's actually very reminiscent of Banner from the old "Incredible Hulk" TV series, in that no matter where he travels, he encounters violence and hatred, (and Blaze, like Banner, would rather be left alone, to focus on keeping his demons in check).

Now the main problem with the current series is Way's writing: The guy just lets his plots drag on way too long, with never a clear ending, (which is why I'm fearful of how he'll drag this "Lucifer on Earth" storyline out). And when story arcs DO end, it's often absurdly abrupt, leaving you scratching your head. This isn't always the case, but it is my chief complaint. But the tone of the series is just fine, (with great characterization and dialogue) and of course there's the fantastic artwork by Texeira and Javier. All in all, if you don't buy the latest series, I recommend the "Essential Ghost Rider", to get a taste of the classic 70's stories. But Ghost Rider is a great concept that anyone who's a lover of the supernatural should give a shot. There's no other comic book character quite like him!

[Michael24]

As someone who has had a life-long interest in the supernatural (thanks to Ghostbusters :D ), that's one of the reasons I'm now interested in Ghost Rider. I hadn't realized before how much of that it had, so now I'm really eager to dig into those early comics.

[Noukon]

I am enjoying Way's current run on the comic. His pacing is indeed off, but it's still fun to read, and his take on the character is pretty cool.

[wonderfly]

The latest "This Week in Comics" (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=184379) thread holds a special "Pick of the Week" in celebration of the new Ghost Rider movie:

Ghost Rider #35 is my pick for "Favorite Ghost Rider Story Ever" and it's a perfect example of what's enjoyable about the Ghost Rider concept. In this issue, (written by the legendary Jim Starlin) Ghost Rider is travelling through the desert, when he encounters a mysterious biker who challenges him to a series of races - and this figure is none other than Death himself!

No battles against supervillians here. Just a race against Death across the American West. A great stand alone story, and there's nothing else quite like it. (Interesting that Jim Starlin would later on turn "Death" into a woman, whom Thanos worships, but I digress...)