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Ghost Rider Epic Collection
Ghost Rider Epic Collection, Vol. 1: Hell on Wheels
In 1972, one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, the flame-skulled Ghost Rider, burned his demonic presence into readers’ minds. Forevermore, a legion of fans were addicted to the Rider’s combination of hell-on-wheels drama and action-horror adventure. And it begins here when Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the devil to save his friend’s life. The payment due? Transformation into the Ghost Rider. The stories that follow will take the horror hero to Hell to battle Satan, pit him against the tempting Witch-Woman and team him with Daimon Hellstrom, Son of Satan. Written by Gary Friedrich and Tony Isabella and gloriously illustrated by Mike Ploog, Tom Sutton and Jim Mooney.
COLLECTING: Marvel Spotlight (1971) 5-12, Ghost Rider (1973) 1-11, Marvel Team-Up (1972) 15
COLLECTING: Marvel Spotlight (1971) 5-12, Ghost Rider (1973) 1-11, Marvel Team-Up (1972) 15
425 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2022
17 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 9, 2024
This was so much better than what I was expecting. I thought I was going to find a generic "monster-of-the-week" kind of story, but nope.
Gary Friedrich creates an ongoing story about a cursed guy who's just trying to get on with his life. His whole run (most of this volume) centers on our pal Johnny Blaze, who got cursed and has this 'condition' in which his face transforms into a skull with fire. That's Friedrich's tone, a down-to-earth story with Satan trying to get Johnny's soul. I found it a pretty cool read.
The whole universe is built based on him being a stunt rider superstar. He manages his business while always escaping the demon. He comes up with excuses about why he goes out at night. People just assume that it's a costume for his show, giving it a really special feel. He's not a superhero, no secret identity, none of that.
Friedrich's run can be split in two. The first arc (kind of four issues) with the origin story and how it pans out. And the second arc (seven-ish issues) at the Grand Canyon, a stunt that gets interrupted by a Native American witch doctor first and his daughter later who works for Satan and wants to get Johnny's soul, plans that get derailed with the introduction of Son of Stan! (now I want an Epic about him!).
Great storylines that the only bad thing in common is the character of Rocky, "the love interest". She is a badass stuntwoman, it makes no sense for her to only be a damsel in distress yelling for Johnny to save her all-the-time. Come on, Gary!
Both of these arcs are really fun, with Mike Ploog doing art for the first arc and Tom Sutton for the second. Great art and clever writing, in pure Marvel 70s style.
Things get complicated when Friedrich leaves the book on Ghost Rider 4. He was starting a new arc about a Demolition Derby event managed by some shady characters and was replaced in issue five by Wolfman and Moench. The corrupt businessman owner of the derby instantly becomes a demon from hell (like, on page 2), who wants to burn the city of Las Vegas, and Ghost Rider has to stop him. So, a superhero turn. It's not bad, but it's uninspired compared to what came before.
This direction continues when Tony Isabella comes on board. His first two issues are a story based on a Friedrich plot that involves the villain group Zodiac, which is the worst part of the whole book.
But things get better in the end!
Isabella continues with the businessman-turned-monster storyline still in a superhero tone that doesn't work for me BUT he fits a classic weirdly funny Isabella ending that I definitely didn't see coming. And it looks like he got the hang of it because the last issue of the volume is super fun, kind of in the Speed Racer spirit and keeping with the tone of the Friedrich era.
Overall a really pleasant read, even if it gets a little uneven by the end. A solid 3.5/5
Gary Friedrich creates an ongoing story about a cursed guy who's just trying to get on with his life. His whole run (most of this volume) centers on our pal Johnny Blaze, who got cursed and has this 'condition' in which his face transforms into a skull with fire. That's Friedrich's tone, a down-to-earth story with Satan trying to get Johnny's soul. I found it a pretty cool read.
The whole universe is built based on him being a stunt rider superstar. He manages his business while always escaping the demon. He comes up with excuses about why he goes out at night. People just assume that it's a costume for his show, giving it a really special feel. He's not a superhero, no secret identity, none of that.
Friedrich's run can be split in two. The first arc (kind of four issues) with the origin story and how it pans out. And the second arc (seven-ish issues) at the Grand Canyon, a stunt that gets interrupted by a Native American witch doctor first and his daughter later who works for Satan and wants to get Johnny's soul, plans that get derailed with the introduction of Son of Stan! (now I want an Epic about him!).
Great storylines that the only bad thing in common is the character of Rocky, "the love interest". She is a badass stuntwoman, it makes no sense for her to only be a damsel in distress yelling for Johnny to save her all-the-time. Come on, Gary!
Both of these arcs are really fun, with Mike Ploog doing art for the first arc and Tom Sutton for the second. Great art and clever writing, in pure Marvel 70s style.
Things get complicated when Friedrich leaves the book on Ghost Rider 4. He was starting a new arc about a Demolition Derby event managed by some shady characters and was replaced in issue five by Wolfman and Moench. The corrupt businessman owner of the derby instantly becomes a demon from hell (like, on page 2), who wants to burn the city of Las Vegas, and Ghost Rider has to stop him. So, a superhero turn. It's not bad, but it's uninspired compared to what came before.
This direction continues when Tony Isabella comes on board. His first two issues are a story based on a Friedrich plot that involves the villain group Zodiac, which is the worst part of the whole book.
But things get better in the end!
Isabella continues with the businessman-turned-monster storyline still in a superhero tone that doesn't work for me BUT he fits a classic weirdly funny Isabella ending that I definitely didn't see coming. And it looks like he got the hang of it because the last issue of the volume is super fun, kind of in the Speed Racer spirit and keeping with the tone of the Friedrich era.
Overall a really pleasant read, even if it gets a little uneven by the end. A solid 3.5/5
April 16, 2024
Marvel Spotlight #5-8 - The tragic chronicle of Johnny Blaze opens with a mashup of fads from the early years of the 1970s. Motorcycle gangs, satanism and stunt-daredevils. The origin is a bit different than how it’s depicted in the Nicholas Cage film, and Blaze is a far less sympathetic character, he does bring it all on himself after all. So what creators Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog deliver is very much an anti-hero, who’s been softened and repackaged over the years to make him far more palatable to sensitive audiences. This original version of the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider is dark and a real mess, the best part being, or course, the gorgeously unique art of Ploog. And it’s a sad event when he leaves.
Marvel Spotlight #9-11 - Having wrapped up the “origin” of this new Ghost Rider, it quickly becomes clear that Friedrich has little clue what direction to take this character (and this is actually the biggest hurdle this Ghost Rider will face year after year in this publication). The next few issues struggle trying to balance between the stunt-daredevil, motorcycle lifestyle and the satanism components and then throws Native American narratives and witchcraft into the mix. New artist Tom Sutton does a great job, but he’s no Ploog, so the look is very different.
Ghost Rider #1-2 - Obviously, sales on the Ghost Rider issues of Marvel Spotlight must have been good, because he graduated into his own title fairly quickly. These issues also introduce a new supernatural character, Daimon Hellstrom the Son of Satan. But he’s barely seen and his costume is not revealed at all. There’s also a lot more absurd and inexplicable reversals on character motivations (did Friedrich think no one was actually reading this?) that make no sense. On one page Ghost Rider is screaming that he can’t take it anymore and he’s begging for Satan to show up and take his soul, then when he gets what he’s asked for, he’s intending to fight Satan tooth and nail to keep his soul. So apparently he’s just taunting and teasing Satan. But it wasn’t just that. I get that he’s confused and angry, but he’s really just an idiot and hasn’t a clue what he’s doing.
Marvel Spotlight #12 - This is actually the first issue of the Son of Satan run in Marvel Spotlight, but it does also contribute to the wrap-up of the departing Ghost Rider saga. And we finally get the big reveal of Daimon Hellstrom in costume. Also, we have the same inexplicable flipping of motivations in Hellstrom that we see with Ghost Rider, so the notion that it’s just Johnny Blaze’s immaturity and inexperience doesn’t hold any weight. It’s all rather maddening and very frustrating. Herb Trimpe provides the art and this first glimpse of Son of Satan is remarkably different than how he’ll get developed by other artists in his own series.
Ghost Rider #3-5 - This is a sequence of transition. And chaos. First off we get the wrap-up, more or less, of the introduction & crossover with the Son of Satan, an ending, of sorts, with the Witch Woman, a new and more down to earth threat, more trouble with the police and then a deal to get cleared by the police, a demolition derby, Big Daddy Dawson, organized crime in Las Vegas, and another Satan pawn: Roulette. It may sound exciting, but almost none of it makes any sense whatsoever. But it’s no one person’s fault because Freidrich leaves the book, Marv Wolfman and Doug Moench give it a shot at plot and dialogue, but nothing really helps. This is just a mess and its dragging the whole concept down with it.
Marvel Team-Up #15 - Len Wein & Ross Andru deliver a fun Spidey team-up, but I can’t help but feel like this is badly out of place in this collection. Nothing special here, just a typical Marvel superhero Team-Up.
Ghost Rider #6-11 - Tony Isabella takes over the book, and Jim Mooney provide the art, and the book finally starts to get the much needed make-over. Satan shows up, and lot of ugly dangling plot threads either get excised or they get dealt with. Ghost Rider also meets Stuntmaster and the Hulk, and the Ghost Ricer gets a more interesting narrative direction.
Marvel Spotlight #9-11 - Having wrapped up the “origin” of this new Ghost Rider, it quickly becomes clear that Friedrich has little clue what direction to take this character (and this is actually the biggest hurdle this Ghost Rider will face year after year in this publication). The next few issues struggle trying to balance between the stunt-daredevil, motorcycle lifestyle and the satanism components and then throws Native American narratives and witchcraft into the mix. New artist Tom Sutton does a great job, but he’s no Ploog, so the look is very different.
Ghost Rider #1-2 - Obviously, sales on the Ghost Rider issues of Marvel Spotlight must have been good, because he graduated into his own title fairly quickly. These issues also introduce a new supernatural character, Daimon Hellstrom the Son of Satan. But he’s barely seen and his costume is not revealed at all. There’s also a lot more absurd and inexplicable reversals on character motivations (did Friedrich think no one was actually reading this?) that make no sense. On one page Ghost Rider is screaming that he can’t take it anymore and he’s begging for Satan to show up and take his soul, then when he gets what he’s asked for, he’s intending to fight Satan tooth and nail to keep his soul. So apparently he’s just taunting and teasing Satan. But it wasn’t just that. I get that he’s confused and angry, but he’s really just an idiot and hasn’t a clue what he’s doing.
Marvel Spotlight #12 - This is actually the first issue of the Son of Satan run in Marvel Spotlight, but it does also contribute to the wrap-up of the departing Ghost Rider saga. And we finally get the big reveal of Daimon Hellstrom in costume. Also, we have the same inexplicable flipping of motivations in Hellstrom that we see with Ghost Rider, so the notion that it’s just Johnny Blaze’s immaturity and inexperience doesn’t hold any weight. It’s all rather maddening and very frustrating. Herb Trimpe provides the art and this first glimpse of Son of Satan is remarkably different than how he’ll get developed by other artists in his own series.
Ghost Rider #3-5 - This is a sequence of transition. And chaos. First off we get the wrap-up, more or less, of the introduction & crossover with the Son of Satan, an ending, of sorts, with the Witch Woman, a new and more down to earth threat, more trouble with the police and then a deal to get cleared by the police, a demolition derby, Big Daddy Dawson, organized crime in Las Vegas, and another Satan pawn: Roulette. It may sound exciting, but almost none of it makes any sense whatsoever. But it’s no one person’s fault because Freidrich leaves the book, Marv Wolfman and Doug Moench give it a shot at plot and dialogue, but nothing really helps. This is just a mess and its dragging the whole concept down with it.
Marvel Team-Up #15 - Len Wein & Ross Andru deliver a fun Spidey team-up, but I can’t help but feel like this is badly out of place in this collection. Nothing special here, just a typical Marvel superhero Team-Up.
Ghost Rider #6-11 - Tony Isabella takes over the book, and Jim Mooney provide the art, and the book finally starts to get the much needed make-over. Satan shows up, and lot of ugly dangling plot threads either get excised or they get dealt with. Ghost Rider also meets Stuntmaster and the Hulk, and the Ghost Ricer gets a more interesting narrative direction.
March 20, 2023
I read two of Marvel's burgeoning horror genre books from the early 70s in rapid succession, this and MAN-THING vol. 1. Of the two, I preferred this one much the less. Aside from cashing in on the horror trend, GHOST RIDER also obviously cashes in on the biker guy trend of the era, which...not my favorite, personally. It does the best with sch material, with the life of traveling stunt bike performer providing an interesting backdrop to the supernatural shenanigans, though it gets sort of repetitive.
The other big trend this book relies on - triple trend! - is what I guess must have been a pretty serious cultural moment for the Devil. The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, yeah, it was a whole thing, and here it all is again. Marvel hadn't quite worked out how to handle representations of the Prince of Darkness, as I gather they would later by pawning off all earlier appearances as being some form of other, non-explicitly-The-Actual-Fucking-Devil characters like Mephisto; seeing characters spout Satan this and Satan that in the pages of a comic book was pretty jarring. I guess they maybe thought it would make the book appeal to older audiences? But you get into some pretty silly territory where, like, Indigenous people are secret devil-worshippers, or personable, liberal college gals are...secret devil-worshippers. Everyone's a secret devil-worshipper, and even good guys like Johnny Blaze, when faced with insurmountable problems, turn to making deals with the actual Devil in surprisingly short order. And like, yeah, that's a literary trope and all, but there's usually some, I don't know, hedging in the character work? Like, they don't really believe it'll work, or they're shown to try a lot of other stuff before turning to the Satan Bible in desperation? None of that here, where young Johnny, hoping to save his terminally ill father figure, immediately decides that only the Devil is the answer - which you'd think would be far more of a last resort in a universe where gods and other mythical creatures are known to objectively exist. So it should have been no surprise when the Devil showed up to be all, "Yeah, I can take care of that for you," but somehow it is, and it's equally surprising when the Devil's help turns out to come with an O. Henry, didn't-read-the-fine-print twist. But it's okay, because terminally ill father figures turn out to also be...you guessed it...secret devil-worshippers. So all is "fine." Oh, and Johnny gets to be a flaming-skulled denizen of the night.
There is a lot of odd moralizing throughout, which you can probably imagine given the milieu, though thankfully "a friend" with a distinctive beard and long hair only shows up to banish Satan once. (Quite the deus ex deus!) It's also interesting that Johnny's fate is tied to the love of his galpal, Roxanne "Rocky" Simpson; he'll be impervious to all harm so long as she safeguards his soul. It's notable that Johnny doesn't really act as a superhero throughout most of this collection, instead working to preserve his own life and his immortal soul, which usually involves rescuing Rocky from danger. It's interestingly self-interested, a tendency that only shifts toward the end of this collection, a development for which I'm thankful - 1970s youth didn't need any more self-preserving role models. The whole situation allows for some welcome character development for Rocky, too, who comes to recognize her own naivete by the end of the road, and decides she has to grow up away from Johnny and his needs. (By then their fates have been separated, so she's not leaving him too much in the lurch.)
It's all just a little too samey, with one demon after another, one roving motorcycle gang after another. The art is serviceable throughout; one imagines Mike Ploog and Jim Mooney must have been gearheads of one sort or another, or at least interested somewhat in that kind of machinery.
The best issue of the run is at the very end of the collection, where the Hulk makes his obligatory addled guest appearance. Johnny is running an endurance race through the desert with a gaggle of misfit cyclists including a grieving millionaire, a divorcing couple, and a dweeb desperate for approval. It's all a little "Loveboat" the way the plot maneuvers them into just the position the need to be in to move on from their issues, but it's clever and cute and a welcome reprieve from the usual GR plots.
The other big trend this book relies on - triple trend! - is what I guess must have been a pretty serious cultural moment for the Devil. The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, yeah, it was a whole thing, and here it all is again. Marvel hadn't quite worked out how to handle representations of the Prince of Darkness, as I gather they would later by pawning off all earlier appearances as being some form of other, non-explicitly-The-Actual-Fucking-Devil characters like Mephisto; seeing characters spout Satan this and Satan that in the pages of a comic book was pretty jarring. I guess they maybe thought it would make the book appeal to older audiences? But you get into some pretty silly territory where, like, Indigenous people are secret devil-worshippers, or personable, liberal college gals are...secret devil-worshippers. Everyone's a secret devil-worshipper, and even good guys like Johnny Blaze, when faced with insurmountable problems, turn to making deals with the actual Devil in surprisingly short order. And like, yeah, that's a literary trope and all, but there's usually some, I don't know, hedging in the character work? Like, they don't really believe it'll work, or they're shown to try a lot of other stuff before turning to the Satan Bible in desperation? None of that here, where young Johnny, hoping to save his terminally ill father figure, immediately decides that only the Devil is the answer - which you'd think would be far more of a last resort in a universe where gods and other mythical creatures are known to objectively exist. So it should have been no surprise when the Devil showed up to be all, "Yeah, I can take care of that for you," but somehow it is, and it's equally surprising when the Devil's help turns out to come with an O. Henry, didn't-read-the-fine-print twist. But it's okay, because terminally ill father figures turn out to also be...you guessed it...secret devil-worshippers. So all is "fine." Oh, and Johnny gets to be a flaming-skulled denizen of the night.
There is a lot of odd moralizing throughout, which you can probably imagine given the milieu, though thankfully "a friend" with a distinctive beard and long hair only shows up to banish Satan once. (Quite the deus ex deus!) It's also interesting that Johnny's fate is tied to the love of his galpal, Roxanne "Rocky" Simpson; he'll be impervious to all harm so long as she safeguards his soul. It's notable that Johnny doesn't really act as a superhero throughout most of this collection, instead working to preserve his own life and his immortal soul, which usually involves rescuing Rocky from danger. It's interestingly self-interested, a tendency that only shifts toward the end of this collection, a development for which I'm thankful - 1970s youth didn't need any more self-preserving role models. The whole situation allows for some welcome character development for Rocky, too, who comes to recognize her own naivete by the end of the road, and decides she has to grow up away from Johnny and his needs. (By then their fates have been separated, so she's not leaving him too much in the lurch.)
It's all just a little too samey, with one demon after another, one roving motorcycle gang after another. The art is serviceable throughout; one imagines Mike Ploog and Jim Mooney must have been gearheads of one sort or another, or at least interested somewhat in that kind of machinery.
The best issue of the run is at the very end of the collection, where the Hulk makes his obligatory addled guest appearance. Johnny is running an endurance race through the desert with a gaggle of misfit cyclists including a grieving millionaire, a divorcing couple, and a dweeb desperate for approval. It's all a little "Loveboat" the way the plot maneuvers them into just the position the need to be in to move on from their issues, but it's clever and cute and a welcome reprieve from the usual GR plots.
August 20, 2022
Devlin Meets the Devil!
I bought the Ghost Rider Epic Collection thinking it would make for fun summer reading: something all-new, all-different (to steal a phrase). And it was! I began collecting comics in 1975, but Ghost Rider was invisible to me like Conan and most of the DC line (I did like the JLA thanks to the Superfriends cartoon). My one memorable and underwhelming exposure to Ghost Rider was in Marvel Team-Up 15, which I read reprinted in an old Treasury (the one with the cool cover homage to McCartney's Band on the Run album).
Ghost Rider effectively evokes early 1970's pop culture and drive-in movies with its running themes of the occult, an exorcist, American Indians, scantily clad girls, and of course motorcycles and cycle gangs. I've been enjoying my DVD of the underrated 1974 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Devlin, inspired by Evel Knievel, and that stunt cyclist show has proven a good, squeaky-clean complement to Ghost Rider's diabolical and desert-dusty adventures.
This collection boasts Ghost Rider's seven issues of Marvel Spotlight the first 11 issues of his own title, Spotlight #12 featuring the Son of Satan, plus the Marvel Team-Up issue where the Wallcrawler and Ghosty (as Spidey dubbed him) take on the Orb, a recurring Ghost Rider villain making his first appearance here. There's a lot of bang for the buck in this book!
The Best of Times. The early issues by creators Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog are the standouts and set the bar impossibly high right out of the chute. Spotlight 5-9 are an epic story recounting how Johnny Blaze became the Ghost Rider through a deal with that double-crossing deceiver the Devil and the aftermath of that. Rocky is the damsel in distress, placed on the altar of sacrifice and later tied to a pole and attacked by snakes! Couple those "Perils of Pauline" with a flaming sword fight in hell with demonic monsters and later the menace of insane Indian shaman Snake Dance. The excitement never lets up and these early issues are a ton of fun.
Ploog's art is alas but a vapor and by Spotlight #8 it is gone, overwhelmed by Jim Mooney. Ploog is co-credited as artist, but I could not detect any of his Eisner-influenced work in issue 8. Ploog's absence does drop the book a notch, though Tom Sutton does a fine job penciling with stalwarts like Mooney, Syd Shores, and Chic Stone on inks.
The intro of Witch Woman in Spotlight #10 is just okay, a transitional issue leading to her awesomely occult origin story in #11's "Season of the Witch-Woman!" (a clever wink to Donovan's classic song). This one is pure Satanic Seventies and for balance and heightened effectiveness should be read in tandem with Jack Chick's Crusaders classic Broken Cross.
The Desert Season. The next several issues were unimpressive compared to what went before and what was to come. Daimon Hellstrom aka the Son of Satan is introduced obliquely in Ghost Rider #1, makes a fuller appearance in #2, which story continues directly into the Son of Satan's full-fledged launch in Spotlight #12. I liked Herb Trimpe's Ploogish art, but he didn't get the memo that the supporting characters were supposed to be American Indians! It's a little jarring coming in hot off Ghost Rider #2 and seeing everyone suddenly a paleface. (And Archie's gonna blow his carrot top when he sees Big Daddy Dawson menacing Betty Cooper at the bottom of page 200!)
With issue #4 brace yourself for more whiplash as Witch Woman suddenly becomes a White Woman and is inexplicably in love with Johnny Blaze, who unsettlingly only has eyes for his stepsister Rocky, the girl he grew up with since childhood. This was creator Gary Friedrich's final issue penning Ghosty's adventures, and he doesn't go out on an especially high note, but it was better than what immediately followed....
The Dismal Dregs. Issue #5 was my least favorite of the book. It stunk. It was stupid. Lame demon-villain Roulette burns down Las Vegas. The ending did presage and stir up good memories of the climax of Ghostbusters, so a nod for the smile that evoked. Prepare yourself for a shock: This dud of an issue was written by none other than future great Doug "Moon Knight" Moench from a plot by Marv Wolfman. What happened, guys? (The dreaded deadline doom, I suspect!)
Enter Isabella! Tony Isabella comes aboard in #6 and carries the title through the end of the collection. He does a great job, is clearly enjoying this character and his enthusiasm is contagious. I really enjoyed the storyline spanning #6-9. Isabella brings back the Zodiac gang, last seen in Avengers #123. It's a compelling mystery as each member of the gang is confirmed to be in prison yet are somehow menacing San Francisco (Isabella also wrote some great Frisco-set issues of Daredevil around this same time).
Isabella keeps the occult undercurrent flowing and the story culminates in a showdown with "Satan Himself!" (the title of #8). Okay, the demon Slifer's new iteration as Inferno, the Fear Monger was a little/lot cheesy, but it worked for me. I liked his fear halo, with the word "Fear" emanating from his head like the old Charles Atlas "Hero of the Beach" ads (and later by Flex Mentallo in Doom Patrol). I also loved the guest appearance by the most unexpected Guest Star of them all. Just a fun story arc that I suspect drew upon the once-ubiquitous Bible tracts by the aforementioned Jack Chick. Page 366 all but confirms my contention. See seventies-era Chick tracts like "A Demon's Nightmare" and "Bewitched" for portrayals of Satan and his demons similar to what Isabella presents here (to great effect, by the way). I love that panel on page 337 of Satan sitting on his throne, surrounded by a couple misshapen demons, watching events unfold on a TV screen-like device. Fun stuff!
A Bridge Too Far? The collection closes with Ghost Rider #10 and 11. The cover of #10 promises a battle with the Hulk, but surprise, suckas--it's a reprint of Spotlight #5. I can imagine 12-year-olds "Hulking out" in the 7-11 over that bait n' switch! When the Hulk issue actually appears in #11 it is a misfire of a character study, and one in which the Hulk is awkwardly inserted (probably on orders from the C-suite wanting to goose sagging sales). This was Isabella's attempt to write a Steve Gerber story. Isabella even has a Richard Rory lookalike as the protagonist! But it just didn't work for me. Isabella's reach exceeded his grasp. Adding to the deflation following the previous story was the step down in art to Sal Buscema, who pulls out all his stock poses and trademark gaping-mouth faces.
The handful of disappointing stories and the rare duds were mere bagatelles in the big picture. This was a fun book, perfect reading for a summer celebrating Ghosty's fiftieth anniversary.
I bought the Ghost Rider Epic Collection thinking it would make for fun summer reading: something all-new, all-different (to steal a phrase). And it was! I began collecting comics in 1975, but Ghost Rider was invisible to me like Conan and most of the DC line (I did like the JLA thanks to the Superfriends cartoon). My one memorable and underwhelming exposure to Ghost Rider was in Marvel Team-Up 15, which I read reprinted in an old Treasury (the one with the cool cover homage to McCartney's Band on the Run album).
Ghost Rider effectively evokes early 1970's pop culture and drive-in movies with its running themes of the occult, an exorcist, American Indians, scantily clad girls, and of course motorcycles and cycle gangs. I've been enjoying my DVD of the underrated 1974 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Devlin, inspired by Evel Knievel, and that stunt cyclist show has proven a good, squeaky-clean complement to Ghost Rider's diabolical and desert-dusty adventures.
This collection boasts Ghost Rider's seven issues of Marvel Spotlight the first 11 issues of his own title, Spotlight #12 featuring the Son of Satan, plus the Marvel Team-Up issue where the Wallcrawler and Ghosty (as Spidey dubbed him) take on the Orb, a recurring Ghost Rider villain making his first appearance here. There's a lot of bang for the buck in this book!
The Best of Times. The early issues by creators Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog are the standouts and set the bar impossibly high right out of the chute. Spotlight 5-9 are an epic story recounting how Johnny Blaze became the Ghost Rider through a deal with that double-crossing deceiver the Devil and the aftermath of that. Rocky is the damsel in distress, placed on the altar of sacrifice and later tied to a pole and attacked by snakes! Couple those "Perils of Pauline" with a flaming sword fight in hell with demonic monsters and later the menace of insane Indian shaman Snake Dance. The excitement never lets up and these early issues are a ton of fun.
Ploog's art is alas but a vapor and by Spotlight #8 it is gone, overwhelmed by Jim Mooney. Ploog is co-credited as artist, but I could not detect any of his Eisner-influenced work in issue 8. Ploog's absence does drop the book a notch, though Tom Sutton does a fine job penciling with stalwarts like Mooney, Syd Shores, and Chic Stone on inks.
The intro of Witch Woman in Spotlight #10 is just okay, a transitional issue leading to her awesomely occult origin story in #11's "Season of the Witch-Woman!" (a clever wink to Donovan's classic song). This one is pure Satanic Seventies and for balance and heightened effectiveness should be read in tandem with Jack Chick's Crusaders classic Broken Cross.
The Desert Season. The next several issues were unimpressive compared to what went before and what was to come. Daimon Hellstrom aka the Son of Satan is introduced obliquely in Ghost Rider #1, makes a fuller appearance in #2, which story continues directly into the Son of Satan's full-fledged launch in Spotlight #12. I liked Herb Trimpe's Ploogish art, but he didn't get the memo that the supporting characters were supposed to be American Indians! It's a little jarring coming in hot off Ghost Rider #2 and seeing everyone suddenly a paleface. (And Archie's gonna blow his carrot top when he sees Big Daddy Dawson menacing Betty Cooper at the bottom of page 200!)
With issue #4 brace yourself for more whiplash as Witch Woman suddenly becomes a White Woman and is inexplicably in love with Johnny Blaze, who unsettlingly only has eyes for his stepsister Rocky, the girl he grew up with since childhood. This was creator Gary Friedrich's final issue penning Ghosty's adventures, and he doesn't go out on an especially high note, but it was better than what immediately followed....
The Dismal Dregs. Issue #5 was my least favorite of the book. It stunk. It was stupid. Lame demon-villain Roulette burns down Las Vegas. The ending did presage and stir up good memories of the climax of Ghostbusters, so a nod for the smile that evoked. Prepare yourself for a shock: This dud of an issue was written by none other than future great Doug "Moon Knight" Moench from a plot by Marv Wolfman. What happened, guys? (The dreaded deadline doom, I suspect!)
Enter Isabella! Tony Isabella comes aboard in #6 and carries the title through the end of the collection. He does a great job, is clearly enjoying this character and his enthusiasm is contagious. I really enjoyed the storyline spanning #6-9. Isabella brings back the Zodiac gang, last seen in Avengers #123. It's a compelling mystery as each member of the gang is confirmed to be in prison yet are somehow menacing San Francisco (Isabella also wrote some great Frisco-set issues of Daredevil around this same time).
Isabella keeps the occult undercurrent flowing and the story culminates in a showdown with "Satan Himself!" (the title of #8). Okay, the demon Slifer's new iteration as Inferno, the Fear Monger was a little/lot cheesy, but it worked for me. I liked his fear halo, with the word "Fear" emanating from his head like the old Charles Atlas "Hero of the Beach" ads (and later by Flex Mentallo in Doom Patrol). I also loved the guest appearance by the most unexpected Guest Star of them all. Just a fun story arc that I suspect drew upon the once-ubiquitous Bible tracts by the aforementioned Jack Chick. Page 366 all but confirms my contention. See seventies-era Chick tracts like "A Demon's Nightmare" and "Bewitched" for portrayals of Satan and his demons similar to what Isabella presents here (to great effect, by the way). I love that panel on page 337 of Satan sitting on his throne, surrounded by a couple misshapen demons, watching events unfold on a TV screen-like device. Fun stuff!
A Bridge Too Far? The collection closes with Ghost Rider #10 and 11. The cover of #10 promises a battle with the Hulk, but surprise, suckas--it's a reprint of Spotlight #5. I can imagine 12-year-olds "Hulking out" in the 7-11 over that bait n' switch! When the Hulk issue actually appears in #11 it is a misfire of a character study, and one in which the Hulk is awkwardly inserted (probably on orders from the C-suite wanting to goose sagging sales). This was Isabella's attempt to write a Steve Gerber story. Isabella even has a Richard Rory lookalike as the protagonist! But it just didn't work for me. Isabella's reach exceeded his grasp. Adding to the deflation following the previous story was the step down in art to Sal Buscema, who pulls out all his stock poses and trademark gaping-mouth faces.
The handful of disappointing stories and the rare duds were mere bagatelles in the big picture. This was a fun book, perfect reading for a summer celebrating Ghosty's fiftieth anniversary.
May 13, 2024
I enjoyed this collection, this is not my favorite incarnation of Ghost Rider, that would go to the 90's Dan Ketch. Still I found these 70's Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider very charming. With so many great writers and artists; Len Wein, Tony Isabella, Gary Friedrich, Mike Ploog, Sal Buscema, Ross Andu, and so many others, top 70's Marvel talent.
The melodrama can be a bit much at times, but still a pretty fun read. Fans of horror/fantasy comics, or Marvel will likely enjoy this collection.
A bit pricey now, unless you get it on digital of course. I like having a physical copy, myself. Of course the art probably pops more on digital, but I digress.
The melodrama can be a bit much at times, but still a pretty fun read. Fans of horror/fantasy comics, or Marvel will likely enjoy this collection.
A bit pricey now, unless you get it on digital of course. I like having a physical copy, myself. Of course the art probably pops more on digital, but I digress.
September 27, 2023
Mike Ploog! I'm obsessed.
June 4, 2022
I was excited when this was announced.. I'd never read any of the originals, and Ghost Rider is the one Major Marvel character that's never been on my radar.
I had no idea it was so focused on the 70s biker tropes... that's definitely not what the 90s book was like in my (admitedly extremely limited) exposure. It was definitely interesting on that sure, but got old fast... I can see why they would have to move on from it.
IT was fun seeing them actually call the bad guy Satan, too (I know they later retconned it for marketing).. and then there's the bit at the end where, I think, that's meant to be Jesus saving him? Pretty bold for a comic (thought they didn't actually SAY that's what happened, the implication is pretty clear). Ploog's art is definitely better than the various others in the book, but it's decent overall.. definitely glad I went for it.
I had no idea it was so focused on the 70s biker tropes... that's definitely not what the 90s book was like in my (admitedly extremely limited) exposure. It was definitely interesting on that sure, but got old fast... I can see why they would have to move on from it.
IT was fun seeing them actually call the bad guy Satan, too (I know they later retconned it for marketing).. and then there's the bit at the end where, I think, that's meant to be Jesus saving him? Pretty bold for a comic (thought they didn't actually SAY that's what happened, the implication is pretty clear). Ploog's art is definitely better than the various others in the book, but it's decent overall.. definitely glad I went for it.
March 9, 2024
DNF though I hung in there for a long time.
I understand that sometimes when you are starting a new comic character there has to be some suspension of disbelief, and you need to do things to prevent the situation from resolving too easily, but this was so stupid!
Blaze promises never to ride in the show on his adopted mother's deathbed, then sells his soul to the devil to save his adopted father's life, which fails, and so he rides in the show before the body grows cold, for Roxanne, who hates him for it, then saves him anyway, then gets mad again. She can't know! She knows! She thinks it was a dream! And she keeps getting kidnapped and being offered as a bride to supernatural beings, which always requires her being changed into something that emphasizes her chest. Then it gets pretty racist, but mainly just stupid some more.
I can't rule out that it might have gotten better at some point, but I stopped caring .
I understand that sometimes when you are starting a new comic character there has to be some suspension of disbelief, and you need to do things to prevent the situation from resolving too easily, but this was so stupid!
Blaze promises never to ride in the show on his adopted mother's deathbed, then sells his soul to the devil to save his adopted father's life, which fails, and so he rides in the show before the body grows cold, for Roxanne, who hates him for it, then saves him anyway, then gets mad again. She can't know! She knows! She thinks it was a dream! And she keeps getting kidnapped and being offered as a bride to supernatural beings, which always requires her being changed into something that emphasizes her chest. Then it gets pretty racist, but mainly just stupid some more.
I can't rule out that it might have gotten better at some point, but I stopped caring .
August 3, 2023
It's a good thing Ghost Rider had an iconic design, because these first books hit the same note over and over. A pastiche of all the 70s exploitation films thrown together and then not much beyond that. Jesus even makes an appearance to help against Satan. Truly a bizarre set of origin issues.
The back matter showing the 90s covers for the rerelease of the old books is really great. And the art is pretty solid throughout, though one issue does draw GR like he is wearing face paint rather than being a literal skull.
The back matter showing the 90s covers for the rerelease of the old books is really great. And the art is pretty solid throughout, though one issue does draw GR like he is wearing face paint rather than being a literal skull.
September 29, 2024
uma origem meio cafona, se pararmos para avaliar nos dias de hoje.
mas é retrato de uma época onde gangues de motoqueiros e satanismo estavam alta, o protagonista Jonhy Blaze é um homem inseguro e cheio de questões mal resolvidas, decide fazer um pacto pra salvar seu quase sogro e o preço é sua alma?
Realmente precisa ta muito desapegado para uma atitude desssas, o roteiro não é ruim mas é bobo quase previsiviel e as vezes até desconexo um amontoado de situações as vezes forçada
vale como documento histórico de uma marvell rudimentar e ainda distante do que seria hoje em dia.
mas é retrato de uma época onde gangues de motoqueiros e satanismo estavam alta, o protagonista Jonhy Blaze é um homem inseguro e cheio de questões mal resolvidas, decide fazer um pacto pra salvar seu quase sogro e o preço é sua alma?
Realmente precisa ta muito desapegado para uma atitude desssas, o roteiro não é ruim mas é bobo quase previsiviel e as vezes até desconexo um amontoado de situações as vezes forçada
vale como documento histórico de uma marvell rudimentar e ainda distante do que seria hoje em dia.
December 28, 2022
Finally read ghost riders origins and it was…..passable.
The art really saved this one but yikes the story line went nowhere most of the time and felt pretty outdated compared to other marvel stories that can still be enjoyable today.
The art really saved this one but yikes the story line went nowhere most of the time and felt pretty outdated compared to other marvel stories that can still be enjoyable today.
September 25, 2024
70s schlock at its best and worst. Interesting to see the start of the iconic character but man these stories are b level movie cheesy. This is the first season as it were and like most first seasons they hadn't quite figured out the characters yet. Still fun in parts.
October 31, 2024
This has a bit of a shaky start but I get the feeling this series will get much better. I enjoyed this for the most part, my favorite arc being the hellstrom one. It feels a little aimless at times which is my biggest complaint, but I still enjoyed this overall.
July 10, 2025
Very good.
Its a good Ghost Rider book as a whole. Some stories were a bit silly but its a product of its time, and that's ok. Good to great art. Buy it if you love the character. If not, you may be disappointed.
Its a good Ghost Rider book as a whole. Some stories were a bit silly but its a product of its time, and that's ok. Good to great art. Buy it if you love the character. If not, you may be disappointed.
November 10, 2025
A nice introduction to the ghost rider character that really has some interesting stories throughout. The storytelling is a little old but the actual art and journey of Johnny Blaze is consistent good.
July 16, 2022
Loved to read the original, first run of Ghost Rider. Johnny Blaze and Crash Simpson and Roxanne, all the original stories.
October 19, 2024
Ridiculous and repetitive and chock full of Satan
Jesus does save Ghost Rider at one point
Jesus does save Ghost Rider at one point
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews