It’s been nearly 50 years, but… we need to talk about Johnny. Your Major Spoilers review of Ghost Rider #1 from Marvel Comics awaits!

GHOST RIDER #1

Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Cory Smith
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: February 23, 2022

Previously in Ghost Rider: Johnny Blaze has the perfect life: a wife and two kids, a job at an auto repair shop, and a small-town community that supports him… But Johnny isn’t doing well. He has nightmares of monsters when he sleeps. And he sees bloody visions when he’s awake. This life is beginning to feel like a prison. And there’s a spirit in him that’s begging to break out!

A PECULIAR LITTLE TOWN

In the quiet little hamlet of Hayden’s Falls, Johnny Blaze is trying to come to grips with his life. He wants to be happy with his wife and kids, and his job working alongside Crash Simpson, who has been more a father than a father-in-law. But somehow, it all feels wrong. A recent motorcycle crash has made him distrustful of the very machines that have always defined his life, and his persistent hallucinations of twisted monstrosities are getting more frequent… and stronger. Even the pills that his psychiatrist prescribes can’t keep up with his nightmares. But when a stranger named Zeb makes his way into town, everything becomes clearer. It’s not the monsters that aren’t real, it’s the people.

And then, the Spirit of Vengeance overtakes him.

HORROR IN A JUGULAR VEIN

There’s really only one thing that truly mars Johnny’s return to flame-headed glory, and it’s a complaint that I’ve voiced for nearly 20 years now; Johnny Blaze keeps transforming into a Ghost Rider that looks and acts and rides a cycle like Danny Ketch’s Rider, who is a completely different character. If you can get past that, this is a stylin’ Golden Anniversary celebration for our pal, Blaze. Roxanne, his once true love, is here, as is her father Crash, the man who caused Johnny to make his deal with the devil in the first place, and the psychological horror of his imprisonment is palpable throughout the issue. Cory Smith’s art is also impressive, taking the simple imagery of a man talking to his doctor and making it somehow chilling, and when the Ghost Rider bursts back into being, it’s as a giant fireball of flaming glory. By the end of the issue, even the costume conundrum (which may be somehow related to the settlement of Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich’s lawsuit a decade ago, or may just be more ’90s worship by Marvel editorial) doesn’t dampen my enjoyment of this issue.

BOTTOM LINE: NOW THAT’S A DEBUT

In short, Ghost Rider #1 is the sixth comic book I’ve bought with that title and number in my lifetime, and it’s the best of the lot to date, matching up impressively disturbing art with a slow-burn psychological story to deliver a double-sized debut that is worth the double-sized price tag, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. Now that Marvel is apparently fine with multiple characters sharing one nom de guerre, we can enjoy Johnny’s adventures alongside Robbie’s in the pages of Avengers Forever, with both heroes providing their own take on the role. And I am 100% fine with that.

---

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

GHOST RIDER #1

83%

83%

Disturbing, But Entertaining

Johnny's new life seems like it should be perfect, which makes it creepy as all hell even BEFORE the other shoe drops. This is a nice reintroduction to Marvel's original flame-headed biker.

• Writing

  8
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  9
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0