Ghost Rider #4 (REVIEWS and SPOILERS)

[BeastieRunner]

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We begin were we left off with Johnny giving Dr. Strange the Penance stare. While he's doing it to the good doctor, he's thinking that he's never been able to do this before, that only Danny Ketch could do. That means he's tapping into the Spirit of Vengeance. Ghost Rider realizes his error in his ways for holding an innocent man and lets Doc go. He tries to save him but knows he doesn't have those kinds of powers till *WHOOOSH* Numecet shows up.

They talk a bit about how Johnny screwed up and what to do about it after he convinces her to help him (hehe). She tells him he's the only one who can go to Hell and back while explaining that, until now, Lucifer could only come to Earth as the form of an apparition. Since he followed Ghost Rider back to the land of the living, he has exploded into hundreds of pieces; six hundred and sixty-six to be exact. Those pieces landed into the souls of people crossing over so now each of those people are 1/666 of Lucifer.

Numecet tells Johnny that he cannot seek vengeance on Lucifer because, each time a "host" dies he gets closer to becoming a fully powered Lucifer. In turn, each piece gets more powerful. Which is exactly what he wants so can rule Earth. Or just kill tons of people. Or end the Civil War. Not sure which yet. Lucifer doesn't commit suicided simply because he would go back to Hell, which is exactly where he doesn't want to be. So Ghost Rider rides off into the moonlight on his Hellcycle, off to stop Lucifer because nobody else can.

We end with Dr. Strange and Numecet knowing that Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, is right; only he can stop Lucifer.

All in all, I give it 4 flaming skulls out of 5.

It will be interesting to see the ramifications of Johnny and Vengeance being together and what Danny Ketch has to do with it. The how should be neat as well. I am very excited to see how Johnny plans to handle all these Lucifer parts running around.

:evilsmile

[Tien Long]

Really liked this issue as it sets up future stories and establishes Lucifer as the main protagonist for Ghost Rider. What really interested me, however, was the characterization. Throughout Way's issues, he's made it a point that Johnny Blaze does some stupid things and is taken advantage because of it. But even in the face of impending doom and the appearance of Lucifer on earth, Johnny just keeps on fighting and "riding against the devil." :evilsmile

Honestly, can't wait for the next issue.

[alextron]

And they're finishing the last issue of the 90s Ghost Rider series. Crazy.

[StoneGold]

I actually did really like it, but this should have been #2 or 3.

[ScarletStorm]

Has she been around before or is Numecet a new character?

I totally didn't recognize her, but i did get a kick having such a pastel pink poofy character interacting with Ghostie, and then when he wrapped his chain around her neck i was like, "oh no he didnt!" cause she seemed so nice...but that's Johnny for ya. ask questions later and all that...

[I Have A Blue Guitar]

I'm enjoying the story in this series, and I have always loved Ghost Rider, but for the love of God it takes about 5 min to read each issue. Way too many one and two page panels with virtually NOTHING to read. Come on. Give me something to read! In past decades this issue would have been told in 2-4 pages. Not enough panels, not enough dialogue. But you could really say that about most comics these days. Its so frustrating to wait a whole month for the next issue to have the story advance one scene.

[bd2999]

I did not even know this came out yet, I will have to go and get it, but it sounds great. I like how they are mixing the old with the new here, and the more I see of this GR the more I am liking him.

[1WEBHEAD]

LOVED this issue.:D

Mephisto's plan is revealed and it makes alot of sense.Alot is explained. I wonder how Ghost Rider is gonna take him down.The art was fantastic.This guy was born to draw a Ghost Rider comic.The only thing that is holding this book down is the length.Its a 5 minute read.Still, Way is delivering an awesome Ghost Rider story.:cool: (this is coming from a Ghost Rider newb, though:o )

9/10

[BeastieRunner]

LOVED this issue.:D

Mephisto's plan...

9/10

It's Lucifer, not Mephisto. Glad you like the issue!

[1WEBHEAD]

It's Lucifer, not Mephisto. Glad you like the issue!

D'oh!
Nice catch there.:)

I think this sereis will be better to read in one tpb or hardcover(Though it'll probally take 20 minutes tops to read the entire story.)

Still a great book.I recommend it to anyone who wants a bloody good time.:evilsmile

[will_butler]

Glad you guys are digging it, but this issue made me drop the title from my pull list. As has been said before, each one of these takes only a few minutes to read, and I'm not really digging the Ghost Rider: Satanic Retard characterization that seems to be the norm lately. I mean, seriously, this issue was "Pink Chick tells Ghost Rider that Lucifer has inhabited 666 evil people and will get stronger as any of them die." That's not $3 worth of entertainment. It's a damn shame, too, as the art is absolutely beautiful.

Will

[Will.S]

I actually did really like it, but this should have been #2 or 3. Yeah, that's pretty much a Daniel Way trademark but I did also enjoy the issue. I actually think Daniel's Ghost Rider is stronger than Wolverine despite having similar pacing problems.

Great start so far by setting up GR's quest, he can keep going for a good while with the sheer numbers Ghost Rider has to go up against. The downside of it is like Wolverine Origins, Way can just coast on the book because he has so many issues to do stuff that the pacing can hurt the book month to month. Anyway it's cool to see GR turn back into John Blaze but it's odd how he has the Danny Ketch GR look and powers but perhaps he had inherited that particular GR spirit (Noble Kale was it?).

Tex's artwork is beautiful and pretty much a perfect fit for the book, I especially liked the colors on Numecet and the cool action scenes with Strange from last issue. I'm not too keen on the grey pants look as I would have preferred the all leather look from the Ennis mini but stuff like the portal over the earth from Hell made for a really cool and interesting visual instead of something predictable like GR coming out of the earth.

Things can only get better from here and it's accessible enough that readers didn't have to read the Ennis mini in order to understand this book since Ghost Rider is pretty much in the same place he ended up at the end of that mini. For this first arc I'd give it a 8/10 but I wished Way would truncate or move around various elements of the story into the earlier parts of the arc.

[Rich L]

I really enjoyed this but it must have been the shortest read of the past three years.

Great art but I'm seriously considering either dropping it or switching to trades after we find out how Johnny ended up in hell.

[StoneGold]

Yeah, that's pretty much a Daniel Way trademark but I did also enjoy the issue. I actually think Daniel's Ghost Rider is stronger than Wolverine despite having similar pacing problems.

That's the thing, I find myself loving the stories he tells, but they could be tightened up a bit. Which I know he can do, he's done it on some of his other books. Bullseye's Greatest Hits was jam packed with stuff, his first couple issues of Wolverine were packed with exposition, and Nighthawk was pretty solidly paced. As was Punisher/Bullseye. His ongoing work, not so much. Which again, I like the plots, I love his dialogue, but things could be picked up.

[Young Avenger]

Anyway it's cool to see GR turn back into John Blaze but it's odd how he has the Danny Ketch GR look and powers but perhaps he had inherited that particular GR spirit (Noble Kale was it?)

How do the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider look different than the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider? I'm a GR n00b so I can't tell the difference.

[sephirothskiller]

I REALLY like the series, but I just need some more pages, which has been said. I would buy this comic just for the art though, so I won't be dropping it. The main problem is things like this:

Cell one: "You crossed over intact...."
Cell two: "You did not." That could have been one cell. That should have been one cell.

[phantom1592]

How do the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider look different than the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider? I'm a GR n00b so I can't tell the difference.


Johnny Blaze was always in the Blue Stuntman suit

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=enlarge&issue=35312407822%2067

Dan Ketch Had the leather and the chains

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=enlarge&issue=35314339256%201

They were also very seperate entities. Ketch was a spirit of Vengence with no knowledge of his past. Blaze was bonded with a demon named Zarathos. NEITHER had the same mind as the human host. they were seperate personalities. (I believe Johnny was in control for a while, just never the issues I had)

Ketch had the penance stare, while Johnny was able to shoot Hellfire, and create flaming bikes.

What it seems to be is Johhny Blaze tied to Ketch's Spirit of Vengence. I'm very curious how they'll explain it.

[Will.S]

Johnny Blaze was always in the Blue Stuntman suit

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=enlarge&issue=35312407822%2067

Dan Ketch Had the leather and the chains

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=enlarge&issue=35314339256%201

They were also very seperate entities. Ketch was a spirit of Vengence with no knowledge of his past. Blaze was bonded with a demon named Zarathos. NEITHER had the same mind as the human host. they were seperate personalities. (I believe Johnny was in control for a while, just never the issues I had) Yeah those are good examples of the differences although the jumpsuit Blaze sported can also be protrayed as black/blue leather'ish material. Loved the Clayton Craine look though:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9025/gri2ar4.jpg

Ketch had the penance stare, while Johnny was able to shoot Hellfire, and create flaming bikes.

What it seems to be is Johhny Blaze tied to Ketch's Spirit of Vengence. I'm very curious how they'll explain it.I think the chains were also an exclusive power that Ketch version had. It kind of looks like John Blaze has the combined powers of both since it looks like he can also shoot hellfire as well as having the old school bike as oppossed to the somewhat techy looking one..

[drwho]

Did they ever say wht happend to Johnny's kids? You would think that would be the first thing on his mind when getting out of hell.

[Will.S]

Not yet, I almost forgot he had any.

[Kid Kamikaze10]

Great issue, but it seems like Johnny is taking a whole lot of Danny's material.

However, this may sound hypocritical, but I love the fact that Johnny has the Penance Stare. It should be a Ghost Rider trademark for both Johnny and Danny.

The art...... Fits the character.

The writing....... Pacing's off, but it's not that much of a problem.

I'm sticking with this series!

[Young Avenger]

Johnny Blaze was always in the Blue Stuntman suit

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=enlarge&issue=35312407822%2067

Dan Ketch Had the leather and the chains

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=enlarge&issue=35314339256%201

They were also very seperate entities. Ketch was a spirit of Vengence with no knowledge of his past. Blaze was bonded with a demon named Zarathos. NEITHER had the same mind as the human host. they were seperate personalities. (I believe Johnny was in control for a while, just never the issues I had)

Ketch had the penance stare, while Johnny was able to shoot Hellfire, and create flaming bikes.

What it seems to be is Johhny Blaze tied to Ketch's Spirit of Vengence. I'm very curious how they'll explain it.

Thanx Phantom

[OdinSon1]

This to me, is the best Marvel ongoing title in quite some time. I love the writing, Texeira's art is still the best for the character.

I love the series, and each book seems so short, but I just feel its because the storytelling is so awesome that you crave more of it.

Issue #5 is supposedly going to deal with the issue of the similarities between the current Blaze Ghost Rider and Ketch's Ghost Rider, and also with what Danny Ketch is doing now.

[CaptainAwesome]

I love the art. I love the story. I hate the pacing. I know its been said (by everyone), but the issues are too short. Its one of the few books that i actually get giddy about reading each month, but when I finally get it, its over before I know what happened. Im still on the fence as to wether to keep it or not.

[drwho]

Read this. I actually think its great kind of how this books mission was laid out in front of us. Should be cool seeing how all those different parts of lucipher manifest and cause problems for Ghost Rider. It is a shame we will probably never reach 666, but it is something to shoot for. Although it was a fast read I felt this progressed the plots book a lot. Has Numecet appeared before in a comic?

[Will.S]

Has Numecet appeared before in a comic?
She seems to be a new character, at least to my knowledge.

[TROUBLEZ]

the art is great and this issue had some nice pages, but the writer really needs to put more writing in per issue. Shs getting ridiculous. I'm glad they wentback to the Dan Ketch look. A flaming skelton doesn't need to look anymore extreme (see Vengeance, GR2099, and later GR visual incarnations)