Review: Ghost Rider #5

“…these theatrics are not going to work on me.” – Mephisto.

Synopsis:

Demons had been escaping from hell, much to the chagrin of Johnny Blaze, now in charge of the evil horde. He had no choice but to hunt them down himself. He had new powers based on his connection to the throne of hell and only he could find these demons. Johnny’s brother, Danny Ketch, was afraid for his brother’s sanity, so, he bonded with another supernatural creature, the Spirit of Corruption, who was strong enough to eradicate all ghost riders. The mother of all demons was responsible for the escapes in the first place and she is gathering demons from the shadows.

The Creative Team:

Ed Brisson begins this issue at a Manhatten Cruise Terminal, which has been blocked off. The punisher is looking for clues when Wolverine shows up. Then we cut to Green River Utah, where Johnny Blaze has Mephisto chained up in a room. I love how Brisson has Mephisto dance around the conflict. Can Johnny trust what he’s saying? Johnny’s downing the booze trying to forget all the B.S. that’s gone on before. Who really wants Mephisto’s former throne and do they have the power to defeat Johnny Blaze to get it? This issue gets very intriguing and Johnny’s not sure which way he should go with the information he’s receiving. Great stuff includes Danny visiting his mother’s gravesite seeking advice and the confrontation between Punisher, Wolverine and a certain ghost rider!

Juan Frigeri gives us great imagery from the worlds of the ghost riders. He captures the emotional state of each in a unique way. We see the drunken Johnny Blaze half-crazed by the goings-on of his realm. Danny Ketch’s emotional state as he tries to grasp what’s happened to him and his obvious love for his mother when at her gravesite. Impressive demon activity is also a plus for this issue. Highlights include the splash of Blackheart appearing to Emma and the first appearance of Danny as the Spirit of Corruption.

In Conclusion:

Awesome stuff here as the momentum builds from the previous issue. Lilith is preparing her demons for an all-out confrontation with Johnny Blaze and we see Johnny slip into a more insane state of mind as he tries to grapple with what he should do with Mephisto now that he has him where he wants him. Danny is trying to fight what he’s become as he realizes that he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Just when you think you’ve seen it all a certain Stranger arrives…to be continued. ***1/2 (8.6 rating)

SCORE: 3.5/5

Writer – Ed Brisson
Art – Juan Frigeri
Colors – Jason Kieth
Letters – VC’ Joe Caramagna
Publisher – Marvel

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given