Ghost Rider #5 (legacy #248)

[shakalooloo]

See, this is more what I expect/want from a Ghost Rider comic - our hero taking part in a supernatural Wacky Races / Mario Kart / Road Rash event. The writing, unfortunately, still seems intent on a brooding monologue narrating everything, an ill fit IMHO.

Also, a revelation regarding the FBI agents pursuing Johnny Blaze...







Art by Cory Smith, inked by Oren Junior and coloured by Bryan Valenza

Comments

[phantomfo]

Okay, I did not realize how much I needed a Marvel version of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World until these scans.

[numeronone]

[cainofdreaming]

So, what's mister Voorhees doing in the Marvel U?

[phantomfo]

Are you talking about the masked figure behind Wolverine? He looks like the guy using Stark armor in the previous scan.

[blues32]

Should we know who that is? It seems a fairly low tech armor if those exhaust pipes are part of it.

[shakalooloo]

It's Tony, slumming it in his 'Biker-Buster' armour! :P

[scorntx]

Misread that for a moment as "bikini buster".

And that was... definitely a mental image.

[shakalooloo]

Psh, Tony Stark needs no armour to bust a bikini!

[beyondthefringe]

The utter fucking ridiculous randomness of Elektra, Blade, Dracula, Rhino, Doctor Doom, Wolverine, Bullseye, Moon Knight, Man-Thing, Kraven, Scarecrow, Black Widow, Madrox, Boom-Boom, and god only knows who else all showing up to this motorcycle race with their custom rides.

This really should have been a 5 issue miniseries tied into a toy line where you can buy each of these figures and their motorcycle individually, and maybe some come as a deluxe two-pack.

Because who wouldn't want a Doctor Doom with his Doomcycle action figure.

[shakalooloo]

Motto. Sure, Avengers Mech-Strike is an interesting idea, but a pull-back toy Rhino-cycle with an included loop-de-loop and flaming hoop jump would be the king of Marvel toys.

[sabertoothlotus]

I mean, they did do a Harley-Davidson tie-in mini-series several years ago. This would probably have been better than that.

[super_fly]

I have many questions about how the Man-Thing-Cycle works.

Ok, just the one question really.

[blues32]

I tell you one thing, it doesn't run on fossil fuels. Clean, green energy. ...or maybe energy from the Nexus.

[shakalooloo]

He does drop an oil slick on some other racers during the issue...

Maybe its sunflower oil?

[phantomfo]

I especially love how everyone but Johnny has gimmicked their bike to go with their thing.

I have so many questions about the manufacturing of the Kraven-cycle.

[blues32]

So why is Johnny Johnny and not Ghost Rider for this race?

[shakalooloo]

Supposedly, no-one in the race is an innocent, and the Ghost Rider now ONLY manifests when innocent blood is shed.

Also, the start of this issue shows that the Ghost Rider burns up all of Johnny's clothes when he reverts to human, necessitating clothing theft every day after a night of flaming chain-swingin'.

I... think that both are retcons. Certainly, Johnny hasn't ended up naked the morning after before.

[blues32]

Whaaaat? They brought back the "when innocent blood is shed" thing? That was Danny's gig. And he most certainly never burned his clothes before.

[donnblake]

"The writing, unfortunately, still seems intent on a brooding monologue narrating everything, an ill fit IMHO."

I don't know- straight-faced brooding monologue over casually ridiculous story beats is kind of a jam for me.

[shakalooloo]

"The blackness of the road seems to lurch up... like a living shadow."

Thanks, narration, I can, uh, see that in the art, actually.

"I get a whiff of something like cellar-floor puddles or the wind pouring out of a cave. When I breathe, it's like I'm drinking DARKNESS."

Accompanying panel? Johnny approaching a massive loop-de-loop. Maybe the guy ahead of him farted?

[blues32]

That panel talking about how few people know about the Hell's Backbone Rally gives me serious Night on Bald Mountain vibes. I want wings to unfurl with eerie string instruments building up in the background.

[shakalooloo]

No, the best that happens on the last page is that the organiser throws back that hood to reveal their SHOCKING IDENTITY.

Shocking, I say.

[blues32]

It's never going to be Chernabog, is it? Marvel's with Disney now! Have them fight Chernabog! I mean, I know he's not a Disney creation, but I want the heroes to fight THAT Chernabog.

[cainofdreaming]

Unfortunately Marvel already has a Chernobog of its own.

So, why not Zoidberg?