Ghost Rider - Heaven's on Fire #5 - Marvel

I like this story. There's a whole lot of stuff going on. But . . with only one issue to go . . I have no idea how this one is going to turn out. The whole thing with the Anti-Christ was a ruse. Caretaker failed to mention to Sister Sara that she herself is her own doorway to Heaven. So when he gets her by herself, he's got one of his own guys there who is a doorway to Hell. He does something to activate Sara's door, and now he's got a horde of demons, and who knows what else, pouring out of his guy and into Sara. I'm guessing that he wants to make his own play for Heaven. He probably figures that he can take Zadkiel out. Zadkiel, meanwhile, appears to have slain all the hosts of Heaven. Now, he's basically sitting around waiting for his power to build. The longer he has control of Heaven, the more powerful he gets. He's been playing around with what he can do with his powers now, but . . he can't wait to really muck about with things. And Johnny and Danny have finally started working together and have caught up with the gun-toting nuns. They've been protecting their doorway to Heaven, waiting for these two spirits of vengeance to show up so they can try to usurp Zadkiel. Upon arriving they make their presence known, but . . Zadkiel doesn't seem the least bit concerned. And Daimon Hellstorm and Jane Cutter, who have been held up in a carnival from hell, have finally caught up with Sister Sara. They're surprised by the scene that they walk in on. Hopefully they can get Sara out of the Anti-Christ's clutches. Jason Aaron is doing a great job with this story. Like I said, there's a whole lot going on, and I'm just not sure how we're going to reach a resolution next issue. Everybody is descending upon Heaven. Unfortunately, everyone also seems to be working form their own agenda. Together they might've been able to defeat Zadkiel . . together. I just don't know that they're going to be able to pull that off . . mutual cooperation and destruction in the face of annihilation. Jason's going to have to pull one out of his ass to wrap this up. Roland Boschi is the artist for this series, and in this book . . there's some amazing panels. Especially in the beginning. We've only got one issue to go, and it seems like Roland is really hitting his stride. Next issue should be pretty exciting and action packed. And then . . then we have to figure out where our characters go from there . . Johnny and Danny.

Ghost Rider - Heaven's on Fire #4 - Marvel

Danny made a deal with the Devil . . they have to find the Anti-Christ, keep him safe, and then deliver him to the Devil. Sounds fairly simple. Right? Well, the problem is . . Zadkiel is getting so strong that he's starting to be able to change the landscape of the Earth. The 'doorways' are no longer where they used to be. Add to that the usual dysfunction of this joke of a family and . . the boys will require quite a bit of luck to pull this one off. So while Johnny and Danny are off arguing amongst themselves, Sara, Daimon Hellstorm and Jane Cutter are trying to fulfill their end of the bargain. Anyways, the church where they thought they could find there door ends up being moved to this little town that's been over-run by the carnival from hell. The book has a lot of neat things that pop up, machinations that have been put into play to try to stop Johnny and Danny, and the rest of their gang, from being successful. But . . there's not a whole lot of progress made on getting them in touch with Zadkiel. However, Sara and the AC do stumble upon the doorway, and AC is delivered to the devil. That's how the issue ends. So . . maybe next issue the devil will live up to his end of the bargain and deliver them all to Zadkiel's doorstep. However . . as an epilogue, there's more glue thrown into the mix. Apparently in the next issue we're also going to have to deal with gun-toting nuns, and zombie-bikers. It just keeps getting weirder and weirder. We still have 2 issues to go, so I doubt that Jason Aaron will give us to many answers next issue. Hopefully the story will progress some, but . . you know what they say, 'It's always darkest before the dawn.' Also the more this series progress' the more I like Roland Boschi's art. He gives us some interesting perspectives. Overall, I like this book. I don't understand why this couldn't have just been told in the regular Ghost Rider book, but . . I'm not an editor, so I don't make those decisions. I would imagine that there would be a new title when this is all over, with a changed lead character. But . . I'm only guessing. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Ghost Riders - Heaven's on Fire #3 - Marvel

Danny and Johnny are still trying to find the doorway to Heaven. They want Zadkiel to pay for what he's put them through. Although Danny seems a little more driven to get there than Johnny does. For some reason Johnny just doesn't believe that the Devil is telling Danny the truth. Danny recently resold his soul to the devil. He's promised to find the antichrist and keep him safe, and in return the devil will show him where the door to Heaven is. Zadkiel is also after the antichrist. If he kills him than he can play out the end of the world any way he wants. Johnny just doesn't think the whole thing is on the up and up. He's convinced that somehow, some way the devil is playing them. But, as much as Danny pisses him off . . in the end, he's really all he's got. Actually they're both all either of them have. So for the next part of the journey, it appears that the brothers grim will have to traverse the mystic wastelands and try knocking at every door to Heaven until somebody decides to answer. Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi are constructing a pretty cool story here. I'm just interested to see if this is going to end the way I think it will . . the only way it really can. I think that in the end they'll defeat Zadkiel, allowing Heaven to get back in order . . Danny will end up with his soul-contract hanging over his head, and Johnny will go back to being the one true Ghost Rider. Of course, I could be way off, but . . that's just what I think is going to happen. I'll just have to read and see. The back of these issues are filled with reprints of 1/2 of an original Ghost Rider book. This issue reprints the first half of Ghost Rider #2 . . from the 70's. And because of that . . we pay $3.99 instead of $2.99. Don't even get me started.

Ghost Riders - Heaven's on Fire #2 - Marvel

First of all, I want to say that I'm enjoying Roland Boschi's art more and more with every issue. His picture of Danny Ketch on the title page is awesome. Probably one of the best I've ever seen. That panel alone helped to sell me on this guy. Anyways, everybody is after the Anti-Christ right now because he's the only one that has the power to stand up to Zadkiel. Johnny, Sara, Hellstorm and Jaine are all trying to get the kid. But, unfortunately, so is Zadkiel. So our little group is constantly fighting his forces. But they're also fighting amongst themselves, too. Johnny and Sara know the importance of capturing the kid, but Hellstorm and Jaine just want to kill him and be done with it. They don't understand his importance. Plus Hellstorm and Jaine seem to have this relationship problem that they're trying to work out at the same time. It's actually kind of funny . . given the situation. They're fighting each other while they're fighting for their lives. That's some kind of passion. Anyways, while they're all off doing that, Danny is making a deal of his own on the side. Not for himself, but for the group and the mission that they're trying to accomplish. He promised Satan he'd keep the kid safe. "I got a plan to take Zadkiel down. The kid is the key. The devil wants to see Zadkiel fail as much as we do. He's going to help us. I made him a deal. We get the keys to Heaven, Johnny. At long last. We get our shot at revenge against the bastard who ruined our lives. And all it cost me was my soul." But then, that misfit band of terrorists that's on their tail . . it seems that Kowalski has joined up with them. And he also seems to be a Spirit of Vengeance now. Anyways, we got 4 more issues to ride this one out, so sit back and enjoy. Jason Aaron is weaving a story that should keep us in suspense all the way up to the final issue. These characters have a lot they have to overcome before any of this will be brought to a resolution. Oh yeah, we also get the 2nd half of the reprint of Ghost Rider #1. It's ok. I know it's a classic. But it just doesn't feel the same now. Not as cutting-edge as it was then. Of course that was 36 years ago. Wow . . does time fly!

Ghost Riders - Heaven's on Fire #1 - Marvel

I'm not sure what the reason was for the hiatus . . or the change in the name of the title, but . . this book really does pick up right where the last one left off . . 3 months ago. Johnny and Sara are looking for a way to heaven so that they can go after Zadkiel. However . . there's a new wrinkle with this story. There's a sect of priests . . although they're not Catholic or anything, I think they're priests in the name of the devil. Anyways, they've been trying to breed, and raise, the antichrist. Zadkiel had sent some of his angels down to smote the place, and they've killed everyone in it, and all the children, except for one priest that escaped and a child he took with him. So now that that's the only child left . . he's considered to be the antichrist. And the priest has called in Damian Hellstrom, Son of Satan, to help him protect the child. Now that Zadkiel is in power, he wants to eliminate anything that has to do with Armageddon . . the Rapture, the antichrist . . he wants the end of the world to be on his terms, not according to the scripture of the being he's just overthrown. Anyways, Johnny and Sara are on the path to Zadkiel when they come across a couple of his agents, and one of them starts spilling his guts about Zadkiel's plans. In it . . he mentions the antichrist. So now, before going any farther, they have to find this kid and try to protect him from Zadkiel. Or . . maybe they're going to use him as bait. Who knows. But by the end of this issue we see that Johnny and Sara have ended up in New York City, where we see that Anton Satan . . 'pronounce Shuh-tan' . . has risen through the ranks at an investment banker rather prominently. Another girl shows up to try to protect him . . Jaine, but she's no match for Zadkiel's horde. Luckily, I don't think Johnny is very far away. We also see that Zadkiel is recruiting other agents in his name . . some familiar faces. Jason Aaron does the story, with Roland Boschi on the art. It really has almost the exact same feel as the regular title when it ended. I don't know that Johnny has enough power to defeat Zadkiel, but we'll see where Jason and Roland take us on this little journey. By the way . . fantastic cover by Jae Lee. We also get a reprint of Ghost Rider #1 from 1973. Can you believe it's been almost 40 years now? That's incredible.

Ghost Rider #35 - Marvel

I actually had to force myself to finish reading this one. I started it once, but got pretty bored. I really enjoy Arthur Suydam's art, but . . this cover looks like it was thrown together pretty hastily. That's the first thing I didn't like. Secondly, I'm sorry, but I'm not all that impressed with Tony Moore's interior art. I can see a couple of different influences here, but . . there's really no consistency. There were panels I liked and panels I really didn't. And it was all mixed up so it was hard to point out where it all goes south for me. And this Skin Bender character was just a little to whacked out for me. She looked like someones 90 year old anorexic grandmother who had been subjected to multiple plastic surgery's to make her look like a teen-ager . . or a rag-doll. I'm not sure which. And then we get some bad news. It appears that Ghost Rider will be going on hiatus for a couple of months. It'll be returning in August under a new name - Ghost Rider: Heaven's Fire. Jason Aaron will still be writing it, with Roland Boschi doing the art. It'll pick up exactly where this story leaves off. So I'm not really sure why, but . . it's probably some editorial decision. Anyways, despite what I didn't like about this issue, it was a means to an end. At the end of the story, Johnny turns back into the Ghost Rider, finally, and wipes up the town . . the Skin Bender and all of her demons that were mixed in. But then there's 3 pages near the end where Sister Sara shows up and she convinces Johnny that their fight with Zadkiel is far from over. She tries to get through to him and finally has to remind him where his family is . . "Heaven. They're in heaven . . . . . . let's go." Which is where we'll pick up with the new series. By the end, I understood the reason and the purpose for this story, but . . that really didn't help me to enjoy it much more. I am glad though that Johnny's Ghost Rider is back, and that we'll be back on track with this Zadkiel story-line. So, I guess, I'm optimistically looking forward to the series relaunch. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Ghost Rider #34 - Marvel

I thought this was an interesting book. We kind of gave the Zadkiel story-line a break for a minute and instead focused on an urban-legend out there . . the Highwayman. There's probably some of you that recognize this character, but I'm guessing . . you're few and far between. We find out on the letters page that Jason Aaron was at a convention recently where he got talked into picking up the entire run of US-1. It was an 80's series, in the Marvel Universe . . obviously, about a trucker. I guess the Highwayman came from that series. I have a few of the books, but it's been so long since I've read them . . I don't really remember much about it except maybe a couple of the covers, and the logo. Anyways, with this issue, we revisit the origin of the Highwayman, and I'm guessing that Jason thought that this character was a perfect fit for a run-in with the Ghost Rider. Whom at the current time . . this issue . . happens to be Danny Ketch. Apparently, Johnny doesn't have any powers left. And really all that Danny has left is what he was able to sneak out of Heaven with. This was an interesting issue. I chuckled in a few spots. It was a welcome diversion, but . . now I'd like to see where we're going with Zadkiel. I think this new artist, Tony Moore shows some potential. A lot of his stuff looks very similar to Art Adams. But, he doesn't have the consistency yet. I also think he hasn't defined his own style yet. I can see various influences, but . . he has to do it the way he sees it. Like I said, I think he has a ton of potential. He just needs some time. Like I said, overall I enjoyed the book. But now . . lets get back to our regular scheduled programming. Please!

Ghost Rider #33 - DC

I'm enjoying this book. I'm not exactly sure where all of this stuff is heading, but . . . overall I think it's an entertaining story. I think Jason Aaron is doing a pretty good job, but . . there's a few things I noticed this here. We have a new artist this issue, Tony Moore. I believe he's pretty new to the medium also. But I'm going to save my comments on him until later. The story? The story was almost exclusively about Sara, the Caretaker. We see some of the history of the Ghost Riders, the Spirits of Vengeance, and when we move into the times of Johnny and Danny we see how her Grandfather came into the story and how he tried to help. However, it just seems like Sara is feeling overwhelmed by all of this. She doesn't really know which direction to go, or how to proceed. After all, it seems as if Heaven is defeated. How do you fight that? That's when she's surprised as 2 Ghost Riders show up in front of her. They say they're from the future, her future, and they've come back to give her a message of 'hope'. "We're here to tell you not to give up hope. Zadkiel may have conquered the Golden City, but that don't make him god. The longer he holds the city the more powerful he'll become, but there's still time. You can't give up yet. Keep fighting. You can't let the legacy of the Ghost Rider end here. Find Blaze and Ketch. This is a battle you'll all have to fight together." It appears that her future self sent these guys back. Now to me, that all seemed kind of like something borrowed from the Terminator. Hell, her name's even Sara. It just all seems to coincidental to be an accident. I'm not saying that's bad . . it's just something I noticed. Anyways, back to Tony Moore. There's some panels in this book that look really terrific. I noticed, as with a lot of 'new' artists, the lack of consistency. And really, that's my biggest complaint. But, I also noticed that this guy seems to be heavily influenced by Art Adams. He just kind of has that same style to him. Almost every single panel throughout the book looked as if Art could've done it. But, to be honest, the best looking panels in this issue . . didn't have that same feel to them. You could still see the influence, but it was more or Tony's own style. I'm not trying to be overly picky . . I'm just sayin'. Anyways, it'll be interesting to see where we go from here. I really hope we see Johnny and Danny back in the next issue. This is Ghost Rider after all.

Ghost Rider #32 - Marvel

This issue wraps up the Last Stand of the Spirits of Vengeance story-line. I have to say, I have some suspicions about what's going to happen. Basically . . . Zadkiel wins. With Danny's help, he's knocked over the walls of Heaven. So now what supposed to happen? Johnny's power has been taken from him, but Danny said he came back with whatever he could keep. I'm guessing that Johnny's going to have to sell his soul again in order to get enough power back to make a difference in all of this. I could be wrong, but that's what I think is going to happen. But next issue, as we wait for the end of the world, they're getting ready to start a new story-line . . 'Trials & Tribulations, a little walk through the history of the Ghost Rider in America'. That should be interesting. We start out with a story about Sister Sara. We also get a new artist next issue . . . Tony Moore. I guess he's new to the business, but they're really hyping him up. We'll have to wait and see. This was Tan Eng Huat's last issue. I thought Jason Aaron did a pretty decent job with this story-line. Everything came together in the end. I just thought it was weird that Zadkiel actually won. I thought for sure Johnny would get through to Danny. Of course it didn't help that Kowalski shot Johnny with the hell-fire gun. So everything is kind of up in the air right now. Obviously the book will be continuing. It's just not obvious in which direction or how it's gonna' get there. It should be an interesting ride.

Ghost Rider #31 - Marvel

I'm really trying to get into this story-line. I really am. But . . I just kind of have mixed feelings about it. I know that the whole thing is meant to clear up a lot of the convoluted history, and origins of the Ghost Riders . . the Spirits of Vengeance. But . . I guess with everything that I've read before with this series, and the first two, I'm just having a hard time buying it all. You know what I mean? Overall, it's an interesting story. And this issue, Molek starts to explain to Sara how come Johnny never really knew about all of these other Ghost Riders. "Most Spirits of Vengeance operate alone, usually with no idea who they serve or where their power even comes from. Your people, the Caretakers, it was always their job to try and keep us in the dark. To deal in lies, half-truths and misdirection. So that the power could never be traced back to it's true source." And they're all preparing for battle. Danny and his horde of angels are about to attack the hidden city in the Congo, just as Zadkiel and his army are about to attack the gates of Heaven. Zadkiel needs Danny to defeat the rest of the Spirits, and absorb their power, so that he can then take it from Danny. That'll give him just enough power to put him over the edge and be able to smash through the gates. But, on a more down to earth level, it looks like Johnny and Danny will be facing off next issue. Which is what we all really want to see. So anyways, I'm reading it . . I'm trying to get into it, but . . . it's all just a lot of mysticism and voodoo. I guess it just kind of seems to me that all of this 'knowledge' is going to drastically change the character. But I won't know for sure until this story wraps up. Then we'll see how much of a leap of faith it takes to stay with the story. Jason Aaron is still writing it, and Tan Eng Haut gets a little help from Roland Boschi with the art this issue. Roland does the flashback scenes with Deputy Kowalski. Overall, I enjoyed the issue. But, like I said before, I'm just having a hard time buying it all.

Ghost Rider #30 - Marvel

Johnny Blaze is still . . . well . . Johnny's not really doing much of anything. Other than sulk. Last issue he had an encounter with Danny Ketch and now . . now he seems to have lost all his will to fight. For some reason. So the other 2 Ghost Riders . . Molek and Bai Gu Jing, I think they're from Tibet, but I could be wrong . . those 2 and Sara are still hot on Danny's trail. With Johnny tagging along lacklusterly. Danny takes the power from the Japanese Rider, Yoshio Kannabe, this issue. But he doesn't kill him. I think it's because, as he tells Zadkiel later, he kind of reminds him of himself . . when he was younger. Anyways, after Yoshio there's only 2 more Riders left. So our little group's going to try to get to them before Danny does. Meanwhile Danny is having a conversation with Zadkiel. First of all, let me tell you, this Zadkiel is a real bastard. Really, the only reason he has Danny consolidating all the power, is so that he can take it from him, and then conquer Heaven. That's his whole plan here. He's using Danny as a dupe because somehow he's been able to convince him that what he's doing he's doing to the good of Heaven. Plus he's told him that the Ghost Rider power eventually corrupts it's host. So, by taking their powers, he's actually saving them the burden that will befall them. And if they die in the process then . . so be it. He's probably saved their soul also. And Danny seems to be buying it hook, line & sinker. But Zadkiel doesn't want to take a chance so he's sent the Black Host to accompany him when he goes off to find the final 2. First of all, Johnny can't be out of it. There's just no way. And eventually, you know it's going to come down to Danny vs Johnny. But, by that time, Danny is definitely going to have the advantage in the power department. So, I'm guessing here, that Johnny is somehow going to have to convince him that Zadkiel is lying to him. And that together, maybe they can set things right. And finally get some retribution themselves for everything that Zadkiel has made them endure with this curse. Oh yeah, and at the end there's this Kowalski guy who buys this gun that's supposed to be Johnny's shotgun. It's supposed to shoot hell-fire. When he finally gets it, he says he has a boat to catch, and a Ghost Rider to hunt. I like what Jason Aaron is doing with this story. It's definitely original. I'm also digging this funky look that Tan Eng Huat has brought to this book. I wasn't sure how his style would fit here, but . . he's definitely made it his own. The book is exciting again . . visually as well as the story.

Ghost Rider #29 - Marvel

Johnny finally learns this issue of all of the horror that Danny has perpetrated in the name of Zadkiel. I do have one question here though, Danny has been going around and killing all these other Ghost Riders around the world. I'm not sure if the all call themselves Ghost Riders, but they're all Spirits of Vengeance. Anyways, he's been killing them and absorbing their powers. I assume that's why he decides to make a play against Johnny . . he feels like he's at the point where he's strong enough to do so . . he has a chance of beating him. But he's doing all of this for Zadkiel. Has it not occurred to him that there's going to come a point where Zadkiel feels that he's absorbed enough of the others and decide that he wants all of that power for himself? Has Danny asked himself, what happens to him when Zadkiel is strong enough that he no longer needs him? Will he go walking home, powerless and bewildered? Or, will Zadkiel just cast him aside . . throw him away like a used tampon . . and maybe kill him as an example? Either way, I don't think Danny has a very bright future in front of him. Anyways, this issue Danny and Johnny go at it "Mano-e-Mano". Well . . kind of. It's actually more like penance stare against penance stare. But that wouldn't be a very exciting book if they just stood there staring each other down. Sure there would be the fight going on in their heads . . on the psychic plane, but . . as an outsider . . it would look like there were just 2 guys who burst into flames and then were standing there watching each other burn. How stupid would that look? Anyways, Danny's done a lot of wrong in his life, but he doesn't really care. While Johnny is filled with remorse and guilt . . sometimes, I think, survivors guilt. So when Danny subjects him, it's not long before he's just ready to give up. "Yes. Yes. Take it . . please. Just take it away." Luckily Sara is close by and she snatches him up to pull him out of his self degradation. "No. Leave me. Get out of here . . . . NO! No, take it away! NOOOOO!" He kind of sounds like a little whiny bitch at the end there. Sara whisks him away and holes him up in Nepal for the next several days while she tries to talk the fight back into him. But, as usual, the fight comes to him. Two of the Nepalese Ghost Riders come bursting into his room, "You and Mr. Blaze had best come with us . . . or else there'll soon be nothing left in all the world that you might still call Holy." I like the story that Jason Aaron is constructing here. I think there's more than a few leaps in logic, but . . we are dealing with Heavenly and Hellish powers here so . . I guess there's got to be some room for a little latitude. I'm also appreciating Tan Eng Huat's art. I don't think he's necessarily the best artist, but . . he is unique. And he brings a unique feel and look to this book. Plus, I think his style works out perfectly with the frantic, desperate nature of this story. I enjoyed his scenes between Johnny and Danny here. It seems he's been given a lot of artistic license, and . . it's paying off. I'm just wondering, where's Lucifer in all of this? He's got to still have his hooks in Johnny a little bit . . . right? Anyways, I thought it was a good issue.

Ghost Rider #28 - Marvel

So . . . Danny Ketch is evil now? I guess that would be consistent with the fact that he's in league with Zadkiel. But . . it just doesn't seem right . . for some reason. I haven't picked up the Danny Ketch mini series yet . . mostly for personal reasons . . so I'm not sure if there might be more of an explanation there, or not. The personal reasons are . . I can't believe that Marvel is jacking up the price on all of it's special books and mini-series to $3.99. To me . . that's outrageous. So, I'm attempting to boycott all of the $3.99 titles. I'm not sure if that'll be feasible . . you know, with my obsession and all, but . . I'm gonna' try. I think what I might do is go over to that free comics on-line sight . . I have it listed in my links . . and read the first 2 issues there. Hopefully, they have it posted. Anyways, in this issue, Johnny and Sara have followed Danny to Tibet, through a magical door in care-takers basement, only to find out that apparently Tibet has it's own form of Ghost Rider. Now they're going to convince me that there's a whole Ghost Rider Corps out there? But, as implausible as that sounds, from what I gather Danny is going around and sucking the life, and power, out of each one. They arrive in Tibet to late to stop Danny, but quick enough to find out what he's done. They catch up to him at this Tibetan Ghost Rider's lair . . actually it looks like a mansion . . and go mano-e-mano for a little while. Johnny thinks that Danny is after his power, apparently not questioning what he's done with the power he sucked out of the other guy, only to find out that he's already reestablished his link with the Spirits of Vengeance. Which sets up the next issue, in which it's Ghost Rider vs Ghost Rider. There's also a rather detailed, and lengthy, history of Johnny and Danny manuscripted in the back of this book. I guess to convey the depth of the relationship between the 2 siblings. It was ok, but if you're already a Rider fan then it was . . unnecessary, and droning. But, I guess it took up the space it needed to. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I think that Jason Aaron takes some leaps in his stories sometimes. The events that he portrays appear to be in a logical order. It just seems, sometimes, that there's something missing in-between. Or maybe it's just me. I'm still enjoying Tan Eng Haut's art also. I don't think it's the best interpretation of this character, but . . it is different, and unique. And different is good . . every now and again. The remainder of this story should be interesting. There has to be a reason that Danny's come back into the picture, I'm just not sure what it is.

Ghost Rider #27 - Marvel

This is the second part of our story where Danny Ketch has come back to find his brother . . or maybe just to try to distract him from finding his way to Zadkiel. Recently Johnny found out that he was actually given his powers by the Angel Zadkiel. Therefore he's actually a weapon of Heaven . . not hell. But the important thing, at least to Johnny, is that now he knows who's responsible for making his life the mess that it is. So . . he's been on a quest to go face to face with the Angel. However, he's come across a lot of twists and turns along the way. This time, when he tries to hook up with his old friend Caretaker . . he's hoping that he may have some of the answers for him . . Danny gets there first and is trying to destroy everything the Caretaker has gathered. I think Danny is also in service of Zadkiel, but I think his is by choice. What Danny doesn't know is that Caretaker has set up contingencies for just such an occasion. He's summoned his estranged grand-daughter, Sara, from a local convent. Since she's the last of his blood-line she can absorb all of the knowledge he's gathered and become the new Caretaker. But she's got to do it fast before Danny destroys everything. The issue ends with Johnny and Sara, now the new Caretaker, heading out one of the doors in the caves below the Caretaker's shack into the mountains of Tibet. Johnny is still trying to find Zadkiel. Sara's advice . . "That's easy enough . . . just follow your brother." I think Jason Aaron is doing a decent job with this book. Depending on how this story-arc turns out . . I let you know whether I think he hit the mark or not. I like Tan Eng Huat's art also. I didn't know how his style would take with this book . . and character. It's different, but . . that's ok. I think it's ok to experiment now and then . . as long as the finished product still looks good . . even if it's not what we're used to.

Ghost Rider - Annual #2 - Marvel

Two things about this issue that stand out for me . . I'll do the negative first. I really don't like this practice that Marvel has now of reprinting a complete comic in the back of their Annuals. Yes I appreciate that there's probably a lot of people that didn't see this story. But, to me, that's what TPB or digests or whatever are for. I see this as . . . they're taking a regular comic story, packaging it with a reprinted one . . creating a double sized book . . and then charging $3.99 instead of the $2.99. In reality, you're only getting the same amount of content as the regular title. But that's just me. I look at things differently sometimes. Now . . what I liked about this book . . I thought Simon Spurrier did an interesting job with this story. It was a bit predictable, but . . he kept it interesting. The predictability lied in knowing who the culprit was, but the motive caught me by surprise. He also took Johnny a step closer to finding out how to confront Zadkiel. But what I really enjoyed was Mark A Robinson's art. It really had a Humberto Ramos kind of look to it. Maybe even a little Joe Quesada influence. Whatever . . it came across really nice. Overall, I'm not disappointed by the book. Sometimes the publishers' practices just get in my craw.

Ghost Rider #26 - Marvel

This issue was a bit confusing. Danny Ketch has shown back up in the picture, and for some reason, he's acquired a gang of thugs to help him take out the Caretaker. I know he thinks the Caretaker did him wrong, and left him when he needed him most, but . . it didn't seem like there was this much animosity between them. It appears that Danny is working for Zadkiel now also, so I'm wondering if he's got Danny stoked up somehow. He just doesn't really seem to be in character. Also there a new character working her way in to the scene, Sister Sara, from a convent in Kansas. I'm not exactly sure what her connection is, but she seems to be on a mission to make her way to Tennessee. That's also where the Caretaker, and now, Danny are. So I'm not really sure who it is that she's connected to. We don't actually see Johnny until the last panel of the final page. Sister Sara has made it to Tennessee and, literally, comes across Johnny's path. There's more to her than meets the eye. So far I've liked Jason Aaron's stories . . I'm just a bit confused by this issue, for some reason. Also, as I've stated, I think Tan Eng Huat is doing a good job with the pencils. He definitely gives the book a different flavor. I'm sure not everybody is going to like him. He is incredibly talented, he just has his own unique style. Sometimes that takes a while to get used to. This is the most work he's done though . . since Doom Patrol . . so give the guy a chance. He's an acquired taste. Overall I liked the book. I'm sure everything will sort itself out here in upcoming issues. It'll be interesting to see the dynamic between Johnny and Danny. And maybe we'll finally get some answers on Danny. Is he . . or isn't he?

Ghost Rider #25 - Marvel

Well, last issue Johnny showed up at this prison in Texas. It's his next stop on his journey to come face to face with Zadkiel. He's got a few problems to deal with here though. First of all is the behemoth on the cover, the Deacon. The guy is huge. And, he believes that everything he does is for the heavenly cause. Also, in this prison, is the Reverend we met, I believe, last issue. He was put in prison for slaughtering his congregation one Sunday with a machine-gun. We find out this issue it was because they had brought him there under false pretenses. He believed he was following gods will, but actually the church was one of Zadkiel's, not the Lords. He was brought in for his charisma and ability to turn non-believers into believers. He just didn't realize what his congregation wanted them to believe in. When he realized what was going on, he decided that he could no longer be a part of it . . and that's when he decided he had to kill them all. What? He couldn't have just bought a bus ticket out of town? Or said he was going to a camp or something . . and them move to Brazil? He went from 'I don't like what they're doing' to 'I have to kill them for their beliefs' in one quick step like that? I think this guy had other problems before he became their preacher. Anyways, through this guy, Johnny does learn more about Zadkiel's plans. And that he may not have to go searching for him . . he may be coming to him. And then he takes a huge beating from the Deacon. Next issue . . . 'the Second Coming of Danny Ketch'. Another great book by Jason Aaron. He really seems to have a pretty good handle on this character. I'm also really diggin' Tan Eng Huat's art. He's definitely getting better from issue to issue. Now . . . I'm just going to sit back and wait for the next one.

Ghost Rider #24 - Marvel

Tan Eng Haut is not one of my favorite artists, but . . in the time since he did the Doom Patrol, I think he's grown tremendously. However, from that previous viewing, I was a bit hesitant as to his contribution on this title. I mean, after-all, this is the Ghost Rider. And there is a certain . . style, to him. I wasn't sure that Tan's . . . vision . . would necessarily adapt to this character. I'll admit . . I was wrong. Any misgivings I may have been harboring were completely erased after seeing the first 2 issues. Apparently Tan's doing his own inks also. This issue we finally see Tan's vision of Johnny in full blaze . . and it's . . brilliant. The way he draws the Ghost Rider's face and flames is actually kind of eiree looking. As much as I love Mark and Salvador's work on this title, I'm really getting in to this new look. Plus . . it's different. It's unique and very stylized. This issue Johnny's quest to get to Zadkiel has taken him to a prison. There's a minister here who murdered his whole congregation because of the 'angels' that were talking to him. It appears that's who Johnny has come here to find. But then, there's also this guy called the Deacon, who is like this 8-foot Nazi monster. At the end of this issue, we really don't know how this is going to play out. We also saw the face of Danny Ketch last issue, but he doesn't make an appearance in this one. So he's still lurking around out there somewhere. I really like the direction that Jason Aaron is taking with this book right now. He seems to be infusing a lot of new ideas, and this whole 'avenging angel' thing is a completely new direction. Something, I think, this character sorely needed. I have to say, as much as I've enjoyed this book in the past, I really like it now . . better than ever.

Ghost Rider #23 - Marvel

This issue by no means wraps up the Zadkiel story-line. But . . I think it does take care of the New Beulah, Montana, part of it. Johnny has pretty much wiped out the nurses, he's delivered the last of the cannibal's living relative to them, and Lucas . . whom he was hoping would help him figure out the way to Heaven . . is gone. He committed suicide. But, we do have a new person that's involved himself in the story. And, really, it's the person you would've least expected . . . Danny Ketch. We don't know the hows or why's yet, but he seems to have a special interest in Johnny Blaze. Also, I'm not sure if he's working with Zadkiel, but at the very least, he seems to know what he's planning. I like the way Jason Aaron is handling this story. He has just the right amount of suspense and anticipation. Also he's not feeding us the information to quickly. However, I really don't like Roland Boschi's art. The guy's got some talent. I just don't know if he's right for this book. His style works with the mayhem and carnage that occurs regularly in this book, but . . it just doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't quite fit. Next issue Tan Eng Huat takes over on pencils. I'm familiar with his style. But, I haven't seen to much of him since he did that Doom Patrol series a couple of years ago. I'm not sure that his style will fit any better with this series, but . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Overall, I'm still enjoying the book, and I think we've taken some interesting turns with this last story-arc.

Ghost Rider #22 - Marvel

Ok, after a couple of issues . . I think Jason Aaron is going to do just fine on this book. His story here, about Zadkiel and this lost highway of trail-blazing ghosts, is pretty intriguing. I like it. However, and I really do hate to complain, I'm not at all impressed by Roland Boschi's art. I know that I have pretty particular tastes, when it comes to artwork, but I really can't see to many people not complaining about this transition. I'll be the first one to tell you, I think the story is as important, or more so, than the art. But, right now, no matter how good this story is . . the artwork doesn't come anywhere near to doing it justice. And I'm really not trying to disrespect Roland. To do even what he does here takes tons of talent. Talent I don't have. But, in my opinion, in order for this book to succeed . . they need to get a much better artist on board. And no, I'm not just comparing him to Mark and Javier. I understand that eventually all great creative teams have to move on. It's inevitable. But this one, I don't think, is going to work. Let him finish this story-arc . . and then . . please . . do right by this character and give him somebody that's going to help carry him on to further greatness. Right now, it looks like you have the right writer on the series . . we just need to tweak the artist. And, just for the record, I'm thinking that the mysterious guy that the nurses are talking to on the phone is . . Danny Ketch. I may be wrong, but that's what I think.