Writer: Devin Grayson Artists: Trent Kaniuga (p), Danny Miki (I)
Publisher: Marvel
Plot: A cubicle with limited office space signifies the life of John Blaze, former motorcycle stunt driver and Spirit of Vengeance. Aggravating co-workers and a badgering girlfriend have replaced his previous life of adventure and danger. After learning from a beaming supervisor that he has been with the company for the duration of three years and is being awarded with a coveted gold plaque, Blaze heads to the parking garage for a little fresh air, ditching his tie on the way. There, much to his surprise, he undergoes a familiar transformation and the Spirit of Vengeance rides again.
After blazing a trail down the interstate, a puzzled Blaze awakens outside of a bar, entering to find that perhaps the services of a Ghost Rider are needed to exact retribution on a trucker involved in a deadly hit-and-run. Before Blaze knows it, his skull is on fire, his bike is tearing down the road, and the murderer is within his powerful grip. When the confrontation has run its course, Blaze's human form returns and looks across the path of destruction with regret, and a nagging feeling that this is only the beginning.
Comments: I could count on one hand the number of Ghost Rider books I've owned since I was introduced to the wonderful world of comics approximately ten years ago. To be honest, I believe the majority of them involved crossovers with the X-Men. While this issue wasn't re-inventing the wheel, it left this newcomer with enough to return next month to see where this is going...and see more beautiful shots of Ghost Rider rendered by Kaniuga.
The plot at its core is simplicity at work, and while that doesn't automatically equal mediocrity, a little more content would have made this one read a little better. Foregoing complex and more than likely verbose explanations of Johnny Blaze's existence, we're thrown head-first into the frying pan with little understanding of why Blaze's head inexplicably caught fire and he blazes (no pun intended) down the interstate. This lack of clarity is confounded by stretches of unnatural dialogue and scores of silent panels.
I believe Grayson was attempting to allow the audience to experience the confusion and unexpectedness of Blaze's transformation, but a few additional captions would've provided and probably even aided the transition, while producing the same effect. You'll blow through this one in a couple minutes and put the book down with not a very clear idea of what just happened.
Refusing to believe that this arc will involve similar confrontations with AWOL truck drivers, I'll gladly give Devin a couple more issues to reel me in. She's a talented writer that makes few consistent mistakes, and as the expression on Blaze's face relates...this is just the beginning.
The art from Kaniuga is consistent throughout, and while his panels featuring the everyday exploits of regular people doing mundane things won't set the heart racing, he dials it up several notches when Ghost Rider enters a scene. The Spirit of Vengeance, adorned with chains and buckles, riding his Harley with reckless abandon, flaming skull ablaze, looks absolutely wonderful when in the hands of Kaniuga. He has a fine eye for detail and refuses to allow the title character to appear as anything less than an unstoppable force of nature. Trent makes Ghost Rider's impending leap to the big screen seem inevitable and somehow overdue.
Final Word: The seeds are sown here for something much larger that will undoubtedly provide a more natural sense of pacing to the Hammer Lane. Definitely worth a look, but don't expect this one to answer too many of the questions you'll be left with.
