Pulp [#606]
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Pulp [#606]

So, I’ve got a question for you all. Who’s heard of Ghost Rider? Yeah, about what I expected. Marvel hasn’t exactly paid a lot of attention to Ghost Rider over the years, and ol’ flamehead has been relegated to C or D-grade hero status more often than not. It probably doesn’t help that the most prominent thing Marvel has done with Ghost Rider in recent years was to make two incredibly sub-par movies… both starring Nicolas Cage. Yes, he of “not the bees!” fame played a Marvel superhero. I can honestly say I have no idea what the hell (pardon the pun) they were thinking.
Despite the lack of prominence, Marvel has decided to take a risk with some of their fringe properties (encouraged by the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, most likely) and has rebooted a few series as part of their Marvel NOW imprint. Yup, Ghost Rider’s got the reboot treatment, and in all honesty – has never looked better.
Now, if you’re still wondering just what the hell Ghost Rider is all about, here’s the lowdown: every Ghost Rider (there’s been more than one – the current GR is #3) is a human that bonds with a Spirit of Vengeance, and brings divine retribution by making those who hurt others feel the pain they have dished out. With a flaming skull head, badass chains and a sweet ride, Ghost Riders bring offenders to justice and scare the crap out of them in the process. The original GR, Johnny Blaze – the character Nic Cage played – is probably the most famous, and rode around on a motorcycle with flaming wheels. Yup, you read that right – and it’s totally awesome.
The current Ghost Rider series, written by Felipe Smith (Peepo Choo), takes things a little differently, away from the flaming-biker-of-justice schtick. Volume 1 of the series, Engines of Vengeance, follows Latino teenager Robbie Reyes, who lives in an East Los Angeles neighbourhood that is rife with gang violence and drug trafficking. Robbie has his hands full – between school, work and looking after his developmentally disabled brother, Gabe, he struggles to get by. He works as a mechanic, and while working on a suped-up muscle car (think a Dodge Charger), he decides to enter a street race to earn some more cash on the side. Unbeknownst to Robbie, the car’s trunk is filled with pills belonging to Dr. Calvin Zabo, aka the villain Mr Hyde. Zabo’s mercenaries hunt down and brutally murder Robbie during the race. However, Robbie is revived as the new Ghost Rider, and begins to hunt down the mercenaries in the now supernaturally-charged car.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to like Ghost Rider at all, but I was pleasantly surprised. Smith does an excellent job of crafting a different, likeable character who perfectly meets the requirements for hero status. While the change from motorcycle to muscle car is a little strange, it works, and for the most part that’s due to the artistic talents of Tradd Moore (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode). Moore absolutely shines – the art is detailed, fantastically stylized and looks freaking awesome. If you’re looking for a hero that’s a little different to your regular superhero fare – or you just like cars and flaming stuff – you’re definitely going to want to check out Ghost Rider as soon as possible.
By Alastair McGibbon