Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever #1 is a one-shot published by Marvel Comics, written by Benjamin Percy, art by Juan José Ryp, colours by Bryan Valenza, and letters by Travis Lanham. Celebrating 50 years of Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze visits a magical tattooist who takes him on a spiritual journey of the other Ghost Riders that have come before and after him.
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This plot is largely reflective and celebratory, not moving forwards at all despite the famous motorcycle. Johnny in the present serves as an Earth wire where everything else veers away from. The story then jumps into the past and to other locations where other Ghost Riders have existed, from the first to Danny Ketch, Robbie Reyes and several others. Each of these moments are exciting to see as it shows the variations from the same theme and pays respect to everyone. However, whilst a caption reads “in the time of (insert team or character name here),” this isn’t as effective a method at discerning time as Percy may have intended. For some, it is awkward, especially if they are still active. The structure works well and the comic does feel full of content. The pacing is methodical but can easily ramp up when the action requires it to. The ending is ambiguous as there isn’t a particularly coherent story for Blaze himself, but a nod to one last Ghost Rider left me with a smile on my face.
The reverential nature of the book allows for a fantastic amount of character demonstration. They aren’t developed, more just showcased. The personalities of the prominent figures are clear, especially Danny and Robbie, but that notion of them all fighting for a similar cause is also the defining takeaway from Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever #1. It allows for their connection to each other to be strongly tethered and their individual attributes to stand on their own. What made me sad was the exclusion of Alejandra, who is a very forgotten and woefully underused host of the Spririt of Vengeance. It makes sense why she wasn’t included, but with the premise of the character it would have been easy to bypass.
The art is simply incredible. Each snippet brings with it a new look and setting, going throughout time. All of the Ghost Riders are drawn with a unique spin on the flaming head motif, and Ryp pays a beautiful homage to the artists who separated them in the first place. All of the locations have superb details that bring them to life and some disturbing imagery. The violence isn’t as brutal as some Ghost Rider comics can reach as the explosive nature of the Riders’ powers make more prominent. The most jaw-dropping detail comes from tattoos that are etched onto Johnny’s body. They tell a story on their own but Ryp’s plotting of this tapestry is stunning.
The colours are magnificent. The tones are dark for most of the comic, using naturalistic shades and lighting almost exclusively. That is, until a Ghost Rider appears and the intense orange flame radiates from them. That notion of their vibrancy increases their presence on the page to an incredible degree. The lettering for the word balloons are fine. However, the caption boxes for narration are too boring and easy to miss whilst the location captions are too bulky and hard to read.
Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever #1 celebrates 50 years of a premise that embodies many captivating characters. For there is a terrific understanding that celebrating the existence of Ghost Rider shouldn’t only be centred around Johhny Blaze or Danny Ketch. Whilst some have had more issues of been more integral to the lore, every single one of them have been involved in something huge and had fantastic stories told about them. This is done by a clever idea for a plot and wonderful art. But it also solidifies the fact that there is potential for another 50 years of Ghost Rider comics.
Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever #1 is available where comics are sold.
Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever #1
TL;DR
Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever #1 celebrates 50 years of a premise that embodies many captivating characters. For there is a terrific understanding that celebrating the existence of Ghost Rider shouldn’t only be centred around Johhny Blaze or Danny Ketch. Whilst some have had more issues of been more integral to the lore, every single one of them have been involved in something huge and had fantastic stories told about them. This is done by a clever idea for a plot and wonderful art. But it also solidifies the fact that there is potential for another 50 years of Ghost Rider comics.
