REVIEW: ‘Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha’ Issue #1

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Benjamin Percy, art by Geoff Shaw, colors by Rain Beredo, and letters by Travis Lanham. Years ago, both Wolverine and Ghost Rider had their attentions drawn to a little boy with something demonic attached to him. This first issue is interesting, as so much of it leans into the past. Whilst it begins and ends in the present day, it is important to set the foundations of what both of the antiheroes will be after.

This story is unsettling at first but manageable, practically shouting at us that there is something not quite right. A small boy comes to visit Professor X at the mansion, but even Xavier seems unnerved by what he senses. It’s a methodical, quiet start to the book, but that is nothing close to its opening hand. The comic keeps moving though, slowly revealing the indescribable horror that it is capable of. The book fuses superheroes and supernatural horror brilliantly by the end of the issue, a fantastic payoff for the long weight it took to get there. 

The two characters at the helm of Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 are some of the most hardcore that Marvel has to offer. Vastly different in terms of power and enemies they usually face, the comic leans on their similarities. The narration itself is through the viewpoint of Wolverine, who points out the parts where he and Johnny Blaze are kindred spirits. They are both loners, bikers who often find themselves being the reason why everyone around them is torn apart. This comic being set in the past places the two characters in previous moments in their lives. Logan is still at Westchester, being a guard dog for an X-Men team that still features a hairless Beast at the time. Blaze is still a stuntman, doing tricks for money. Both of them have gloriously gruff attitudes, with Wolverine just needlessly angry at every possibility in this issue. 

This first issue focuses more on Wolverine and his corner of the Marvel Universe, as the child is brought to Professor X. Ghost Rider remains absent until much later in the issue, with even Johnny Blaze himself doing his day job for much of the book. The child is superbly written. Quiet and unassuming for much of the comic, it is more the dialogue around him that creates an unnerving atmosphere around the boy. He is clearly dangerous, and the comic doesn’t waste time establishing that.

The art is excellent. Some classic costumes are brought back to life, but not in such a way that they disturb the creepy tone of the comic. That quiet that hangs over 50 percent of the book is manufactured by the art. The mundanity is interspersed with stunts, mutants, and the occasional glimpses of something evil. It isn’t until after all of the introductions that things get weird. Really weird. The first sign of horror is a disturbing, shocking display of power, like a proud display of gore. The design of the threat is freakish and horrifying, always changing and able to be disarming when using the young boy. The fight scene is dramatic and demonstrates how powerful this primal entity is.

The colors are extremely effective. This is a dark comic, encasing the X-Mansion and all other locations included in as much shadow as it can. That makes it even more imposing when hellfire ignites or intensifies the glow of headlights from cars and motorbikes. Despite the lower shades, it is still possible to see the yellow from Wolverine’s old costume. The lettering is efficient and always easy to read in the caption boxes and word balloons. However, the text can look clunky when placed on TVs or in newspapers.

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 is an excellent opener to the crossover. The relative comfort of seeing older locations and uniforms for the characters is tampered with as a monstrous being is included in the comic. The horror itself is merely a taster, clearly not even a shot glass compared to the ocean full of shocks that could be on the horizon. The first sign of terror is as brutal as it gets, so just how far are Percy and Shaw willing to go?

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 is available where comics are sold.