Stunning art and a story
that only Garth Ennis could tell! He's paying the price for his deal
with the Devil - is the Ghost Rider condemned to ride the highways of
Hell for all eternity? His saving grace could be in the form of an
unlikely ally - an industrious angel with a deal that would free Ghost
Rider once and for all! Collects Ghost Rider #1-6.
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Written by none other than the creator of Preacher and current writer of Punisher, Garth Ennis brings us a tale of the Ghost Rider trapped in Hell, never able to escape. Night after night he's ripped apart by ghastly demons, thinking that maybe - just maybe - this time he can reach the 'gate' in time to free his tormented soul. When offered the chance at salvation, he takes it hungrily, not seeing the traps and lies laid ahead before him.
Clayton Crain gifts the story with amazing artwork, colorful images on glossy pages that make the over-eager fanboy (or fangirl, whichever the case may be) sit up and take note. There's violence galore, with detailed bloodshed and darkly injected humor. The story doesn't lag and is a different enough one, staying relatively true to the vein of the Ghost Rider legend. Rather than the way the movie depicted it, the tortured being takes no delight in his existence, trapped in this cursed state. On the downside, the dialogue could have been better. There's Ennis' trademark humor and religious jabs, but nothing overtly sensational in terms of character interaction. Also, even if it doesn't lag, the story isn't the best it could be, and more ooph wouldn't have hurt.
Overall Ghost Rider is a fascinating legend that's fun to read different takes on. Here we see him as many others do, if not a little more naive than usual. I would have enjoyed seeing more of him here, especially with his take-charge, kick-ass attitude, but what I did see was enjoyable. There is plenty of pizazz in the art department, but sometimes I wondered if they put more focus on that and less on some areas for substance. Oh well, still a very good read that most Ghost Rider fans will devour eagerly.
