MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- King in Black: Ghost Rider #1 Review

Ghost Rider is quite the busy fellow nowadays. Now that he has taken control of Hell from the grasp of Mephisto, he has to worry about the entire underworld… and making sure that his original home, Earth, is safe from all the devilish terrors. But nobody said the job would be easy. The inhabitants and occupants of the Underworld continue to be rebels, as expected, and constantly escape into our mortal realm, to the distress of Ghost Rider. Now, our favorite skull-faced hero has to capture and bring back all the demonic citizens running rampant on Earth… with a catch. On his recent trip back to the real world… It just so turns out that his home-world is also currently being invaded by Knull, the symbiote god-king, and his army of aliens and space-dragons. Being the hero that he is, Ghost Rider simply cannot just let that go. And unfortunately for him, he has to literally drag Mephisto along for the adventure.

King in Black: Ghost Rider #1 by Ed Brisson, Juan Frigeri, Jason Keith, VC’s Joe Caramagna

THE WAR FOR HELL’S THRONE MEETS THE KING IN BLACK! All Ghost Rider wants is to destroy Mephisto, round up an army of escaped demons, and secure his seat on the throne of hell. Is that so much to ask? But now a dark god from space has shown up to throw the world into chaos, and some of Johnny’s old friends have come to ask for his help. It may take everything they’ve got to stop this madness. Maybe even…the devil himself?

SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL!

PROS:

– The brutal dynamics between Ghost Rider and Mephisto are very entertaining. It appears that Mephisto just knows all the strings to pull when it comes to challenging Ghost Rider’s beliefs and values. He plays around with the priorities of our hero, telling him that right now he has to focus on doing his duty and job as the king of the underworld… that he cannot be distracted with problems that are beneath him like the lives of thousands of mortals getting snuffed out by Knull and his symbiote army. But it is very honorable when we see, that without even a second thought, Ghost Rider decides not to turn his back on the human race. Despite his new position and role in life, he will always take it upon himself to save the world when the world needs saving. The demons will have to wait.

– It’s hilarious seeing mighty Mephisto all chained up, being dragged around by Ghost Rider like a little pet. It’s a bit awkward seeing such a sinister and conniving villain being treated like that, because he is usually the one in a place of authority. But you know that Mephisto always has something up his sleeve… and he appears utterly confident despite his current predicament in the comic book. And we all know the extent of Mephisto’s powers… what he can do not only with his abilities but also with his words. Peter Parker and MJ, and the millions of Spider-Man fans around the globe are but all too familiar with the workings of this specific devil. Ghost Rider should definitely never underestimate this opponent. But for now, the buddy road-trip appeal of their misadventures will provide the necessary mindless fun you want and desire when you pick up a book like this.

– The artwork on this book is spot-on, as the team captures the sneaky looks of Mephisto, and also gloriously depicts the crown on Ghost Rider’s head. At first, I didn’t notice the crown, as I have not been in the Ghost Rider loop, recently. But when I stared longer at that fiery flame surrounding the skull, I was amazed by the regal quality of our hero. Heavy the head… heavy the head…

– Who can say ‘no’ to a clash between two kings of darkness…? This is the ultimate showdown, and you do not want to miss how this one turns out. And yes, Ghost Rider will end up facing space-dragons. He is going to make use of that flame-chain and wrap it around that dragon’s neck to take a little flying lesson. We are easy to please, aren’t we?

CONS:

– The issue was meant to be a closer, and an answer to all the questions that have been thrown around in the previous volume of Ghost Rider. The recent series ended with a lot of open-endedness, and this one-shot was meant to bring closure and clarity… though not everything was tied neatly, and perhaps the issue could have just embraced its place in the bigger scheme of things that are ‘King in Black’-related.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Ghost Rider has 99 problems, and Mephisto is just one. Ghost Rider tried crafting a rehabilitation program for Hell’s occupants, but instead of reforming, they just rebelled and escaped. And now Lilith is out in the wild, also plotting to take control from him. So… the added layer of having to deal with a galaxy-wide alien invasion makes for more fun, more action, and more headaches for Johnny Blaze. But the fires of hell are just what the Marvel Universe need against a king of darkness.