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Review: “All-New Ghost Rider” #1

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10 years ago

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Another Ghost Rider enters the fray this month, as all new creative team Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore take another teenager and imbue him with the spirit of vengeance. The excitement of the most recent hellish hero burns out quick. As “All-New Ghost Rider” #1 is a by the numbers origin that hardly feels earned or charismatic and only really gets interesting with the final page.


WRITTEN BY: Felipe Smith
ART BY: Tradd Moore
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: March 26th, 2014

I was totally psyched to dive into this book. Ghost Rider was the first character that really drew me to comics. I came along in the Johnny Blaze days, and the character felt edgier and cooler than the rest of the Marvel universe. Robbie Reyes is no Blaze. In fact, Smith’s minimal script goes out of its way to show us the definition of the character, but somehow falls flat.

I didn’t feel a thing for his situation. I did find him relatable but I didn’t really understand the motivation for making him Ghost Rider, nor did I really feel anything in that moment.

Tradd Moore’s art is hyper stylized and helps to flesh out the world. It seems Smith’s script relies on Moore to do the heavy lifting and for the most part he succeeds. The quick cuts between panels create a sense of energy that is unrivaled in a Marvel comic elsewhere. The small flame flourishes in otherwise regular action added a nice touch to Robbie’s struggles early in the issue, but for the most part nothing overly stuck with me by the issue’s end.

Instead we’re treated to an empty origin story that gropes around in an attempt to find heart with an undefined character who is seemingly fucked into becoming the spirit of vengeance for no good reason. He’s duped, tricked, and doesn’t make any attempt to define himself outside of a quick act of compassion in a no win scenario.

What’s to come still hold hope. First issues are hard to stick. They have to keep a lot of plates spinning and sometimes its almost impossible to balance everything perfectly. I’m intrigued to see more of this Ghost Rider, but only because of the previews of issue two. As a standalone introduction to the character this feels underdeveloped, under utilized, and ends far too quickly. The last three pages actually feel like the beginning of the story.

Rating: 2/5 Skulls.

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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