The Trials and Tribulations of Ghost Rider Comics

Ghost Rider comics have been a hard sell from day one. While there are diehard fans of the character, there are many others not quite so interested. And even those who like the character don't particularly care for the stories that take place in Ghost Rider comics.

Perhaps the only upswing in those Ghost Rider comics stories came when Danny Ketch took over being Ghost Rider from Johnny Blaze in the 1990s. It was a new era in Ghost Rider comics, and it temporarily breathed new life into the series and the character as Ketch was more intriguing than Blaze. Though, Blaze returned to the title in the 2000s first in a Marvel Knights mini series, then in 2006 with the current book, which sees Blaze escape Hell, but unleashes Satan on earth. It's also revealed that the Ghost Rider spirit is really an angel, not a demon, and that's why Satan couldn’t keep him in Hell.

Failed series after failed series, though, eventually saw Ghost Rider all buy disappear save a few random appearances here and there. Until, of course, a Ghost Rider movie came onto the horizon. Then there was a revival of Ghost Rider comics. Unfortunately, the movie was not well-received by comic book fans, yet the series continued as Ghost Rider became involved in a small part in the mega blockbusters going on in the Marvel Universe at the time. And now with a sequel to the movie in the works, it's obvious that, at least for the time being, Ghost Rider comics are here to stay. And that would be a welcome thing to fans of the character if the stories and Ghost Rider himself lived up to the hype around him. Sadly, as it stands right now, they don't.

The potential is there though. The character is interesting and unique, and at times, masterfully depicted in word and art. But the majority of the time the stories just don't have that dynamic punch needed to propel Ghost Rider comics into the upper echelon. And the first movie did not help things one bit. If the second movie is handled correctly, though, and writing and art chores on the comic are top notch and stay that way, the next few years could see resurgence in the world of the Spirit of Vengeance, the legendary and iconic Ghost Rider.

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