Robbie Reyes: Ghost Rider #1

Writer: Felipe Smith
Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth
Colorist: Val Staples and Jesus Aburtov
Publisher: Marvel
Bonus Story: Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore

A review by Adrian Hodgkiss

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Marvel Now has launched a new Ghost Rider series and the titular spirit of vengeance is none other than Robbie Reyes. With Robbie currently appearing in (or propping up as some might say) Agents of Shield, it’s no surprise that the Marvel Now incarnation would follow the same route.

Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore were the original creators and designers of this incarnation and Smith in particular does a good job here of quickly fleshing out characters and their relationships. Particularly central here is the relationship between Robbie and his younger brother Gabe. There are a few well scripted family moments between the siblings that speak to their co-dependence and strong bond. It’s a theme that wonderfully displays Robbie’s motivations as well as the clear love these two have for one another.

Robbie became the Ghost Rider after making a deal with the spirit of his evil serial killing uncle Eli. Robbie gets full control of his own body as long as he sates his uncle’s blood lust with the spirits of evil doers. This conceit continues here with a fair bit of internal monologue (or dialogue I suppose) between Robbie and Eli, especially when Robbie is in full transformation. We know Eli is evil as his dialogue boxes are black!

One of the more enjoyable elements here is the inclusion of other younger heroes from within the Marvel Now universe. Although Robbie is yet to actually meet them, the issue itself contains a sub plot featuring both Amadeus Cho (Totally Awesome Hulk) and Laura Kinney (The All New Wolverine). Hopefully this will be a feature of the new series allowing Robbie to interact and team up with other young or teen heroes could lead to some interesting story lines.

I have to admit that since this Robbie Reyes: Ghost Rider #1‘s solicitation, the cover image by Marco Checchetto has been my mobile phone lock screen. It’s spectacular! The art throughout the main story is fresh and clean and really comes to life in the kinetic and vibrant chase scenes. I guess if you’re going to draw a Ghost Rider book you have to be good at fire, skulls, and speed. All of these are delivered with real skill and make for a very diverse and visually striking book. In fact, all of the pages featuring the transformation or the Ghost Rider himself are coloured differently up to and including the gutters of the page. A nice touch. This allows for a clear shift in tone and action, in my opinion the book is at it’s best when Robbie’s head is a flaming metal skull. In the case of the main story, this is actually only three pages.

The back up story is drawn differently by Tradd Moore and I have to say that, personally, I prefer the art in the main story. The script in the bonus story is fun and provides more bang for your buck. It also introduces a new villain called Pyston Nitro who’s interesting powers may leave Robbie playing catch up. Literally. I hope they continue to feature a back up story as more action can never hurt.

The Verdict
Buy it! I enjoyed Robbie Reyes: Ghost Rider #1 quite a lot. We were given a glimpse into Robbie and Gabe’s life and a hint at a possible triple teen team up (lovely alliteration there!) that could run through this entire series. The art is great and the subject matter will always allow for awesome imagery. I, for one, will be recommending this to others.

Adrian Hodgkiss
aidyhodgkiss@gmail.com

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