by ****** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:02 pm
When I read Aaron's first Ghost Rider trade, I was shocked at how good it was. Truthfully, a Ghost Rider comic has no business being as good as that first trade was. This issue is just more of the same.
Aaron's approach to Ghost Rider is something like a 70's grindhouse comic and it works amazingly well. There's a blend of horror and comedy put together with a pacing that propels the action forward from panel to panel. The obscure villain that Aaron has resurrected makes for a perfect foil for Ghost Rider, I hope we see more of him in the future.
Since I've only read the first trade and the issue we read for the Review Group, I've missed out on quite a few issues of this so in some respects I should have felt a little lost, but I didn't. The solicit calls this issue a "Part 2", but it's really a stand alone story. No knowledge of current Ghost Rider continuity is needed to enjoy this and better yet I don't feel like the issues I'm waiting to read in trades have been spoiled.
I haven't read nearly as many Tony Moore comics as I would like, but whenever I do it's always a treat. It's cartoony without being a cartoon and the layouts and pacing fit perfectly with Aaron's script. I love the expressiveness of the characters and McCaig's colors are exceptional.
It's also cool that Ghost Rider is one of the few comics left with a letters column and I love that Aaron is the one responding to the letters rather than an editor, it adds just a bit more atmosphere to what is already a super fun comic. And maybe it was just me being a dork, but I stopped to read the letters page thinking that the comic was over, which made the last page that much more awesome. It gave it the feeling of being a scene in a movie that takes place after the credits.
Story: 10
Art: 9
Overall: 9.5