The Creators – Benjamin Percy – Writer, Cory Smith and Brent Peeples – Artists; Roberto Poggi, Oren Junior and Brent Peeples – Inkers, Bryan Valenza – Colours, Travis Lanham – Letters

The Players – Johnny Blaze (Ghost Rider), Agent Warroad

The Story – Johnny Blaze has escaped the nightmare that he thought was his life and now he finds himself tired, tired of running with no destination in mind and tired of losing time to the Rider and not knowing what happens during those periods. All that and a monster to boot.

The Take – Benjamin Percy, while only just beginning and this just the second issue, has been crafting an intriguing new era featuring the Ghost Rider, one that finds the two alter-egos not necessarily at odds but sharing time in a body which is not ideal for either one of them. Percy paints Blaze as a tragic figure, one who is somewhat broken but is looking to rebuild his life and one who is trying to get a grapple on the other half of himself. That being said, he cannot control what happens when the Rider appears and try as he might when evil is afoot – so is the Spirit of Vengeance. As for the main story itself, Percy does tend to expound on the characterization of Blaze and leave the book off on a wee bit of a mystery but when all is said and done, there is little meat on the bones where this issue is concerned despite it being a very fun read. The pacing is quick, the action is exciting and the horror within is just that and if there has been one thing missing from the Ghost Rider ‘universe’ it is horror. As proven in the recently ended Immortal Hulk series, horror can have a place in the Marvel U and Cory Smith along with Brent Peeples inject a good dose of it into these pages, most of it embodied through the man that runs the Inn where Blaze is staying and the monster he feeds in the caverns below it. The creature is a gruesome sight and completely effective in the context of this story and if the book continues along this route, readers can expect only good things. When it comes to the mystery that Percy is weaving, it began in the previous issue and it continues here as Ghost Rider battles the demon and while Blaze might not know what is going on, readers do and learn that something has happened not long ago to make these various demons and creatures believe that the Rider was never coming back. As to what that is or why it remains to be seen but it should be fun finding out.

Worth It? – Yes.