Stuck in neutral.
With Ghost Rider currently lighting up the small screen, this new debut couldn’t have come at a better time. At least, that would be the case if this first issue had anything to do with the signature skull. Taking a strong backseat to a slew of unnecessary guest stars, the latest from Felipe Smith and Danilo Beyruth hits the road with more of a sputter than a spark.
If all you knew about Robbie Reyes going in to this issue is that he’s a good brother and a demonic vessel, well, you won’t leave with much else. Smith takes a stripped down approach to this first chapter, ultimately letting the opening bio-page tell the reader all they need to know. The bulk of Robbie’s page time revolves around his disabled brother, Gabe, and while there’s certainly a degree of depth that comes with their interactions, it comes off as overly manufactured and not altogether genuine. There’s a lot of tell and not as much show, the driving force of Robbie’s character only loosely defined.
That disconnect is unfortunate, as beyond those few choice scenes Smith doesn’t really offer much of Robbie to start the series. Instead, the book more or less belongs to its famous guest stars, most notably the Totally Awesome Hulk, Amadeus Cho. While his initial usage proves somewhat amusing, what starts as a seeming guest-spot becomes a full-on title takeover, with Cho’s Hulk having far more to do than Robbie’s Rider. Even worse, there’s no clear link to the character’s divergent storylines, Smith ultimately leaving it up to the reader’s to fill in the presumed blanks. The book’s second guest spot packs a little more punch, but it too offers little connective tissue to our expected lead. Smith may very well have a grand plan to bring the three different heroes together, but for a debut issue trying to drum up interest, this is as rough as it gets.
Visually, Beyruth fares a little better, his clean character design and sharp layouts often eye-catching. It’s hard not to compare his work to that of Tradd Moore’s, but there’s so little to work with here that its not even up for discussion as of yet. The title character only sees a handful of pages, far less than that of Cho’s Hulk, and the brief time we do get is far from captivating. The limited usage prevents Beyruth from fully cutting loose, a shame considering that his flame-spewing Rider is easily the best part of the issue. With Robbie falling flat and Hulk reading more or less like an unneeded aside, there’s just not enough for Beyruth to do to keep this issue afloat.
All told, Ghost Rider #1 is but a flicker of a flame. Smith takes a seemingly character first approach, but does little and offers less. Those decently familiar with the character may trudge on with lowered expectations, but there’s not much there to convince new readers to hop on board. For a character who should read as anything but boring, this first chapter simply fails to ignite.
The Verdict
Focusing more on splashy guest stars than establishing its title lead, this first issue remains stuck in neutral. Felipe Smith’s script has its moments, but the odd plotting and lack of personality hinder any initial investment. Danilo Beyruth gets a few moments to play, but by and large the art never really takes hold. Given what we’ve seen from the character before this book still holds promise, but this initial chapter does little to prove it.
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