Felipe Smith hasn’t been the Ghost Rider writer for long but he’s already run out of ideas! Ghost Rider, Volume 1: Four on the Floor instantly relegates Robbie Reyes and the Spirit of Vengeance to supporting characters IN THEIR OWN SERIES in favour of Korean Hulk and female Wolverine. The title should really be Ghost Rider Team-Up or better yet Arbitrary Diversity Superheroes!
The pitiful “story”: a purple power-absorbing baddie (so basically DC’s Parasite?) is the drearily generic villain-of-the-week there only to give Hulk and Wolverine something to hit. The subplot stars an even more forgettable side character in a Latino gangster working at Robbie’s bodyshop who’s trying to go straight. And, as if Ghost Rider’s presence couldn’t be more undermined, Silk and the Agents of SHIELD cameo too (the latter probably only because Ghost Rider recently appeared on the Agents of SHIELD TV show).
Ghost Rider’s entire story in this one is that his powers marginally increase when he’s angry – pathetic! Besides a pointless and boring fight with Hulk, Felipe Smith ends up repeating stuff we’ve seen before as Robbie/Eli fight gangsters while Robbie tries to do right by his (sickeningly cutesy in an OTT Disney-esque style) disabled brother, Gabe (so brave – sobs!). Smith/Marvel really don’t know what to do with this character, do they?
I quite liked Danilo S. Beyruth’s art and Tradd Moore’s art in the backup was outstanding as always – that panel of Robbie waking up transforming into the Spirit of Vengeance was awesome – but Felipe Smith’s script was utter shite from start to finish. Like most of the current Marvel line, Ghost Rider is a flaming pile of garbage!
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