Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider walk into a bar… well not exactly, but they’re all in this comic. So far that’s made this an action packed book to say the least, but with Hulk going at it with Ghost Rider to open this issue a real throwdown is taking place. Is it good?
Ghost Rider #3 (Marvel Comics)
So what’s it about? Read the preview!
Why does this book matter?
Felipe Smith has written a good series so far as he’s tackled character quite well. Danilo S. Beyruth and the team of colorists have given this book the energy Ghost Rider requires, but the fun character moments shine too. Plus, this issue wraps up the beef between Hulk and Ghost Rider. Who doesn’t want to see that matchup?
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Unmovable object!
Said matchup delivers with interesting twists as they fight, but also nice character wrinkles for the Ghost Rider spirit as he scoffs at such an easy target. It’s not quite that easy though, which makes for an entertaining fight sequence. Wolverine isn’t fighting much in this one, as it’s all about Hulk vs. Ghost Rider + the car. You heard that right, Amadeus Cho gets a face full of fender and it’s glorious. It’s comics like this that remind you the medium is fun and can push expectations in wildly fun ways.
It’s not all a fight sequence though, as characters are redirected towards stopping the big purple monster. It appears Smith is attempting to build out this book further with more heroes and characters, which makes me wonder if the title of the series is a tad off. That said, the surprises are fun and the banter between Wolverine and Hulk is a major reason why the book is endearing at all.
The art by Beyruth is solid, especially in the action sequences. It’s easy to follow and Ghost Rider never fails to look badass doing anything, including a high kick, which I honestly never thought I’d see. Beyruth is very good at showing characters when they’re relaxed and not in hero mode too. You get the sense that Wolverine is a very normal lady who you could easily hang with. For Cho, that’s incredibly important, as his version of Hulk has a relaxed, average guy feel. Beyruth’s ability to pull this off is part of the reason why the characters feel so genuine.
It can’t be perfect can it?
I said this in the last review, but seriously, is this a Ghost Rider book? We get a single page of Reyes not being Ghost Rider, so I guess his story is progressing, but a whopping nine pages doesn’t contain Ghost Rider! I’m all for team ups, but it throws the book off in some sense as I’m wondering what it’s even about with a title like Ghost Rider.
Sweet panel!
Is It Good?
Action packed and enjoyable as hell, Ghost Rider is that road trip you’ve always wanted to go on with friends; now can from the comfort of your own home. The character dynamics are on point and the action is rendered quite well. Just don’t expect much Ghost Rider in his own book.
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