Marvel Comics is bringing back Ghost Rider in a big way: by bringing back the original host to the Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny Blaze.
In 2022, Marvel will be celebrating "The Year of Vengeance" with a new Ghost Rider series. Written by Benjamin Percy with illustrations by Cory Smith, the book coincides with the 50th Anniversary of Johnny Blaze's first appearance in 1972. In this latest title, Ghost Rider finds himself stuck in the most dangerous situation of his life -- domestic bliss.
GHOST RIDER #1
- Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
- Art by CORY SMITH
- Cover by KAEL NGU
Johnny Blaze lives in a small town with his wife and two kids, works at an auto repair shop and has the support of his local community -- but something's wrong. By day, Johnny has bloody visions and by night he is haunted by horrifying monsters. Things are getting worse with every passing moment, and he is beginning to feel like a caged animal waiting to break out. Johnny will have to fight the burning spirit deep within his soul.
Percy, who also wrote X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine, stated, "I'm a horror head. I grew up reading Stephen King, watching John Carpenter, and listening to Black Sabbath, and when it came to comics, I always reached first for the dark and weird which means I read a hell of a lot of Ghost Rider." Additionally, Percy expressed his excitement to get inside Ghost Rider's signature flaming skull at this stage in his career. "It would be badass to write this series at any point in my life, but launching on the 50th anniversary feels especially (un)holy. Cory Smith is killing it on art, and we're going to honor the past while burning rubber into a terrifying future packed with mystery, action, and shadow-soaked emotion."
Smith, who recently ushered in Conan the Barbarian's 300th Marvel comic, echoed this sentiment and said, "As a comic nerd and a horror nerd, Ghost Rider has always been a favorite of mine so this project is a dream come true. Johnny Blaze, the Spirit of Vengeance is BACK. We're firing on all cylinders and I can't wait for everyone to see the hellfire we're bringing! It's about to get crazy!"
Created by Gary Friedrich, Mike Ploog and Roy Thomas, Johnny Blaze first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5 before racing into the pages of his own ongoing series. After making a deal with the demon Mephisto, Johnny became the Spirit of Vengeance, a mantle that would be held by other tortured souls in the decades since. Currently, Ghost Rider: Kushala Infinity Comic explores the adventures of Spirit Rider, the Ghost Rider of the mid-1800s who is also the Sorcerer Supreme of her era.
Source: Marvel Comics