Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #1
- WRITER
- Donny Cates, Dennis Hopeless Hallum
- Artist
- Geoff Shaw, Scott Hepburn
- Letterer
- VC's Travis Lanham
- Cover Artist
- Adam Gorham, Brian Reber, Ron Lim, Gerardo Zaffino, Antonio Fabela, Rachelle Rosenberg, Scott Hepburn, Logan Lubera, Israel Silva
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2019-12-18
- Colorist
- Antonio Fabela, Matt Milla
One of the biggest breakout characters for Marvel Comics in the past couple of years has been Cosmic Ghost Rider. Introduced by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw in 2017's Thanos #13, the space-faring antihero is a version of Frank Castle from an alternate future who bonded to the Spirit of Vengeance and received the Power Cosmic as part of his never-ending quest for bloody retribution. Since his debut, this alternate incarnation of the Punisher has been a runaway success, and received his second miniseries, Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider.
Written by Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum and illustrated by Scott Hepburn, the miniseries has the unhinged, cosmically powered incarnation of Frank finally imprisoned for his crimes following a recent killing spree that targeted several prominent extraterrestrials across the cosmos. Once inside, Cosmic Ghost Rider reveals his true motives before setting out on another gruesome rampage that's sure to bathe the starways red (and green and blue) with blood.
Hallum knows the inherent appeal of the character: He's a more deranged vision of the Punisher, combining the power sets of Ghost Rider and a herald of Galactus; there's a lot of fun mileage to be wrung from that premise. And, fortunately, Hallum takes that concept and gleefully runs with it, devising all sorts of bloody scenarios for this alternate-future Frank to do what he does best. Hallum's take on Cosmic Ghost Rider veers a bit more into horror, with the powerful antihero stalking his prey relentlessly without compromising the delirious sense of fun linked to the character.
This is augmented by Hepburn, joined by colorist Antonio Fabela, creating everything from bar fights to no holds-barred prison brawls, showcasing Cosmic Ghost Rider in action. The creative team is clearly having a blast devising new ways for Frank to dispatch his sci-fi prey, and new scenarios in which to place him, although much of the debut issue confines him in claustrophobic settings because of the story's premise. However, just as with any variation of the Punisher, there's no keeping Frank Castle locked up any longer than he wants to be, and the creative team more than deliver the goods when the action inevitably ramps up.
The issue also contains a short story by Cates and Shaw, revisiting their fan-favorite character and putting him in a long-awaited confrontation with a familiar face. Whereas Hallum and Hepburn go for the escapist possibilities of the character in a destructive rampage across the stars, Cates and Shaw (joined by colorist Matt Milla) go for a much more emotional, vulnerable side of their creation as he returns to Earth one final time for a conversation that was really a long time coming. In that sense, it's a perfect send-off for the character's creators to the eponymous antihero, providing an emotional epilogue while still bringing the requisite thunder and fury.
Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider doesn't offer any groundbreaking revelations or place the character on a secret mission for the fate of the Marvel Universe -- at least, not yet. Instead, the opening issue is a straightforward romp, embracing the insanely violent and fun possibilities of the character with the entire cosmic side of the Marvel U and his bloody playground. While greater threats are certainly teased, the creative team is more interested in telling an escapist exploration of the empowered future Frank Castle as he continues to deliver punishment across the cosmos and have a hell of a lot of fun doing it, with the obvious fun the creative team is having popping off the page for the readers' enjoyment as well.