Unfortunately, I’ve never been much of a fan of Marvel’s Ghost Rider. Even if I had tried to give the character a chance, which I did, any interest I had in it was effectively destroyed by Nicholas Cage’s portrayal of him in the Ghost Rider movie.
Although, as bad as Cage is, we can’t lay all the blame at his feet. The film’s writing and direction, both curtesy of Mark Steven Johnson (who also did Elektra and Daredevil, which should tell you something) are also to blame.
Given all that, it makes sense that Marvel is trying to reboot the character, at least in comics, with the upcoming release of Ghost Rider 0.1. According to Marvel, this comic will be “a bold new beginning for Ghost Rider amidst the chaos of Fear Itself.”
But wait, there’s more: “From the newly exclusive creative team of writer Rob Williams and artist Matthew Clark, Johnny Blaze has finally found a way to defeat the demon within and undo his pact for power. But can he allow himself to ‘Give Up The Ghost’? Find out in this special POINT ONE issue as Vengeance rides in a new direction and scorches the Marvel Universe like never before.”
Yes, I’m still a bit skeptical. But looking at these new images and reading a bit about the story of this comic, I gotta say I’m inclined to give this character, and this book, a second chance. See, Nicholas Cage can’t destroy everything.
Check out the preview images after the jump. The brand new Ghost Rider 0.1 hits comic store shelves on June 8th.
