Ghost Rider, Vol. 5: Final Vengeance

Ghost Rider (2022)

by Benjamin Percy, Danny Kim (Illustrator), Bryan Valenza (Colorist)

A shocking new chapter in hit writer Benjamin Percy's Ghost rider run as the power of the Spirit of Vengeance chooses a new host!

The Spirit of Vengeance has severed its connection with Johnny Blaze! Is this because the furnaces of Hell need more fuel for their fires, and Johnny’s constant battle to do the right thing has become a tiresome obstacle? Or is some other evil force at work? Mysteries abound as the unmoored Spirit travels from host to surprising host…but who will it settle on for good? A menacing face from the past has been reborn as the next Ghost Rider — and, no stranger to deals with devils, his definition of vengeance may just flood the streets with blood! Meanwhile, Johnny’s curse may be lifted at last, but he still burdened by the compulsion to protect the innocent — even if what they need protecting from is the Ghost Rider itself!

COLLECTING: Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance (2024) 1-6

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Horror, Comic Book, Superheroes

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

Benjamin Percy is the author of seven novels -- most recently The Sky Vault (William Morrow) -- three short fiction collections, and a book of essays, Thrill Me, that is widely taught in creative writing classrooms. He writes Wolverine, X-Force, and Ghost Rider for Marvel Comics. His fiction and nonfiction have been published in Esquire (where he is a contributing editor), GQ, Time, Men's Journal, Outside, the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, and the Paris Review. His honors include an NEA fellowship, the Whiting Writer's Award, the Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, the iHeart Radio Award for Best Scripted Podcast, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics.

Reviews

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent storyline but kind of a let down on Percy’s finish to the series. I was expecting more from him. It felt rushed.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final volume of the Ghost Rider series is quite good, largely due to its focus on the Hood, a villain I've always enjoyed. He was a significant antagonist for many characters, including the New Avengers, during my childhood, and I particularly liked his miniseries by Brian K. Vaughan.

While this volume serves as a serviceable conclusion, it's a weaker ending for Ghost Rider than I would have preferred. It features some cool and bloody fights, which I appreciated, but it ultimately felt like a lackluster conclusion to Johnny Blaze's storyline. I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent Ghost Rider story is horror style with great visuals. Percy is right. No character is as visually great as Ghost Rider. I wanted to give this book 3.5 stars, but it deserved a round up instead of down.

Johnny Blaze has managed to hold the spirit of vengeance somewhat in check. Now, the Ghost Rider is stripped away from Johnny and wants a new host, preferably one without a pesky conscience. However, being bonded to the Ghost Rider for so long has changed Johnny, but would he want back something that has brought him nothing but pain?

A good ending and even a setup for a new beginning for the new writer of Ghost Rider. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This was a...shallow Percy Ghost Rider mini. An odd way to end an epic run that made me a fan of a character I typically don't care for. The story doesn't seem to fit his ongoing series.

He was a Marvel force for a good five years: Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and X-Force. All brilliant.

Where are they keeping him now?

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to be overdosing on the 4* today..
but this one surprised me.
A personal story of Parker Robbins/the Hood who has been possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance...and he's ready to take over the crime underworld..

[Brandon Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good.

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ран Бенджаміна Персі на Примарному Вершнику завершився в лімітці "Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance" в якій ми отримали нового носія для Духа Помсти. Взагалі Марвел тут вкотре зробили мув у якому перезапустили серію в синґлах, однак залишили загальну нумерацію рану в трейдах (якщо не знали, то таке було із ранами Рейнбов Ровел на Галкині та Стіва Орладно на Багряній Відьмі). Тож, давайте дізнаємося чи вартувало воно того та яким вийшов фінал цього рану.

Історія розпочинається з того як Заратос покидає Джонні Блейза в досить небезпечній ситуації й вирушає на пошуки нового носія. Цьому дійству присвячений весь перший номер і, як на мене, він є найкращим у серії. Впродовж нього ми бачимо як дух потрапляє у різні кутки всесвіту Марвел та підшукує собі нового партнера вселяючись то у матір в якої от-от заберуть дітей, то у труп льодяного велетня, то в одного з представників брудів. Поки не зупиняється на Паркері Робінсоні, більш відомому як суперлиходій Каптур.

Далі сюжет розповідає про те як Паркер починає завойовувати злочинний світ Чикаґо, заручившись підтримкою місцевих вампірів, а також намагається налагодити стосунки із дружиною та донькою. Паралельно Джонні разом зі своїм знайомим Зебом вирушають до Чикаґо, щоб повернути Заратоса Блейзу, паралельно відбиваючись від різних загроз.

На жаль шести (формально п'яти, враховуючи, що перший номер про пошуки носія) вийшло трохи замало для такої історії, а тому вона вийшла дуже поспішною та місцями дещо експозиційною. Особливо сильно це проявляється в моменті коли вигулькує конфлікт Каптура та вампірів, який приводить до падіння як його нової імперії, так і самого Паркера.

Щодо малюнку Денні Кіма то він тут загалом окейний, навіть деякі досить прикольні сторінки час від часу проскакують, однак хмурий колоринґ притаманний для такої серії йому не дуже підходить. Порівняйте це з "Месниками Західного Узбережжя" де у нього колоринґ більш яскравий і, як на мене, куди більше підходить для малюнку.

В результаті "Фінальна Помста" є цілком нормальним сюжетом, який по хорошу мав би йти трохи довше. Якщо робити підсумки всього періоду Персі на Примарному Вершнику то він мені загалом сподобався, перші дві арки однозначно є найкращими, а малюнок Корі Сміта був головною окрасою цього рану, в той час, як кроссовер з Росомахою та сюжет про Денні Кетча є найслабшими тут.

[Rickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire run by Benjamin Percy is amazing! Very dark and violent and it just builds to a very solid ending. Hits all the fun parts of Ghost Rider's history while adding in a bunch of new bits throughout.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Talia Warroad's absence was felt in the conclusion of Percy's Ghost Rider run the author and art team delivered a surprising and well crafted return to statis quo as well as a damn fine horror comic.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The whole story had a real Preacher vibe to it. Probably because the art also felt like a healthy mix of Dillon and Capullo at times. Highly recommend to any Ghost Rider or horror comic fans.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be the wildest raging I've seen Ghost Rider do! (and I've been reading GR for many years)
After a deal made with Mephisto, Zarathos leaves Johnny Blaze and goes through TONS of people before settling into The Hood (Parker Robbins). The new Ghost Rider blazes a trail of revenge on Chicago, working to take out the Five Families, all in a bid to get his wife and child back. A sloppy and inconsistent partnership with vampires, and the return of Johnny ends the run and puts Zarathos back where he belongs.
Overall, this was a great read. Seeing Ghost Rider act with seemingly no limits was wild. I genuinely thought it would twist and find out it was Vengeance instead. Recommend.

Really hope we can see Ghost Rider in the MCU soon so his comics will become a higher priority at Marvel again.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Percy brings his Ghost Rider run to a close - not content on killing Johnny Blaze's girlfriend, he has to rip the Spirit Of Vengeance away from him and give it to a supervillain. That'll end well, I'm sure.

I think that's my main problem with this book - we all know it's going to end badly. The Hood isn't going to be able to keep Zarathos for himself, so it's more just waiting for the trainwreck to happen, and it does feel a bit predictable. He starts off well, then it all goes wrong, and it's up to Johnny Blaze to put things back the way they're meant to be. It feels a bit inconsequential, despite the devastating effect on the Chicago underworld.

Not bad, but more of a whimper than a bang to end Percy's run on.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me parecía que tenía todo el sentido plantear el desenlace de la etapa de Ghost Rider de Benjamin Percy con un retorno de El Encapuchado ligándose a Zarathos... Pero o bien el autor se contuvo para que Parker Robbins no le quitase todo el protagonismo a Johnny (digo, Parker tiene ese implicación emocional de su familia y es más afín a usar los poderes oscuros sobrenaturales), o una miniserie tan acotada no era lo ideal para que Percy sacase el máximo potencial infernal al argumento. Además el dibujo también acaba pesando a mal en que quede un desenlace tosco y sin mucha gracia. Al menos, eso sí, El Encapuchado vuelve a estar presente en el Universo Marvel (aunque aún en las cabeceras terciarias de la parcela monstruosa como el nuevo Werewolf by Night).

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Final Vengeance offers a disjointed conclusion to Benjamin Percy's run on Ghost Rider. Johnny Blaze abruptly loses his ghostly essence (which I guess is a demon of some sort?) right off the bat. That essence goes to The Hood, of all people. Naturally, Hoodster uses his newfound powers to take control of the criminal gangs in Chicago.

Blaze teams up with some crow dude to fight Hood for the right to be Ghost Rider (or at least to be considered for it by Mephisto). It's all pretty silly and doesn't build at all on what came before in Percy's run. Who was asking for an update on The Hood?

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shocking new chapter?
Um, no...

This is back to straight up 90's Ghost Rider horror-ish shenanigans. There's no steampunk. There's no mystical angel bits (ok...maybe a lil'). This is just Zarathos getting fed up with being reigned in by Blaze for so long and YET ANOTHER deal is struck with Mephisto for a new host.

The new host?
The Hood(?) aka Parker Robbins gets another shot at going 'big time'

How many times can you play with hellfire and not get burned? (For Blaze...decades)
Robbins might have more problems heading down that lonely road.

[Matthew Gilliland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange ending to an otherwise awesome series.

The rest of it was a dark version of 'Supernatural', with the Ghost Rider and Talia going from town to town fighting Demons and whatnot.

This time The Red Hood steals the Ghost Rider Spirit and uses it to fulfill his dreams of running the crime organizations/businesses in Chicago.

Johnny is saved by his wizard friend in the former series and they go to take the spirit back at the end.

I guess that is why it is a 6 part arc even though it is written by Benjamin Percy.

[Jamil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hoods half was good, ghost riders half was not and the covers are great. No much else to say.

[Adam Carver · Rating 1 out of 5]

It felt like such a weak conclusion to the story. It feels so far removed for the main storyline

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

An untethered spirit of vengeance causes chaos across the universe. Ultimate sacrifice. The Red Hood makes some major decisions with consequences.

[Derrick O'Rourke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

This is an enjoyable read. It takes a little getting used to with how the main character is used and portrayed but it's a fun read.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly serviceable but not particularly memorable conclusion to Percy's run on the title. The artwork by Danny Kim is pretty good and nice to have some artistic consistency for once.

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did this run have to come to an end it was banging. Solid ending this ghost rider run and it was a little rushed in how they wanted to wrap it up but it was still really good.