Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Classic, Vol. 1

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Classic

by Howard Mackie, Javier Saltares (Contributor), Mark Texeira (Contributor)

1990: The debut of Danny Ketch as the Spirit of Vengeance - with menace, misfortune, and mystery waiting for him! After an origin whose full implications remain unrevealed to this day, the Ghost Rider goes flaming head-first into a gang war between the Kingpin and his conjuring competitor, Deathwatch! Plus: the bite of Blackout, the menace of Masque's Morlocks, and more! The Scarecrow makes his move into horror comics, while Flag-Smasher joins a war effort...to start one! Guest-starring the X-Men and the Punisher! Collects Ghost Rider #1-10.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Horror, Superheroes, Fiction, Supernatural

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2009

About the author

Howard Mackie is an American comic book editor and writer. He has worked almost exclusively for Marvel Comics.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was my introduction to Ghost Rider and after rereading these Danny Ketch remains my Ghost Rider. It's still a fantastic costume design, far superior to that diamond-skulled Robby Reyes. Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira set the mood wonderfully with their heavy lined art. The stories start out a little one-dimensional. I loved the episode with the Scarecrow. The Punisher and X-Factor also make appearances.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only got the first 6 issues on Marvel Unlimited, but still...this was one of the coolest most badass books when I was a kid (1990) I was 9-10. Flaming Skull? Leather jacket? Chains? Motorcycle? Penance Stare, Demon? A hell yes!

This covers some rather hokum things, until the Punisher team up in 5-6...then we've got half the most badass mofos of the 90s Marvel U. Loved it so much. Nostalgic for sure, the art is totally 90s, including a Jim Lee cover...

There's also Blackout, Kingpin and Mr. Hyde (who is in the latest new GR book).

Fun trip back...

[Andrew Schaaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

While being a little slow comparative to our modern comics, this is a fun read introducing a great Ghost Rider! The art feels old school, while adding in some incredible panels that feel more modern and detailed!

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a kid, this run was so massively impactful to me. The aesthetic, perfectly in line with late 80's horror fare like Pumpkinhead or The Gate, filled each issue with popcorn violence that, like those flicks, made it impossible to look away. It was the first series that inspired me to scour through back issue bins or eBay lots to fill in any gaps I might've had. More perinently it became my introduction to the character and a more adult corner of 616, not just in Ghost Rider but in Danny Ketch. I always found Danny the squeaky clean pariah a more compelling protagonist than Johnny Blaze - Danny's rider damn sure had the better costume - and I still think it's a shame he's not as loved or remembered as his predecessor. So why just two stars?

Upon re-reading the series in trade, I can see some of the things I loved about this book as a child definitely forming the backbone of my personal taste in a bigger way than I was aware of. Virtually all the noir, every tale of a moralistic innocent in over their head, every single dope I like just 'cause he made a bad deal once and's been out for blood ever since, I can see myself discovering in Mackie/ Saltares/ Texeira first. However, I have found a lot of those same concepts depicted better in other places as I went along, and they're not even quite fleshed out at this point in the run. Ghost Rider's stoic, vengeant persona only barely begins to even kind of land for me through dialogue by issue nine, and even then I didn't find a single other character's to be close to perfect either.

I was also tossed by the change in interior pencils at first. Saltares is a great fit here! He and Texeira both are actually, and the book wouldn't even be half of what it is without the two of them together. For example, there are some interesting tricks both deploy to convey villain Blackout. I do have a clear preference for Salatares's interiors here though, and I kinda wish Texeira hadn't been promoted to breakdowns just as I felt Salatares hitting his strides. The visual language of the book and the layouts change in such a noticeable way after that. I had to remember to read (and re-read) pages differently as well, which slowed me down in many an action sequence.

If any of these qualities appeal to you, well... maybe two stars seems a little harsh. But this particular trade currently commands a price so insane on the secondary market that it'd give Ebenezer Laughton pause. Nearly sixty bucks used doesn't justify what's included for me. Consider this one a perfect 2.5.

[Todd Gleason · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid growing up in the 90s these early issues of the Dan Ketch era of Ghost Rider were my probably my first venture into the supernatural/horror genre of comics. Over two decades have passed since I first read this run, and it still brings me almost as much joy and excitement as the very first time. Admittedly, some of that excitement may be rooted in nostalgia. There were some glaring issues I found hard to ignore this time around; the front runner of these being the overly one dimensional villains. There is also a fundamental lack of prominent side characters in these early issues. The few that recur from issue to issue (Stacy, Jack, Dan’s Mom) have next to no consequence to the story or Dan’s development, and serve as little more than scene transitional place holders.

Criticisms aside, there was still much I loved about this book including; Dan’s reluctance to accept the spirit of vengeance, his constant struggle between his approval of Ghost Rider’s mission to defend or avenge the innocent and disapproval of his methods, and most of all the art which is so very 90s in all the best ways.

For better or worse, this series along with much of Chris Claremont’s X-Men are likely the most important books in shaping my taste in comics for years to come. For that alone it will forever be among my all time favourites.

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Patience is not a characteristic of the Ghost Rider. Nor is Mercy"
-Ghost Rider #2
"You remember how, when we were little, I was afraid of the dark, Barb? Well, sometimes I'm still afraid. Only now the dark places are in me..."
-Ghost Rider #2

After reading the first 30 or so issues of the original Ghost Rider stories from the 70's and being disappointed with how Ghost Rider was such a wimpy, underpowered joke in his early comics, I was pleasantly surprised that his early 90s incarnation was everything that I want Ghost Rider to be. He is cracking bad guys' windpipes with his chain, reducing their heads to pulp with his fists, and dragging them behind his speeding motorcycle through the streets of New York.

Lets back up a bit, though. The early nineties heralded a big change in comics. Everything was angsty and extreme. Over at DC Comics, Green lantern's girlfriend was getting chopped up and stuffed into a refrigerator. At Marvel, heroes like Ghost Rider and the Punisher thrived because they already embodied that angst and violence that was suddenly being put into comics.

What does that mean for early 90s Ghost Rider? It means that he faces villains such as a guy that wants to spread a deadly plague that will wipe out millions because--and I shit you not--he gets orgasms when he kills people. He also faces serial killers that have no problems with wiping out whole families, targeting children, and even hunting down Ghost Rider's friends and family and brutally murdering them one by one. Some people might be put off by this and, if that is you, you might want to look elsewhere for your comics entertainment. If you are still ready to journey into the heart of darkness with ol' flame head, then buckle up, because this book is a hell of a ride!

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is from the early nineties, and it shows. The main character has heaps of angst, the art is a detailed, but sketchy style (rather reminiscent of the crow in the penciling), and it focuses a lot on crime stories. Still, it was quite well done, overall. The text is a bit less dense than other contemporary comics (a lot of what I have read at the time was from the mutant books, and this flows a bit faster than those), and it's pretty coherent throughout, and features crossovers with some other characters (the Punisher and X-Factor, but also Captain America and Hulk villains). It's a pretty good introduction to a new incarnation of the character, and doesn't go too far despite Ghost Rider being a pretty powerful character. I'm actually interested to read more, which is not something I expected when reading a Ghost Rider comic, since I didn't have a lot of history with the character, and mostly read it since it seemed Halloween-themed.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ricordo quando apparve la serie: sia negli USA sia in Italia ebbe un buon successo.
Il personaggio, la nuova versione di Ghost Rider, colpì subito il pubblico ma anche gli altri autori di casa Marvel. Le apparizione come guest star nelle testate si moltiplicarono. Poi la moda passò...

Il volume raccoglie i primi 10 albi, quasi tutti disegnati da Saltares e inchiostrati da Texeira. Riletti a tanti anni di distanza dalla prima lettura, queste storie non sono invecchiate male, ma neanche bene. La trama, col senso di mistero sull'origine del nuovo Ghost e i dubbi di Danny Ketch, regge ancora. Regge meno la reazione alla morte della sorella per mano di Blackout, che andava approfondita maggiormente. Qui Mackie un poco delude, dopo aver posto quelle premesse d'ambito familiare così marcate. Reggono abbastanza i temi dei sobborghi violenti di Brooklyn e l'atmosfera per lo più notturna, nonché la location principale, ossia i cimiteri di Cypress Hill.

Reggono meno i disegni, man mano che Texeira diventa preponderante. All'inizio, nei primi 4 o 5 numeri, si vede molto di più la mano di Saltares, le figure hanno maggior variabilità e non sono tutte grosse e tarchiate come quando Texeira s'impone.

Quindi che voto dare a questo volume?
Credo che le 3 stelle tutto sommato ci stiano ancora bene, anche se magari qualcosina in meno sarebbe più corretto.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally dove back into Marvel Unlimited.

Started with Dr. Strange.

Was again reminded I don’t fucking like Dr Strange. I keep trying. I mean, even Hawkeye had a cool run a few years back, right? Dr. Strange has to be cool some day . . .

But not this day.

So I switched to Ghost Rider. Figured I’d go back to my childhood.

Some of the painful tropes are here:

Heroes mentioning their special moves, like Ghost Rider bringing up his “penance stare.”

Villains calling themselves by their moniker.

Shit’s par for the course for this time period.

What I was not expecting was how dark this shit was at times. Kids, babies, even dogs dying. It was always implied, but still, DAMN!

When I read comics or watched TV as a kid, seemed like the superhero always swept in just in time to save the day.

Ghost Rider is usually on time, but he can’t be everywhere, and people fucking die about it. It was refreshingly real.

Other than that this is mid-tier storytelling.

But unlike my reading habits with Dr. Strange, I’ll read almost anything Ghost Rider. So four stars just because I like the character.

[Ian Rutland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

The art is passable, but the coloring is so dull, mundane and flat. It just sucks the life out of the story and makes everything such a chore to look at. The writing is horrible. Danny Ketch has no character. The supporting cast have no character. The villains have no character, save a brief appearance by the Kingpin. The stories are formulaic and rushed. For a flame-headed, undead, motorcycle riding main character, there sure is a lack of excitement and there is not a single good action scene in the book. I could go on, but let's just cap this off by saying I won't get volume 2.

[Johnathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great relaunch of the classic character, with a new identity in Danny Ketch along with redesign of the character. Mackie does a great job rebranding the character while tying him into the original, with Johnny Blaze eventually making an appearance, while artists Javier Saltaries and Mark Texeira do a great job redesigning the character to what is now considered his definite look, with black leather jacket and chains. Granted, this is a book still very much stuck in my the 90's but a great read all around for fans of the character.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

All this Avengers crossover stuff made me want to go back and read Ghost Rider, so I bought the collections instead of opening up my old collection. I can see why it appealed to me so much as a kid - Brooklyn & Queens, a lot of catholic overtones, and someone who spends a lot of time protecting and avenging kids.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a reason Ghost Rider was such a popular character in the ‘90s, and it’s because of the strong start that Mackie, Texeira, and Saltares gave him. GR quickly became a poster boy for ‘90s Marvel excess, but these early Danny Ketch stories are classic general audience horror comics.

[Chris W · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Solid fun. Heavy action, lighter plots, decent set ups. I honestly think that this version of Ghost Rider with a modern update would work really well.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a blast — 90s but in the good way and really well drawn.

[Common Sense · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uninteresting origin story. Not much depth to narrative and characters. Not appropriate for adult readers.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuff I Read – Ghost Rider Danny Ketch Classic vol 1

This series really surprised me. I’ve been reading the Essential Ghost Rider volumes for a while now, and have read all of the newer Ghost Rider series, but this one catches me as being drastically different from the first Ghost Rider series and much more in tune with the darker and moodier stories of the second series. First off, the Ghost Rider persona is truly a persona, and Dan Ketch has very little control over the monster within. Also, unlike Johnny who got tricked into becoming the Ghost Rider through some weird logic with making deals with the devil, Dan chooses to become the Ghost Rider. To Dan it is like a drug, an addiction that he cannot get rid of. He feels good punishing evil. The series tackles this directly, and Dan even tries to claim that it doesn’t matter if Ghost Rider does good out of a want to do good or out of a want for vengeance. Because, obviously, being the spirit of vengeance is what Ghost Rider is about, and often there is little heroic about him. He doesn’t forgive and he doesn’t let anyone off easy.

Surprising to me after all of the much tamer materials of the first Ghost Rider is that with these there is much more violence and killing. The new hook is that Ghost Rider appears when innocent blood is spilled, and that is often. His first arc takes him against Deathwatch and Blackout, and he wins but disfigures Blackout. And in a very dark move, Blackout then goes about murdering people close to Dan, starting with his sister. Yes, is a quite daring move, given how most mainstream comics are, Dan’s sister is murdered while in a coma. This of course does things to Dan, pushing him to want more control when Ghost Rider, but it also shows that these are villains that are serious. Blackout then starts killing around Dan. A newsstand owner he knows, his priest, some random person he passes. It is that dark reflection of vengeance, where Ghost Rider is put up as the heroic avenger and Blackheart as the cruel, sadistic one. But Ghost Rider gets his hands dirty plenty, and from mugger to rapist normally leaves them a gibbering mass of insanity.

This makes for quite the good read, but there are a few nagging things about the series that are getting to me. One is that people should know about Ghost Rider. He was around for a while and even on a superteam, though it was the Champions. Even Iceman, who was on that same team, doesn’t seem to know who Ghost Rider is. That makes this all a little sketchy, because Ghost Rider’s portrayal in the media is a plot thread, and I find it more odd that no one in the media would put the whole “flaming headed motorcyclist who might fight crime” puzzle together. Or you’d think that Dan might have wanted to do some research into what he is turning into and might seek more information about the Ghost Rider. But no. It is all just accepted and ignored. And while that bothers me a bit, it does not change the fact that these are some damn good issues. The art and writing fit with feel of the stories, and with Dan you get the feeling that he isn’t a hero. Not just because he doesn’t have control of Ghost Rider but because it takes so long for him to want control.

The series really is about Dan and his coming to terms with what Ghost Rider is and means. It is his addiction, and his choice to keep going back to the Ghost Rider. But even after his sister’s murder and his life kind of hitting the shits, he keeps going back. And seeing that super-powers as an addiction in a protagonist is rather interesting. I mean, I know where it leads him eventually, as that is covered in Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch, but there is still the rest of the second series of Ghost Rider to get through, and if this volume is any indication it is a good series. I give the first volume an 8/10.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had a soft spot for the early issues of this series. I don't think they're incredibly well written (although I also don't think they're bad written), but the art is great and it sets a mood in a way most comics never do.

[Daniel Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 90's comic through and through, weak on plot and character development but heavy on violence. This is a weak introduction to Ghost Rider, the villains are either bland or leftovers from other Marvel comics of the day.