Why doesn’t Ghost Rider work in a solo series?

[TheFallen]

He is one of the most distinctly recognisable characters. His last solo by Ed Brisson was pretty good and was selling in the top 100 comics monthly and there is the live action coming.

The horror of Immortal Hulk shows that Marvel can do horror really well but Ghost Rider seems to always flounder.

My personal nostalgia longs for a return of the Midnight Sons family, to see Ghost Rider, Blade, Morbius, the Nightstalkers, Hellstorm holding their own in their own part of the MU. Even Terror Inc, could be thrown in the mix.

While I’m at it, I’d take a mini series, or even better an ongoing, of Ghost Rider 2099.

So why doesn’t Ghost Rider seem to work as a regular ongoing?

[The Cool Thatguy]

Because Ghost Rider is basically Jason, only he's aimed at bad guys.

I mean, yeah he looks awesome. But he's basically an indestructible, unrelenting creature of vengeance. Just slowing him down is an accomplishment. And though he filled the same role as the Spectre, he's never crossed the same lines.

So yeah, where's the tension? The drama? He's virtually impossible to hurt or even slow down.

[ed2962]

Well, it worked in the comics in the 70's and again in the 90's and while the movies weren't super blockbusters, they did ok. So, it's not that the concept doesn't work. It's more a case of the shrinking direct market and how well Marvel expects titles to do in said market. I kinda feel if it were a creator owned title from an indie as opposed to a corporate IP, GR would be given more of a chance by said owner.

[Ptrvc]

Well, it worked in the comics in the 70's and again in the 90's and while the movies weren't super blockbusters, they did ok. So, it's not that the concept doesn't work. It's more a case of the shrinking direct market and how well Marvel expects titles to do in said market. I kinda feel if it were a creator owned title from an indie as opposed to a corporate IP, GR would be given more of a chance by said owner.

Part of the problem is that every Ghost Rider series comes with a massive retcon, or reimagining. He's a demon, a ghost, an an angel, there are two, three, forty thousand and so forth.

In the l awe st one we barely got to see Danny as GR at all. If we'd of gotten a couple issues of one-offs to set the tone I think it would of done much better.

[TheFallen]

Well, it worked in the comics in the 70's and again in the 90's and while the movies weren't super blockbusters, they did ok. So, it's not that the concept doesn't work. It's more a case of the shrinking direct market and how well Marvel expects titles to do in said market. I kinda feel if it were a creator owned title from an indie as opposed to a corporate IP, GR would be given more of a chance by said owner.

Issue #5 sold 22k units and was the 83rd best selling comic for March. Issue #6 sold 23k units and was the 72nd best selling comic for April.

I understand COVID hit and everything changed after that but it was selling enough to warrant keeping it going.

Maybe live action will change things around. It seems to have worked wonders for Venom.....

[TheFallen]

Because Ghost Rider is basically Jason, only he's aimed at bad guys.

I mean, yeah he looks awesome. But he's basically an indestructible, unrelenting creature of vengeance. Just slowing him down is an accomplishment. And though he filled the same role as the Spectre, he's never crossed the same lines.

So yeah, where's the tension? The drama? He's virtually impossible to hurt or even slow down.

As with every single character, the right writer can do wonders.

[The Cool Thatguy]

As with every single character, the right writer can do wonders.

No doubt, but there are limits, especially in serial fiction.

I'm not saying he's a bad character, but I'm not shocked that an ongoing with Ghosty struggles. How many different series has it been now?

[TheFallen]

It would be have to be up there with Captain Marvel restarts....

I kid!

[Jabare]

but it did work........

[TheFallen]

Sorry, I should’ve clarified, in modern comics.

[Doombot]

I agree with statements earlier in the thread, Ghost Rider suffers from far too many retcons/reimaginings. There seems to be no definitive version of what the Ghost Rider is. Way too many differing ideas, even if you wanted to get into the Rider, you may like one series and then be repulsed by what's done in the others. I don't even know who the current Rider is at the moment. I see a weird skull helmeted guy in a charger pop up, and before that wasn't there's like two blue flame headed Riders, one or more of them were women? I don't what the hell is going one. Pretty much anything to do with the Rider is a complete mess. Marvel needs to get a great writer involved and hammer out what this character is supposed to be, what the demon is, what are his powers, what are the motivations of the man and the demon, what the direction of the story supposed to be etc etc. Everything is all over the place. Even Rider's Heaven'Hell mythos are a mess and they don't feel connected to the larger Marvel Universe. Every time a new Rider story is made it's like a new version of Hell and Satan. Does Marvel even have a legit version of Satan? Or Heaven? It always feels off.

I always felt the best thing to do with the Rider is to get him away from the MU big cities, get him out into the wider unexplored Marvel version of the USA. He should be on the move, haunting back roads and lonely destinations, something more akin to how the Hulk sometimes is done, especially the 70's TV series. Whoever the Rider is, he's terrified of and mostly in conflict with, the demon, and the demon with him. Figure out why the "Satan" figure gave or cursed the man with this demon, why the man accepted and what the demon itself wants. While the main character is dealing with all these things, he and the demon, should be hunting and destroying all manner of supernatural beings, monsters, ghosts, demons, as well as human killers and general bad people. Have the demon be terrifying, but tone down the nigh-unstoppable, indestructible, force of (super)nature bit.

Get something like this figured out and leave it that way. Stop wiping the slate for this character, it's beyond damaging. It's a shame because he has one of the most iconic and recognizable looks in all of comics. You always know, that's the Ghost Rider, but unfortunately never know who the Ghost Rider is.

[Grapeweasel]

Not everybody can be Spider-Man. Ghost Rider has had a few successful runs, and the concept is something fresh creators always want to pitch.

[Agent Z]

I agree with statements earlier in the thread, Ghost Rider suffers from far too many retcons/reimaginings. There seems to be no definitive version of what the Ghost Rider is. Way too many differing ideas, even if you wanted to get into the Rider, you may like one series and then be repulsed by what's done in the others. I don't even know who the current Rider is at the moment. I see a weird skull helmeted guy in a charger pop up, and before that wasn't there's like two blue flame headed Riders, one or more of them were women? I don't what the hell is going one. Pretty much anything to do with the Rider is a complete mess. Marvel needs to get a great writer involved and hammer out what this character is supposed to be, what the demon is, what are his powers, what are the motivations of the man and the demon, what the direction of the story supposed to be etc etc. Everything is all over the place. Even Rider's Heaven'Hell mythos are a mess and they don't feel connected to the larger Marvel Universe. Every time a new Rider story is made it's like a new version of Hell and Satan. Does Marvel even have a legit version of Satan? Or Heaven? It always feels off.

I always felt the best thing to do with the Rider is to get him away from the MU big cities, get him out into the wider unexplored Marvel version of the USA. He should be on the move, haunting back roads and lonely destinations, something more akin to how the Hulk sometimes is done, especially the 70's TV series. Whoever the Rider is, he's terrified of and mostly in conflict with, the demon, and the demon with him. Figure out why the "Satan" figure gave or cursed the man with this demon, why the man accepted and what the demon itself wants. While the main character is dealing with all these things, he and the demon, should be hunting and destroying all manner of supernatural beings, monsters, ghosts, demons, as well as human killers and general bad people. Have the demon be terrifying, but tone down the nigh-unstoppable, indestructible, force of (super)nature bit.

Get something like this figured out and leave it that way. Stop wiping the slate for this character, it's beyond damaging. It's a shame because he has one of the most iconic and recognizable looks in all of comics. You always know, that's the Ghost Rider, but unfortunately never know who the Ghost Rider is.

Mephisto is a major Ghost Rider enemy and has been a staple of the wider Marvel universe for decades. Even then, I don't see why being connected to the wider Marvel Universe is a requirement. Many of Marvel's greatest characters have little to no connection to the wider universe.

[Shadowcat]

He does, unfortunately Covid struck a big blow to his last book. I’m not liking Ghost Rider in the Avengers at all.

[Shadowcat]

Mephisto is a major Ghost Rider enemy and has been a staple of the wider Marvel universe for decades. Even then, I don't see why being connected to the wider Marvel Universe is a requirement. Many of Marvel's greatest characters have little to no connection to the wider universe.

Bring back Zarathos, and Lilith. Use them in some mystical books, to up their recognizability factor, and let Danny grow.