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

[Doombot]

Nicolas Cage.

nyuk nyuk.

[Doombot]

Of course and that's the point - why can't a character who is unique like Ghost Rider not be as popular as some of the most boring super strong characters?

To me, it's because the stories he is usually in are boring and trite.

Why doesn't Ghost Rider battle it out with Thor on behalf of Hela and the Disir?

Why doesn't Ghost Rider fight Galactus for killing innocents for his hunger?

Why doesn't Ghost Rider fight Red Skull for his war crimes?

There is so much potential that is squandered on lame edge-lord angel of vengeance stories where he fights bikers and common criminals.

I would love to see the Rider go after Red Skull. Having to hunt down someone in Hela's Hel would also be amazing.

Galactus is a stretch, innocence or guilt is irrelevant to Galactus. I'm also not sure what the Rider would even be able to do, Mephisto himself had to back down from Galactus.

I'm all for moving Ghost Rider away from street thugs and biker gangs, but cosmic stuff is too much of a departure for the character in my opinion. The recent Cosmic Ghost Rider is so ridiculous as to almost be parody.

[Agent Z]

Of course and that's the point - why can't a character who is unique like Ghost Rider not be as popular as some of the most boring super strong characters?

What boring super strong characters are more popular than Ghost Rider? The only super strong characters from Marvel that would be more popular than him are Spider-Man, Black Panther, Hulk, Thing and Thor and I certainly wouldn't call any of them boring most of the time. Ghost Rider may not be in the same league as them but he's certainly got a better standing than, say, Gentle.

To me, it's because the stories he is usually in are boring and trite.

Why doesn't Ghost Rider battle it out with Thor on behalf of Hela and the Disir?

Why doesn't Ghost Rider fight Galactus for killing innocents for his hunger?

Why doesn't Ghost Rider fight Red Skull for his war crimes?

There is so much potential that is squandered on lame edge-lord angel of vengeance stories where he fights bikers and common criminals.

He doesn't fight bikers and common criminals most of the time. If you think that's why he struggles the solution is to lean into his supernatural aspects not have him fight other heroes' villains. All that will do is make people think he can't stand on his own without poaching from other franchises.

[charliehustle415]

You think that is original? A "cosmic Ghost Rider" has been around since the 90's. Jim Valenetino created one in his 90's Guardians of the Galaxy book.

Recently And was this Ghost Rider the Punisher?

What boring super strong characters are more popular than Ghost Rider? The only super strong characters from Marvel that would be more popular than him are Spider-Man, Black Panther, Hulk, Thing and Thor and I certainly wouldn't call any of them boring most of the time. Ghost Rider may not be in the same league as them but he's certainly got a better standing than, say, Gentle.



He doesn't fight bikers and common criminals most of the time. If you think that's why he struggles the solution is to lean into his supernatural aspects not have him fight other heroes' villains. All that will do is make people think he can't stand on his own without poaching from other franchises.

There are multiple legacy characters in Marvel right now that basically have the same power set as one another with long ongoing runs, yet a unique character with a unique power set cannot go beyond 8 issues.

I don't see a problem with him in other franchises because the spirit of vengeance should be universal and he should tackle beings like Galactus because he kills billions to simply satiate his hunger - that's the definition of Sloth

[Doombot]

Recently
I don't see a problem with him in other franchises because the spirit of vengeance should be universal and he should tackle beings like Galactus because he kills billions to simply satiate his hunger - that's the definition of Sloth

I get what you're saying but Galactus in particular doesn't kill out of sloth or any motivations beyond his own survival. He's essentially a cosmic predator, and I doubt the Ghost Rider would punish a lion for killing hundreds of zebra in it's lifetime. The unfortunate fate of the zebra, as well as the unlucky worlds consumed by Galactus, may be the same as someone murdered out of lust or anger, but the motivation of the killings make a difference for a character bent on punishing others.

One of the other issues, related to pushing the Rider cosmic, is the limits of his mythos. The Ghost Rider is a character deeply ingrained in, albeit somewhat vague, Western Christian beliefs. Forget pushing those beliefs, judgements and morals onto cosmic beings like Galactus, they get awkward even taking them to other parts of this planet. Would the Rider's powers work on people who worship other gods and religions? Would the Penance Stare work on a Buddhist or a devout follower of Hinduism? Could he attack Muslim characters? Does Jahannam exist in the MU, would the Rider be an agent of that version of Hell? Are these ideas too sticky for anyone at Marvel to tackle, should they just play it safe and have the Rider beat up on the familiar?

[charliehustle415]

The Ghost Rider is a character deeply ingrained in, albeit somewhat vague, Western Christian beliefs. Forget pushing those beliefs, judgements and morals onto cosmic beings like Galactus, they get awkward even taking them to other parts of this planet. Would the Rider's powers work on people who worship other gods and religions? Would the Penance Stare work on a Buddhist or a devout follower of Hinduism? Could he attack Muslim characters? Does Jahannam exist in the MU, would the Rider be an agent of that version of Hell? Are these ideas too sticky for anyone at Marvel to tackle, should they just play it safe and have the Rider beat up on the familiar?

This is an amazing exploration of Ghost Rider, why can't we have stories that look at this?

[The no face guy]

I was severely chocked to find out that they cancelled Ed Brisson's Ghost Rider series. Next to Daredevil I thought it was the best written comic on my pull list.

Hard to figure out sales with COVID, but was it selling poorly? It thought it was great!

So disappointed with the cancellation, they should have least let Brisson's current storyline with Mephisto run its course.

[Doombot]

I've also caught up on the series just in the last few days. I'm sorry I didn't get it sooner, as I haven't really liked a lot of the Rider stuff for some time, but I have to admit this series was pretty great. Both Danny and Johnny, Mephisto, Lilith, Belasco, Dr Strange, Punisher and Wolverine, so many fun characters in the mix. Even Blackheart in there before the end. I'm pretty bummed it was cancelled so abruptly.

[TheFallen]

I was severely chocked to find out that they cancelled Ed Brisson's Ghost Rider series. Next to Daredevil I thought it was the best written comic on my pull list.

Hard to figure out sales with COVID, but was it selling poorly? It thought it was great!

So disappointed with the cancellation, they should have least let Brisson's current storyline with Mephisto run its course.

This is the reason for me starting the thread. It was actually selling in the top 100 so it is not a lack of sales that killed it.

[The no face guy]

I've also caught up on the series just in the last few days. I'm sorry I didn't get it sooner, as I haven't really liked a lot of the Rider stuff for some time, but I have to admit this series was pretty great. Both Danny and Johnny, Mephisto, Lilith, Belasco, Dr Strange, Punisher and Wolverine, so many fun characters in the mix. Even Blackheart in there before the end. I'm pretty bummed it was cancelled so abruptly.

I know, it bummed me out as well, issue 7 was so good, I was waiting and waiting in earnest for issue 8...only to find out a few months later the series had been cancelled.

This is the reason for me starting the thread. It was actually selling in the top 100 so it is not a lack of sales that killed it.

I was looking at March 2020 sales before just before COVID hit, and unfortunately it wasn't selling great,(23,000) but still selling better than Dr. Strange.

I can only guess that in April COVID started to hit the series really hard so they cancelled it, while they're willing to plod Dr. Strange along because they have a movie for him in production.

In short, if it wasn't for COVID, we'd still probably all be enjoying reading Ghost Rider.

[Snoop Dogg]

Doctor Strange and GR both got axed because Marvel literally had a slate of books they axed as they reset production due to pandemic. It was not that the books were selling poorly, it was that they were low on the totem pole of profit, Marvel decided a part of that pole had to be chopped off no matter what, and away went your comics.

[K7P5V]

Lilith and the Lilin
Blackout
Blackheart
Mephisto
Nightmare

Also, don't forget...

• Belasco
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Belasco_(Earth-616)
  
  
• Scarecrow
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ebene...on_(Earth-616)
  
  
• Dormammu
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Dormammu_(Earth-616)
  
  
• Maelstrom/Deathurge
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Quasar_Vol_1_23

And yet characters with super strength are so much more popular than Ghost Rider.

I just think it is more interesting to put a character like that in new situations, that's why when Spidey is in the War of The Realms or fighting with the X-Men is so fun

OMG! I totally get what you're saying. Ghost Rider forming the New FF was most enjoyable...

Of course and that's the point - why can't a character who is unique like Ghost Rider not be as popular as some of the most boring super strong characters?

To me, it's because the stories he is usually in are boring and trite.

Why doesn't Ghost Rider battle it out with Thor on behalf of Hela and the Disir?

Why doesn't Ghost Rider fight Galactus for killing innocents for his hunger?

Why doesn't Ghost Rider fight Red Skull for his war crimes?

There is so much potential that is squandered on lame edge-lord angel of vengeance stories where he fights bikers and common criminals.

OMG! Ghost Rider VS. Galactus from FF: Season 2 is an all-time favorite...

[charliehustle415]

Also, don't forget...

• Belasco
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Belasco_(Earth-616)
  
  
• Scarecrow
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ebene...on_(Earth-616)
  
  
• Dormammu
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Dormammu_(Earth-616)
  
  
• Maelstrom/Deathurge
  https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Quasar_Vol_1_23

OMG! I totally get what you're saying. Ghost Rider forming the New FF was most enjoyable...




OMG! Ghost Rider VS. Galactus from FF: Season 2 is an all-time favorite...

LOL, you're bringing back old memories from the FF show I haven't thought about that show in years

[JonnyBlazed21]

Because he has no continuity, I'm his biggest fan( I own everything and I mean EVERYTHING) and he hasn't had a decent book since the 90's.

[Citizen Kane]

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.

How is a story about Johnny Blaze struggling with the demon inside him not a cause for tension or drama? I prefer when the Rider is something the "host" has trouble controlling, but they can see and feel everything the Rider is doing. The struggle between what the host feels is right and wrong, and what the Rider knows as right and wrong seems like a surefire way to tell a hell of a story.