What should happen in the future with Ghost Rider and related characters?

[TheSontaran]

While Ghost Rider has had a bumpy past, it continues to be one of Marvel's oldest concepts - albeit with a bit of mantle passing. Ghost Rider has traditionally been a motorcycle riding, vengeance dealing character in the form of Johnny Blaze and Daniel Ketch. Briefly in the 90's there was a similar character Vengeance.

And more recently there has been a female version (Alejandra I believe? I missed those stories) and the most recent Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, who tends to prefer a car over a motorcycle.

After Secret Wars' Ghost Racers, which features pretty much all of the GR characters, where does the Ghost Rider franchise need to go to be successful and entertaining?

Options as I see them are:
Back to basics with Johnny or Danny (or both)
One of the newer GR's
All of them (a book featuring all or most of the characters who have been GR)
New GR - start from scratch and make a new character
Or I suppose GR could get shelved and left in limbo (it has happened in the past)

I personally wouldn't mind options 1 or 3 - back to basics or all the characters appearing. I would like to see someone take the reigns who can handle solid myth-building and design an interestingly complex world (hopefully built on the already existing mythos, though only to an extent).

I personally like all the GR's and wouldn't mind any of them appearing (though I'm not familiar with the female version, I still need to read those).

[Of Atlantis]

Marvel's largely ignored the Ghost Riders who have actually proven successful and I'm not sure I understand why. It's a bit irksome, seeing how I'm a big fan of Johnny and Danny and their last series together ran for 30+ issues and ended in an event. Waiting for a series featuring those two has been frustrating, seeing how for whatever reason, Marvel has tried to replace them twice with Alejandra and now Robbie, with neither being a commercial or critical success. Really doesn't justify why Johnny and Danny fans have to wait so long.

I don't mind the new two going off and doing their own thing, but I personally want to see Johnny and Danny return as the main Ghost Riders again. They need a series and it's long overdue. One thing I think they should do however is clean up their origin, even if it means starting from scratch. Their continuity is a mess and if Marvel wants it to be successful, it'll need to be accessible. It would also help if they had a few prominent appearances in other titles where they don't end up getting completely jobbed. That would be great for once.

[DevilBat66]

I would like a new Ghost RIDER book with Johnny Blaze. He's still the best one.

I would also like a new Ghost RACER book with Robbie. He's cool character and I'd like to see him continue with his own, unique, identity.

I do NOT want a team book featuring all the Ghost Riders. It's okay for Secret Wars but, I wouldn't enjoy it on a regular basis.

Another new GR is pointless. If they can't make him work with Blaze, the original GR, I'd rather they just ignored it.

[shades of eternity]

For all the faults of the movies, they got a lot right by consolidating the many versions of the character

Ghost Rider has so much potential its not even funny, but you almost have to consolidate the supernatural elements before you can use him effectively.

Furthermore Ghost Rider needs to be a what.

I loved the idea of a tortured angel driven insane and melded with a man who damned himself for all the right reasons and that needs to be the basis of the story.

the comics should feel like more like the old horror comics before the comic code authority.

However, despite ALWAYS being on the side of angels in spite of himself, he should be completely unsettling and something that scares the bejesus out of veteran heroes and villains alike.

[MajorHoy]

While Ghost Rider has had a bumpy past, it continues to be one of Marvel's oldest concepts - albeit with a bit of mantle passing.

Huh?

If you're including the Western characters who wore costumes and called themselves "Ghost Rider", that's one thing. But if you're talking Johnny Blaze and his successors, he's only been around since 1972.



The first issue of the Fantastic Four was back in 1961. Do you realize how many heroes / concepts were created for Marvel Comics in that eleven year span?

[TheSontaran]

Marvel's largely ignored the Ghost Riders who have actually proven successful and I'm not sure I understand why. It's a bit irksome, seeing how I'm a big fan of Johnny and Danny and their last series together ran for 30+ issues and ended in an event.

I tend to agree. It doesn't make sense to me that Ghost Rider in general and Danny/Johnny specifically are ignored.

I would like a new Ghost RIDER book with Johnny Blaze. He's still the best one.

I would also like a new Ghost RACER book with Robbie. He's cool character and I'd like to see him continue with his own, unique, identity.

Some good points and I wouldn't mind two GR related titles (though not really more than that). Would you prefer the Ghost Rider or Blaze version of Johnny?

For all the faults of the movies, they got a lot right by consolidating the many versions of the character

I loved the idea of a tortured angel driven insane and melded with a man who damned himself for all the right reasons and that needs to be the basis of the story.

the comics should feel like more like the old horror comics before the comic code authority.

However, despite ALWAYS being on the side of angels in spite of himself, he should be completely unsettling and something that scares the bejesus out of veteran heroes and villains alike.

I like what you're saying about the mythos building and the horror aspect, it's definitely true GR shouldn't really be a "super hero" at least not in the traditional sense.

[TheSontaran]

Huh?

If you're including the Western characters who wore costumes and called themselves "Ghost Rider", that's one thing. But if you're talking Johnny Blaze and his successors, he's only been around since 1972.



The first issue of the Fantastic Four was back in 1961. Do you realize how many heroes / concepts were created for Marvel Comics in that eleven year span?

Semantics. I'd say 1972 is long enough to say "one of Marvel's oldest concepts". Which part of my sentence is incorrect? I did not state that they were the oldest, or in the top 10 oldest, or anything of the sort. Do you know how many characters and concepts that have been introduced after Ghost Rider?

And not to discount your opinion at all, but perhaps we would be better served discussing the actual topic and not taking apart one single part of a single sentence?

[cyberhubbs]

A Ghost Rider revival would probably be attached to a larger overhaul of Marvel's supernatural world. Or an evolution of it. The supernatural is always so mired in the past, dusty and Old World-ish. So I'd take an idea I had for Dr. Strange and expand on it, introducing New Age supernatural concepts that are threatening to replace the old ways with guys like Strange stuck in the middle of what's essentially (un)natural selection.

I'm not sure who'd be involved, though I suppose each GR has something to lose, be it for better or for worse. Perhaps an anthology series that has them scattered around the world and focuses on their individual adventures during this time of turbulent change.

And of course there's Mephisto trying to play both sides of the conflict so no matter who wins he survives.

[MajorHoy]

Semantics. I'd say 1972 is long enough to say "one of Marvel's oldest concepts". Which part of my sentence is incorrect? I did not state that they were the oldest, or in the top 10 oldest, or anything of the sort. Do you know how many characters and concepts that have been introduced after Ghost Rider?

And not to discount your opinion at all, but perhaps we would be better served discussing the actual topic and not taking apart one single part of a single sentence?

It might also be a question of age . . . I remember buying a few Marvel comic books back in the 1960s, which is why "oldest concepts" and "1972" doesn't work for me.

[Jumpoff AKA JohnnyBlazed]

Oh yeah I'm all about this thread,soon as I get home from work I'll contribut, just due to me not wanting to type it all out.

[TheSontaran]

It might also be a question of age . . . I remember buying a few Marvel comic books back in the 1960s, which is why "oldest concepts" and "1972" doesn't work for me.

That could be true. My earliest comics were "Death in the Family" and "The Death of Superman". So mid to late 80s and 90's.

I'm kind of jealous you were there during Marvel's beginning. Such a time it must have been to be a comic fan.

[TheSontaran]

A Ghost Rider revival would probably be attached to a larger overhaul of Marvel's supernatural world. Or an evolution of it. The supernatural is always so mired in the past, dusty and Old World-ish. So I'd take an idea I had for Dr. Strange and expand on it, introducing New Age supernatural concepts that are threatening to replace the old ways with guys like Strange stuck in the middle of what's essentially (un)natural selection.

I'm not sure who'd be involved, though I suppose each GR has something to lose, be it for better or for worse. Perhaps an anthology series that has them scattered around the world and focuses on their individual adventures during this time of turbulent change.

And of course there's Mephisto trying to play both sides of the conflict so no matter who wins he survives.

So are you meaning for a revival of 90's Midnight Sons era characters along with Werewolf by Night and Man Thing and the sort? I wouldn't mind that, but I'd settle for just a good firm Ghost Rider book.

Oh yeah I'm all about this thread,soon as I get home from work I'll contribut, just due to me not wanting to type it all out.

Take your time, the thread is (hopefully) not going anywhere.

[SuperiorIronman]

I wasn't sure why Johnny or Danny just fell off the map in terms of solo books. It seems odd in my opinion that redefining the character and legacy heroes continue coming to the books. To me Ghost Rider suffered similarly to what happened with Moon Knight essentially where after the initial run or two it got too big and writers didn't know where to go with the story any more. I wouldn't be against a mini to get Ghost Rider back on track. Get Johnny or Danny with a done in one five issue mini, have an overarching plot and an end game in mind.

[cyberhubbs]

So are you meaning for a revival of 90's Midnight Sons era characters along with Werewolf by Night and Man Thing and the sort? I wouldn't mind that, but I'd settle for just a good firm Ghost Rider book.

It'd touch on their corners of the world, sure. I think post-conflict, the GRs -- or possibly singular GR -- would have to find a place in the supernatural new world order as something of a relic, or the concept even evolves as well. Which may involve more change than fans are comfortable with, but eh.

[Moriarty]

i'd like a Ghost Rider title with Johnny as the main character. instead of dealing with Heaven and Hell or where exactly his powers come from or the curse i'd want something like Supernatural. just Johnny traveling across the country, getting into adventures. a Ghost Racers book with Danny and Robbie would be nice too.