Ghost Racers #01

by King on June 29, 2015

Ghost Racers #01 Main Image
Writer: Felipe Smith
Artist: Juan Gedeon
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Publisher: Marvel
 
Felipe Smith had nothing short of a PHENOMENAL run with last year’s All-New Ghost Rider, and the tale of Robbie Reyes and Eli would have been my favorite series, were it not for the art change following the first arc of the series. That being said, Ghost Racers was one of my most anticipated Battleworld tie-ins. So, how’d it hold up? Damn fine.
 
Amongst the multitude of microcosms birthed into creation by Doom’s creation of Battleworld, only one reigns supreme when it comes to full-on pedal-to-the-metal action and entertainment: The Killiseum, home of THE GHOST RACES. Here the various Spirits of Vengeance put their very metal, spirit, and even flesh on the line for the sake of becoming the soul victor in race where the stakes have never been higher. Only one can come out on top, and for those slow enough to suffer loss, the only thing waiting is torment… until the next race.
 
Several things stood out to me about this issue, mainly in that the creative team let themselves so wild with the designs, and we get to see some of the most fearsome and imaginative Ghost Riders to date, all of whom have been “battle-ized” for participation (against their wills) in the races. Also, Smith hasn’t changed his tone in writing the story, or at least in writing Reyes, who is still very involved with his little brother Gabe, and clearly prioritizes him as his sort of primary motivation in racing.
 
All in all, yeah, I REALLY liked the book. I’m clearly biased, but I still think that Robbie Reyes is one of the best additions to the Marvel-616, and the Smith’s tone and inclinations in writing the character very much make for a dynamic hero who’s having to make hard calls and to those ends rather self-serving – it’s a pretty good anti-heroic formula, which is great for a Ghost Rider. I can’t wait to see how this series plays out, and have to admit that so far Marvel has been handling its Battleworld tie-ins with a more expert level of care/attention than I was expecting. If you’ve got the coin the spare, assuming you didn’t blow your paycheck on the 60 other tie-in books, this one’s quite worth a read.

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside