Ghost Rider: Vengeance Unbound

GHOST RIDER # 73 (volume 1)

SYNOPSIS
Trapped in the void, the Ghost Rider rages about the events of the previous issue. Johnny, meanwhile, is tied up and unconscious in the trailer of the Circus of Crime. The Circus members (Live Wire, Fire-Eater, Strong Man, Cannonball, and the Gambonno Brothers) elect the newly returned Clown as their leader. The Clown leads the group back to the Quentin Carnival, where he has a private discussion with Ralph Quentin, Cynthia, and Red. Back in the trailer, the Ghost Rider's astral form forces Johnny back to consciousness. Blaze unties his ropes and heads out for the Carnival, refusing to let the demon out.

Quentin holds an assembly of the Carnival workers, with the Clown standing behind him. He tells them that the Circus of Crime has offered to help keep them going. Ralph then declares that he refuses to touch their dirty money, and the Clown continues by saying that the Circus are responsible for his dad, Corky, being in the hospital. He tells the carnies that he's brought the criminals to them, and for them to take them out. The carnies revolt, and one by one the Circus of Crime members are taken out. Eventually, the only one left standing is the Fire-Eater, who proceeds to burn down the Carnival as the Clown pursues him. From the hill overlooking the Carnival, Johnny sees the flames, prompting the Ghost Rider to demand his freedom. An explosion from below knocks Blaze to his feet, where he sees his cycle leathers lying in the glass, blown to him from the explosion.

The Clown catches up to the Fire-Eater, but before the two can fight, a wall of fire cuts off their only way of escape. The Ghost Rider flies through the wall on his bike, and upon stopping picks the vehicle up to throw at the Fire-Eater. The criminal attempts to fight back, but quickly realizes that his inferno discs do little against the demon. The Rider gives him a choice: face him, or jump through the wall of fire. The Fire-Eater chooses the latter, jumping through the flames and burning most of his body. The Ghost Rider then grabs the Clown and fries his soul with hellfire. As the demon revels in his victory, Red Fowler comes through one of the tents and says that the Clown led the Circus there so they could be captured. The Ghost Rider has punished an innocent man, and upon learning this, the demon is taken aback in guilt. Using this chance, Johnny fights his way back into control. He and Red talk about what's happened, unsure of what to do now that the Carnival has been destroyed.

ANNOTATIONS
Elliot Franklin, the Clown, arrived at the carnival in Ghost Rider # 70 (vol. 1). The Circus of Crime soon followed, arriving in Ghost Rider # 72 (vol. 1).

Red Fowler learned that Blaze housed the demon in Ghost Rider # 65, when he witnessed Johnny's transformation.

This issue was reprinted in The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again # 3.

REVIEW
The review for this issue has been a long time coming, and its one I've admittedly put off writing for some time now. Not only is it one of my all-time favorite issues of Ghost Rider, it was also the first issue of the series that I ever read (though not my first Ghost Rider story, which was Avengers # 214).

Roger Stern wraps up his too-brief run on the series with the conclusion to the Circus of Crime story that had been building (whether it was intentional or not) since Michael Fleisher's final issue six months before. The Circus of Crime was always sort of looked upon as a joke concept, an idea for villains that - while unique - couldn't offer much of a substantial threat to most superheroes. I believe they fought the Hulk several times, and were of course involved in the infamous Yellowjacket/Wasp wedding issue of the Avengers, but I highly doubt they'd ever been considered B or even C-list villains. Roger Stern changed all that with this issue, proving that a little bit of characterization can make even the most dubious of character concepts viable. The Circus of Crime transform throughout this issue from generic circus cliches to full-blown people, and Stern makes it look effortless. The Clown, in particular, gets spectacular treatment with a fate that's heart-breaking to watch. Eliot Franklin wasn't just a Clown criminal, he was a character that I sympathized with; and when he meets his fate at the Ghost Rider's hands, I found myself distraught over how unfair the ending was to him. This book affected me greatly when I first read it as a kid, and it's story has stuck with me ever since. Stern plays every note perfectly; look at how easily the Ghost Rider manipulates Johnny into setting him free, playing on his fears and emotions. My favorite moment, I have to say, is when the Ghost Rider realizes that he's just destroyed the soul of an innocent man. The demon's reaction was just as traumatic as his vengeance-seeking only pages before.

This issue is also a fantastic spotlight for the Quentin Carnival, who get loads of screen time while they take out the Circus of Crime one by one. This is another group that really came to life under Stern's watch, even though they were created by Michael Fleisher. Under the former writer's pen, they weren't so much characters as props that led Johnny to new adventures while finally giving him some semblance of a stable supporting cast. In just the last 5 issues, the Carnival members like Red, Corky, Ralph, and Cynthia have really become fleshed out and get their deserved turn in the spotlight in this issue. Red Fowler, specifically, has transformed from a completely unlikable character to my favorite in the supporting cast.

While this may be Stern's final issue, we've only hit the mid-point in artist Bob Budiansky's stellar run on the series. To me, Budiansky is the definitive Ghost Rider artist, but he's not the only factor to the art's success. The book's inker was Dave Simons, who stayed on the series almost to the end, and when he left the book the change was immediately noticeable. Budiansky still did a great job, but Simons was by far the best inker the book had seen. Sadly, Dave Simons passed away in summer of 2009, but I'll always remember how much I enjoyed his work as a member of Team Ghost Rider.

I love this comic, and simply put, if you don't own this issue you absolutely must treat yourself by reading it as soon as possible.

Grade: A+

VENGEANCE UNBOUND
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GHOST RIDER # 73 (volume 1) SYNOPSIS Trapped in the void, the Ghost Rider rages about the events of the previous issue. Johnny, meanwhile, is tied up and unconscious in the trailer of the Circus of Crime. The Circus members (Live Wire, Fire-Eater, Strong Man, Cannonball, and the Gambonno Brothers) elect the newly returned Clown as their leader. The Clown leads the group back to the Quentin Carnival, where he has a private discussion with Ralph Quentin, Cynthia, and Red. Back in the trailer, the Ghost Rider's astral form forces Johnny back to consciousness. Blaze unties his ropes and heads out for the Carnival, refusing to let the demon out. Quentin holds an assembly of the Carnival workers, with the Clown standing behind him. He tells them that the Circus of Crime has offered to help keep them going. Ralph then declares that he refuses to touch their dirty money, and the Clown continues by saying that the Circus are responsible for his dad, Corky, being in the hospital. He tells the carnies that he's brought the criminals to them, and for them to take them out. The carnies revolt, and one by one the Circus of Crime members are taken out. Eventually, the only one left standing is the Fire-Eater, who proceeds to burn down the Carnival as the Clown pursues him. From the hill overlooking the Carnival, Johnny sees the flames, prompting the Ghost Rider to demand his freedom. An explosion from below knocks Blaze to his feet, where he sees his cycle leathers lying in the glass, blown to him from the explosion. The Clown catches up to the Fire-Eater, but before the two can fight, a wall of fire cuts off their only way of escape. The Ghost Rider flies through the wall on his bike, and upon stopping picks the vehicle up to throw at the Fire-Eater. The criminal attempts to fight back, but quickly realizes that his inferno discs do little against the demon. The Rider gives him a choice: face him, or jump through the wall of fire. The Fire-Eater chooses the latter, jumping through the flames and burning most of his body. The Ghost Rider then grabs the Clown and fries his soul with hellfire. As the demon revels in his victory, Red Fowler comes through one of the tents and says that the Clown led the Circus there so they could be captured. The Ghost Rider has punished an innocent man, and upon learning this, the demon is taken aback in guilt. Using this chance, Johnny fights his way back into control. He and Red talk about what's happened, unsure of what to do now that the Carnival has been destroyed. ANNOTATIONS Elliot Franklin, the Clown, arrived at the carnival in Ghost Rider # 70 (vol. 1). The Circus of Crime soon followed, arriving in Ghost Rider # 72 (vol. 1). Red Fowler learned that Blaze housed the demon in Ghost Rider # 65, when he witnessed Johnny's transformation. This issue was reprinted in The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again # 3. REVIEW The review for this issue has been a long time coming, and its one I've admittedly put off writing for some time now. Not only is it one of my all-time favorite issues of Ghost Rider, it was also the first issue of the series that I ever read (though not my first Ghost Rider story, which was Avengers # 214). Roger Stern wraps up his too-brief run on the series with the conclusion to the Circus of Crime story that had been building (whether it was intentional or not) since Michael Fleisher's final issue six months before. The Circus of Crime was always sort of looked upon as a joke concept, an idea for villains that - while unique - couldn't offer much of a substantial threat to most superheroes. I believe they fought the Hulk several times, and were of course involved in the infamous Yellowjacket/Wasp wedding issue of the Avengers, but I highly doubt they'd ever been considered B or even C-list villains. Roger Stern changed all that with this issue, proving that a little bit of characterization can make even the most dubious of character concepts viable. The Circus of Crime transform throughout this issue from generic circus cliches to full-blown people, and Stern makes it look effortless. The Clown, in particular, gets spectacular treatment with a fate that's heart-breaking to watch. Eliot Franklin wasn't just a Clown criminal, he was a character that I sympathized with; and when he meets his fate at the Ghost Rider's hands, I found myself distraught over how unfair the ending was to him. This book affected me greatly when I first read it as a kid, and it's story has stuck with me ever since. Stern plays every note perfectly; look at how easily the Ghost Rider manipulates Johnny into setting him free, playing on his fears and emotions. My favorite moment, I have to say, is when the Ghost Rider realizes that he's just destroyed the soul of an innocent man. The demon's reaction was just as traumatic as his vengeance-seeking only pages before. This issue is also a fantastic spotlight for the Quentin Carnival, who get loads of screen time while they take out the Circus of Crime one by one. This is another group that really came to life under Stern's watch, even though they were created by Michael Fleisher. Under the former writer's pen, they weren't so much characters as props that led Johnny to new adventures while finally giving him some semblance of a stable supporting cast. In just the last 5 issues, the Carnival members like Red, Corky, Ralph, and Cynthia have really become fleshed out and get their deserved turn in the spotlight in this issue. Red Fowler, specifically, has transformed from a completely unlikable character to my favorite in the supporting cast. While this may be Stern's final issue, we've only hit the mid-point in artist Bob Budiansky's stellar run on the series. To me, Budiansky is the definitive Ghost Rider artist, but he's not the only factor to the art's success. The book's inker was Dave Simons, who stayed on the series almost to the end, and when he left the book the change was immediately noticeable. Budiansky still did a great job, but Simons was by far the best inker the book had seen. Sadly, Dave Simons passed away in summer of 2009, but I'll always remember how much I enjoyed his work as a member of Team Ghost Rider. I love this comic, and simply put, if you don't own this issue you absolutely must treat yourself by reading it as soon as possible. Grade: A+	Ghost Rider # 73 (volume 1) Published: Oct. 1982 Original Price: $0.60 Cover: Bob Budiansky Title: "Tears of a Clown!" Writer: Roger Stern Artist: Bob Budiansky Inker: Dave Simons Letterer: Diana Albers Colorist: Bob Sharen Editor: Tom DeFalco Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter