Comic Review: Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History (2019-) #1

Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History (2019-) #1

Marvel Comics

Writers: Paul Scheer & Nick Giovannetti

Artist: Gerado Sandoval

Cosmic Ghost Rider is one of the more popular new Marvel characters of last year. Making deals with Mephisto, Galactus, and Thanos, Frank Castle is the Ghost Rider with the Power Cosmic. Created by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, he made his debut in Thanos (2016 – 2018) #13. After trying (and failing) to raise Thanos to not be Thanos, this version of Frank Castle is stuck in the past.

That’s where Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History (2019-) #1 starts off. Stuck in the past, Frank pays a visit to his (still alive) family. Spending time with his son, Frank tells tales of his time with Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four. With some embellishment thrown in, the stories range across most of the Fantastic Four’s history and cameo some recognizable heroes.

I wasn’t sure how Cosmic Ghost Rider is in the present in the current Guardians of the Galaxy series, but this issue kind of cleared that up for me. So, right off the bat, this comic is doing some positive work for me. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from this comic going into it, but I like it. There are some good jokes here, which considering the writers, isn’t a surprise. It doesn’t all quite hit, but there are more good jokes than duds. On top of that, there’s a B-plot story that I think will be carrying us through the rest of this mini-series, and it’s pretty interesting.

The panel layout on the very first page is really great and really caught my eye. It gives us a rundown of the history of the Cosmic Ghost Rider in spiraling panels, with him at the center. The flashback scenes, which are the majority of the issue, have that grainy, old-timey filter thrown on them. I’m not too much of a fan of that, but it serves its purpose, and once you get used to it it’s not too noticeable. I like the rest of the art and characters though. Going through the Fantastic Four’s history, I think the costumes are accurate, but they don’t change with the era they’re in. It’s not a deal breaker for me, just an observation.

This is a fun first issue. There’s plenty of jokes and funny moment, with a couple of not so funny ones spread throughout. I like the style of the art, especially in the “modern” day of the story. But getting past the old-timey flashback filter is easy enough, and the art is enjoyable. I’m not totally won over with the concept of inserting a modern character into a classic story, but I think this executes that idea well. If you’re a fan of Cosmic Ghost Rider, like I am, you’ll enjoy this comic.