Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1982-02-01 00:03:17 |
| Previous: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #65 | Up: Main | Next: Avengers #218 |
Ghost Rider #66
Issue(s): Ghost Rider #66
Cover Date: Mar 82
Title: "The witch in the whirlwind!"
Credits:
Michael Fleisher - Writer
Tom Sutton - Penciler
Tom Sutton - Inker
Mark Gruenwald - Assistant Editor
Tom DeFalco - Editor
Review/plot:
Ghost Rider seems to have gotten out of his recent super-villain phase (unless you count an upcoming Circus of Crime appearance), and we are back into supernatural stories. This issue has Aunt May Madame Olga, the Quentin Carnival's fortune teller, buying a mysterious candle from an antique shop.
The candle turns out to be haunted by a ghost that claims to be a former white magic sorceress that was burned at the stake.
There were a couple of times in this story where i thought we'd have a nice twist on the usual tropes. Madame Olga initially says she really doesn't need a spirit at her beck and call, although she allows the spirit to get her a blanket and bring her a meal.
So i kind of hoped she'd eventually just stop summoning it or something like that, especially when it turns out to really be an evil spirit. But that's not the case; she continues to get tempted by it, especially when it offers to restore her legs. Then i saw Olga creating this pentagram and i hoped that she had realized she was dealing with an evil spirit and was working to trap it. But again, no.
So it's up to Ghost Rider to stop the spirit.
So i guess i got myself extra disappointed because i kept hoping for something unconventional. It's really just a standard story. Nothing special, not even good, really, but mostly harmless. Which is really how i think of Michael Fleisher's run overall (Black Juju aside). This is his last issue.
Full art and inks this issue is by Tom Sutton, who also inked last issue. Sutton's work is usually pretty suited for mystical stories. It's kind of wonky in a way that nonetheless appeals to me.
The other thing that happens in this issue is we see Corky the Clown sending off a letter to his son, "the world famous clown". I don't know if it was Michael Fleisher's intention, but this will lead into that Circus of Crime appearance.
Quality Rating: C-
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Pushed back in publication time to allow for Null the Living Darkness' appearance in Ghost Rider #71 to take place before Defenders #113.
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
| Previous: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #65 | Up: Main | Next: Avengers #218 |
Comments
Given Tom Sutton's long history doing horror comics, it's a bit surprising the editors didn't use him for more full art (and letters, for that matter) on GR. On the other hand, given Sutton's admitted aversion to doing superhero work, he would likely have been unhappy when the scripts indulged that side of the character.
