Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance #1
Kevin Rossi
Recap
LOGAN & BLAZE—THE WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE! LOGAN’s the best there is at what he does—and what he does as the deadly WOLVERINE isn’t very nice. When innocent blood is spilled, JOHNNY BLAZE becomes the GHOST RIDER, equipped to deal punishment with the power of hellfire! A demonic serial killer is murdering innocent mutants. But what is it about this deadly new villain that forces our two heroes to team up? And what buried secret does he share with Wolverine and Ghost Rider’s never-before-seen very first meeting in the past? Get ready for claws, chains and violence as only Benjamin Percy (WOLVERINE, GHOST RIDER) and Geoff Shaw (THANOS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) can bring in this four-part epic!
Review
Wolverine and Ghost Rider have been in good hands with Benjamin Percy for some time now, so it was only a matter of time before readers got a proper event crossover. Though Percy has been the writer for both series, Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance #1 doesn’t require being caught up with both series. The plot is straightforward, and with these characters sometimes that’s what works best. Some time ago, a small boy was brought to the mansion but was sent away because Charles Xavier couldn’t help him. What readers find out is that the boy is linked to some type of demon. When Wolverine and Johnny pursue the evil independently, they eventually run into each other by mistake. This is all bookended with Wolverine and Johnny interacting in the present.
Geoff Shaw’s art is the highlight of the issue. His style is perfectly suited for these characters and the horror aspects of it. It is a little strange seeing the mutants at the mansion in the flashback. We have been in the Krakoa era for so long that the mansion feels like lifetimes ago, and in some ways that is correct. However, Shaw’s style does an excellent job of capturing the previous looks of the characters but keeping a foot planted in the now. Rain Beredo’s colors do an excellent job of adding depth and atmosphere to Shaw’s pencils. There is something very dark and sinister about this story and the colors reflect that. The use of shadow and heavy black inking is a constant reminder that this issue is dealing with something a lot more serious and evil than it initially appears.
Final Thoughts
Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance #1 is a solid start to the “Weapons of Vengeance” story. It is surprising that it took this long for Wolverine and Ghost Rider to have an official event considering Percy is behind both books. With Geoff Shaw’s art on both series, this is a great opportunity to take Wolverine in a new direction after the “Weapons of X” story. Overall, this is a great time to jump into these characters. Percy has a good grasp of both Wolverine and Johnny and provides all of the necessary background needed to start jumping into “Weapons of Vengence.”
Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance #1: Start Your Engines
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 7/107/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
