Review by Frank Plowright

Robbie Reyes has been possessed by the spirit of hungering serial killer Eli, turning him into a version of Ghost Rider who drives a souped-up car in preference to riding a motorcycle. When last seen at the end of Legend Robbie had been forced to seal a pact to feed Eli’s bloodlust in return for saving his brother’s life.

However, despite Marvel selling this to us as a Ghost Rider graphic novel, Robbie largely plays second fiddle, with as many pages given over to the Hulk and X-23 tracking down a strangely morphing purple alien. As even noted in-story, the Hulk never shuts up, and the worldly wise X-23 could be anyone in a Wolverine costume, not the tortured and introspective Laura Kinney of old. That part of Four on the Floor is strictly going through the motions on Felipe Smith’s part, but when he’s able to feature Robbie or Ghost Rider the story comes to life. A newly released convict and former gang member with a formidably bad reputation makes an appearance, adding new complications to an already tinderbox situation in Hillrock Heights, and events inevitably explode.

Artist Danilo Beyruth is new to Ghost Rider, but has the exaggerated style used on Robbie’s appearances to date, and at his best when drawing Ghost Rider in action. The superhero sequences are strangely flat, but then they come across as filler anyway. Robbie’s fans will be pleased to see a short story drawn by his original artist Tradd Moore.

Given how the cover mis-sells the content, it’s difficult to see how any Ghost Rider fan is going to be happy with what amounts to half a Ghost Rider story and half standard superhero action.