Sometimes, an older sibling will give a younger sibling a few great comics to read or classic albums to listen to. And sometimes an older sibling will give a younger sibling a demonic curse, the Spirit of Vengeance, and the title of Ghost Rider!
Marvel.com recently sat down with writer Ed Brisson to discuss the upcoming Ghost Rider #1 which drops in comic stores in October. Here’s what he had to say.
That’s the dynamic at play as a (more than) reluctant Danny Ketch reunites with his long-lost brother (and current King of Hell), Johnny Blaze, in the brand-new ongoing series—because the Brothers Ghost Rider are back!
But Johnny Blaze isn’t just the King of Hell—he’s the warden too. He’s the first line of defense between the demonic hordes trying to escape the joint and the lords of other Hells making a play for his throne and all the power that comes with it—including a certain evil queen from his past! Meanwhile, Danny Ketch never wanted to be a Ghost Rider, though now that his brother’s in charge downstairs, he must take on the duty of Earth’s Spirit of Vengeance full-time—no matter how much he’d rather be doing anything else…
Superstar creative team Ed Brisson and Aaron Kuder are set to redefine the Marvel Universe’s supernatural underbelly for a brutal new era when GhOST RIDER #1 hits your local comic shop next month. And as the clock ticks down to the hellish hour, we caught up with Brisson about discovering Ghost Rider, working with Kuder, and delving into the creepiest corners of the House of Ideas.
How has it been moving from the world of X to the more hellish side of the Marvel U?
Fun. I like flexing different writing muscles and, as a long-time horror junkie, GHOST RIDER has given me the chance to really let loose and tell a giant, crazy story. Not that I can’t tell big X stories, but in the X-universe, you do have to think about how your story fits with other X stories. With Ghost Rider, you pretty much have a universe unto itself and can really mess up a lot of the toys.
What was your personal entryway into the Spirits of Vengeance as a reader? Were there particular stories you looked back on before jumping into this one?
GHOST RIDER (1990) #1. It was the introduction of Danny Ketch, written by Howard Mackie with incredible art by Javier Saltares. I was aware of Ghost Rider before this, of course, but this is the series that hooked me and dragged me into the world of Ghost Rider. I followed the series right up until the end, while going back and reading a lot of the original Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider stories.
For me, the quintessential Ghost Rider run is the 2006 run that kicked off with Daniel Way writing and Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira reuniting on art. Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi came in on issue #20 and didn’t miss a beat. I love those 35 issues (plus tie-ins) and have looked to them often when planning this new series.
I love the way that they built the mythology and explored the relationship between the brothers while also bringing in plenty of meat for longtime Ghost Rider fans to feast on.
How would you describe the relationship between Danny and Johnny as this new story picks up?
Antagonistic. Incredibly antagonistic.
Johnny’s been King of Hell for about a year of our time; how has he adjusted to the new gig and how does that play into the book?
Johnny’s role in Hell plays heavily into where we’re taking the book. He’s trying desperately to keep Hell under control, but he’s new management and employees always hate new management. His failure at keeping a lid on Hell is our inciting incident in #1. He’s on a mission to return a rogue group of escaped demons, who all seem hellbent on making a life for themselves on Earth—at the cost of human lives, of course.
In recent years, fans have seen a few different Ghost Riders. What can they expect as Danny rides the fiery bike again?
We can expect a lot of anger from Danny. He absolutely hates being Ghost Rider and would give anything to be rid of it. He’s resentful of everything that the Spirit of Vengeance has taken from him and refuses to give the Spirit any more than he absolutely needs to.
But, as is always the case when the Devil’s involved: be careful what you wish for—especially when your brother’s the Devil.
How has it been working with Aaron on this series so far?
It’s been great. I’ve been a fan of Aaron’s for years and knew that he’d have a great handle on the world and design. I feel like this is the book he was born to draw. His demon designs, his goopy monsters, his action choreography, it’s all gold.
To catch that gold for yourself, pre-order GHOST RIDER #1 by Ed Brisson and Aaron Kuder, then pick it up at your local comic shop on October 2!
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