Very nice 1970s Horror/supernatural comic. Great main character. Recommended

One of the weirder titles from my childhood but great morality throughout. Fun read.

I love Ghost Rider, and all the old Marvel Horror comics from the 70's! A few issues of this have one of my favorite artsts as well, Mike Ploog. The great thing about essentials is that it cheaply combines a lot of comics, so you can get the whole story. The down side is they are all reprinted in black and white, not the color I remember them in. This volume collects Marvel Spotlight #5-12, Ghost Rider #1-20 & Daredevil #138. For continuity purposes this is pretty much the whole deal except dor

From Big Pun to blazing skulls! Man, this collection just proved that the '70s were a WILD time. F'rinstnace, where was the Comics Code Authority (CCA)? I mean, they wouldn't allow Amazing Spider-Man #s 96 to 98 about LSD in 1971 & here we were, a scant few years later with a motorcyclist who does a deal with the devil?!? With guest appearances by the Son of Satan?!? I don't think that my 'rents would have objected, but as little kids, we just knew that these were for the older kids and adults.

I hadn’t read any Ghost Rider before I picked up this collection but he always seemed like an interesting character. I like supernatural stories and I like superheroes, so this seems like a natural fit. I’m sorry to say this wasn’t the case for this book, as I found it to be rather boring and uninteresting. There just wasn’t anything in particular that grabbed my attention, and many of the early stories seem to be telling the same story over and over again. I really try my best not to skip part

When he was created and drawn by Mike Ploog, the Ghost Rider was atmospheric, spooky. When he was drawn by everyone else in this collection that flaming skull just looks dumb. Given the number of writers in this book (Six) and the way the artists struggled with the concept, with the exception of Frank Robbins and Johne Byrne, it is amazing that the character lasted like he did.

There's no denying that Ghost Rider is one of the best superheroes of all time. C'mon, people. He's a motorcycle stuntman who at night and in the presence of evil turns into a flaming-skulled vigilante with all the powers of Hell at his command who has panels like this: It doesn't really get much better than this. Ghost Rider emerged in the early 70s in one of those curious times when hippies were on the way out and disco had yet to rear its ugly head. Marvel, in an attempt to appeal to the you

Reprints Marvel Spotlight #5-12, Ghost Rider #1-20, and Daredevil #138. Johnny Blaze sells his soul to Satan to save his step-father but becomes Ghost Rider when the transaction is left incomplete. Ghost Rider is typical 1970s Marvel Comics. It isn't bad, it isn't good. It is bloated and pretty self-righteous at points (Jesus actually shows up to show Johnny the errors of his ways...maybe). Marvel had an interesting idea for a character that built off the gimicks of Evel Knieval but beyond havin...

The Ghost Rider was born in the seventies when some darker characters were needed in the Marvel Universe. is stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, in order to save the life of his stepfather, agrees to give his soul to "Satan" (later revealed to be an arch-demon named Mephisto). Firstly at night and later he is around evil, Blaze finds his flesh consumed by hellfire, causing his head to become a flaming skull. He rides a fiery motorcycle and wields blasts of hellfire from his body, usually from his s...

The very first issue of Ghost Rider is bizarretastic. Love it. "I accidentally killed my adopted mom and my adopted dad is very sick. I guess i'll just have to start worshipping Satan!"

When I was a kid in the 70s, I bought the first Ghost Rider and loved it.It has not stood up.To me, the most interesting facet of this collection of the early Ghost Rider comics (predominantly from Marvel Spotlight and Ghost Rider's own title) is that the creative team (writer, artist, inker) never lasted more than three issues in a row. And if we factor in letterer, I'm pretty sure never more than two. No wonder the books have no spark. The storytelling is tired (often stupid), the villains are...

Near the end it gets a bit too confusing for my taste, but I loved it when Jesus appeared on these comics.

It's amazing, from these comics, to consider how popular Ghost Rider became, because these comics are not great. The art is horribly uneven, although the writing does improve once Tony Isabella comes on board.

Great concept that is poorly executed. But it's nice to read these old comics, I enjoyed them very much.

Ghost Rider was one of those comics that was on its way out when I was just getting old enough to notice comics. My older brother collected them, and the look of the character fascinated me. They sort-of revived the character with a typical late 80s/early 90s "extreme" version, with a "cooler" looking cycle and powers, etc., but I never really had any interest. This Essential TPB puts together the character's initial appearances in Marvel Spotlight along with his own series, and it is a very int...

Ghost Rider is so cool, isn't he? Criminals fear him as he lashes them with his chains or stares into their very souls. Well, unfortunately you will find none of that here. Instead, we get to read 500 pages of Ghost Rider being a total doofus. So Johnny Blaze's adopted father gets a terminal illness. How does Johnny help him? Why, a Satanic ritual of course! That's no so unusual in the world of Ghost Rider, however, because apparently almost everyone is a Satanist. Go figure. So Satan curses Bla...

Typical 1970s Marvel B-list fare with stories ranging from the hokey to the ho-hum. The stories improve from the Zodiac stories onwards but they still suffer from trying to force too many subplots into too little space leading to too many holes and loose ends.

Ghost Rider And His Old Buddy Jesus ChristThese early Ghost Rider comics are a mixed bag. His powers are still being defined, as are his relationships with supporting characters. But some of this stuff gets really out there and fun, like when Ghost Rider is befriended by an unnamed character who is clearly Jesus Christ. Talk about an odd pair.

The 70s were a different time. When else could you find a new superhero who got his powers by selling his soul to the devil? And have that story approved by the Comics Code Authority, no less?

I was underwhelmed. The writing is really uneven. The art also leaves some to be desired but that could be because there isn't color, always a risk with these Essential titles.It started to pick up at the end. So I might pick up the next volume in a bit but I'm definitely taking a break first.