The Cosmic Ghost Rider is a unique sort of Big Two superhero, largely because he’s so damn new. He’s also pretty damn cool looking, flies through space on a motorcycle, and oh, he’s also Frank Castle. It’s a character prime for more attention, which Stephanie Phillips and Juann Cabal bring to their new miniseries now in trade paperback.
Collecting the five-issue series right off the bat, Cosmic Ghost Rider takes you off guard with a mysterious flaming skull spaceman. Is he Cosmic Ghost Rider or some pretender? The story arc title is “Duel Identity” so it could be a few different things, but boy, is this new flaming skull dude punchy. Phillips does well to introduce this character and then bookend the main story with him, cementing your interest so you’ll come back for more.
This mysterious figure is also decidedly more evil than Cosmic Ghost Rider, who we soon learn is working at a bar and trying to lay low. Is he a dual personality or something else? It’s a question that you’ll be pondering every time this new and stark white Cosmic Ghost Rider lookalike takes up the page.
A western vibe permeates this chunk of the story, complete with a bounty hunter and some innocent townsfolk who don’t deserve the wrath coming for Frank Castle. One can imagine a duel at high noon is coming sometime in Frank Castle’s future. Phillips and Cabal do a good job of establishing a state of mind of Frank before hell comes to pay. His state of mind is important since it’s his identity that’s in question throughout this story arc.
Who is he?!
Credit: Marvel
Like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the main story has a slower tempo. Cabal’s art is super clean and easy on the eyes. Backgrounds tend to be blank, and layouts tend to be more straightforward. A simple movement might takes up one of four panels. The widescreen visual approach gives the narrative a cinematic feel but also makes its pace relatively slow. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting a little more out of the main story.
In a lot of ways, this book feels like it belongs in the same library as the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. There’s an edge to it, a sense of humor, and it also relishes the quirky and weird. That’s aided by Cabal’s cinematic art style that utilizes widescreen panels to control the pace and draw your eye, similar to cinema. Generally speaking, there’s an attitude to the characters that feels modern and punk, and that goes for the cliffhanger reveal character.
Guiu Vilanova draws the final three issues, drastically shifting the visual tone of the book. It’s not bad, but compared to Cabal’s work, it’s a little more matter-of-fact and less cinematic. Also along for the ride is Jonas Scharft with colors by Arif Prianto in a short backup after the first issue finishes. They pack a wallop of energy blasts and great detail. The scale of one threat, surrounding Frank with hovering bodies, is great, reminding us of the incredible powers of cosmic characters.
Cosmic Ghost Rider: Duel Identity is a clever story exploring Frank Castle’s role as Cosmic Ghost Rider while reminding us every part of him is important. It’s a wacky romp to be sure, and it’s a nice way to remind us this character is rife for more stories.
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