After eight months, the Ghost Riders are back. The last time we saw the Riders was in the Spirits of Vengeance series, which concluded back in March 2025 and was recently collected as a trade paperback. While that series had some mixed reviews and storylines that left you with more issues than payoff, it is nice to see those characters back in comics, and hopefully, the delayed time will lead to a stronger resolve. What does writer Sabir Pirzada have in store to hook us for another ride?
Marvel
Sabir Pirzada has family history and honesty on his side when it comes to this opening issue. Family history wisely creates motivation for the new, resurrected Spirit of Vengeance, also known as a relative of the complex, convoluted Blaze/Ketch family tree. That connection is perfect to get one of the Ghost Riders to be distracted and at odds with the other Rider. Just enough friction to make this worthwhile as a read. Pizada does a great job by bringing in another character player for this drama, which will expose the hypocrisy of another character, just enough to keep me coming back for more.
The other piece, honesty, is shown perfectly when Danny Ketch says, “Forgive me for not knowing who the hell you are, but spirits are coming out of the woodwork these days.” In my mind, Sabir Pizada plays that in two ways; one in the fact that there are wild spirits everywhere in this story, and two, with the idea that there are so many “Ghost Rider-like” characters that the legacy has spread to more characters in these last five years than it has over its fifty-plus year history. Yet, that does present great moments for the writing and art to come together to create some great visuals that help explain great personal history and how it fits into the overall legacy.
Marvel
Speaking of art, there is a great one-two punch from artist Paul Davidson and colorist Andrew Dalhouse, making this issue visually entertaining and spooky. The opening fight scene with “The Decayed” and the “Gun Nuns” gives you some pages and scenes worth examining. I also appreciate the way they show the transformation of the Ghost Riders, along with the design and personality they give the skulls. There are some scenes where the Riders look like they have that thousand-mile stare, and others where they express so much hurt and anger. The issue is a good opener for a promising sequel to a convoluted story; this time, I hope Pizada has a better roadmap for resolution compared to last time.
Spirits of Violence #1 brings the Ghost Riders roaring back onto the page after their “Spirits of Vengeance” arc, this time with a sharper focus on legacy, family, and honesty. Sabir Pirzada leans into the tangled Blaze/Ketch family tree. He uses that history to spark friction between Riders, while also pointing out the glut of “spirit” characters that have haunted Marvel’s recent years. Paired with Paul Davidson’s moody line work and Andrew Dalhouse’s chilling colors, the result is a strong, atmospheric opener that balances spooky spectacle with character-driven drama.
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