Over the past 20 years of writing and reviewing comics, I’ve read every kind of matchup you could dream about. I’ve seen three different team-ups between Batman and Spawn. I’ve seen Predators hunt everyone from Superman to Spider-Man. I’ve seen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cross paths with just about every franchise you could think of. But Ghost Rider vs. Galactus #1 by J. Michael Straczynski and Juan Ferreya strays off the beaten path.
The titular throwdown begins when Ghost Rider runs into the Thing (or rather, utilizes his penance stare on a criminal Ben was chasing.) On a whim, Ben asks the Rider if his powers would work on Galactus; after all, if Galactus is a creature of science, shouldn’t a supernatural being be able to beat him? Thus the Spirit of Vengeance takes to the stars, intent on bringing judgment to the Devourer of Worlds…until a surprising figure intervenes.
This isn’t the first time the two have crossed paths; an episode of the 1994 Fantastic Four animated series actually saw Ghost Rider confronting Galactus. But this story is more “unstoppable force meets immovable object”, with a surprisingly profound message underneath. While it ended a bit too short for my liking, Straczynski shows that his talent for sticking to a character’s roots hasn’t dimmed in the least. Case in point: when given a reason to leave Galactus be, Ghost Rider has a on-point response consisting of five words – three of them are “I don’t care”, two of them are up to the reader’s imagination. I also love the conversations that Ghost Rider and Thing have; they’re humorous, yet laced with depth and flow naturally.
Marvel
Straczynski’s been able to work with a plethora of amazing artists for these one-shots, but I can say without hyperbole that Juan Ferreyra is among the best of them. Ferreyra takes the same detailed approach that he’s been filling the pages of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with, packing each page of Ghost Rider vs. Galactus #1 with eye-melting imagery. During the last moments of a planet’s life, Galactus looms large in the background. And when Ghost Rider has to hitch a ride on a rocket, Lovecraftian tentacles erupt from his bike and surround the rocket.
But the best moment comes when Ghost Rider transforms into a bigger form to fight Galactus. Horns sprout out of his head, his bones grow spiker and more claw like, and he literally rips through his jacket. In fact, every time Ghost Rider’s on the page, he’ll draw your attention. Ferreyra draws him as the epitome of cool; black leather jacket, tricked out motorcycle, and all of it surrounded by glowing orange hellfire. Adding to the cool/menacing factor is Travis Lanham’s word balloons, which surround Ghost Rider’s words with jagged edges.
Ghost Rider vs. Galactus #1 lives up to its title and then some, sprinkling in some deeper moments during the battle between the Spirit of Vengeance and the Devourer of Worlds. It’s gonna be hard to top this one, but since Stracyznski’s last one shot will be Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Sixteen, maybe I’ll be surprised.
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