Monday, March 19, 2012

Tell me this is in the new Ghost Rider movie.


Ghost Rider messes with some armored car robbers, in Ghost Rider #42, "The Lonesome Death of Johnny Blaze!" Written by Mike Fleisher, art by Don Perlin. The robber in the back is momentarily elated that they've seemingly ditched the flaming biker, before noticing that it's suddenly a lot warmer in there...

The title is a misnomer, in more ways than one: while the Ghost Rider is seemingly fine and spending his nights after the above gang of robbers; Johnny Blaze is suffering a bout of amnesia, and is currently going by the name Frank Ryder. He's fallen in with some racers, including the lovely Gina, whom "Frank" rescues from a flaming wreck, earning him no points with Carl, who planned on marrying Gina for her dad's money. Carl challenges "Frank" to a Formula-1 race, loser has to leave town; and during the race runs him off the road. To "protect his investment" in Gina, Carl clonks "Frank" on the head with a crowbar; but the sight of the crowbar triggers a flashback, returning Johnny's memory.
Johnny was assaulted by Laurel and Hardy?  Seems plausible...
Carl pushes Johnny's car over a cliff located conveniently next to the track, but Johnny is able to turn into Ghost Rider in time to survive the wreck. I have to wonder if the Ghost Rider ever does the same: "Well, it looks like I'm gonna die...better switch back to Blaze, then..." Ghost Rider doesn't even deliver the usual hellfire boot in the ass to Carl: Gina immediately realizes what Carl's done, and calls the cops. The Ghost Rider, unseen, takes off after the robbers he was chasing earlier--having missed the previous issue, I'm not sure why. Maybe they cut him off in traffic, or GR took offense at a Jesus-fish bumper sticker or something. Later, Johnny realizes he can't remember several days and may never get them back, while Gina mourns the missing "Frank." And in "The Lonesome Death of Johnny Blaze," Johnny didn't die in any sense, Frank Ryder did. I'd demand a refund, if I hadn't paid a quarter for this issue and still kinda liked it anyway.

3 comments:

plainwater said...

Wow, Laurel and Hardy are more hardcore than I ever gave them credit for.

googum said...

I know, right? Slapstick is no laughing matter...

I don't have the issue in question, #41, so I don't know what Johnny's beating was about. Still, the Ghost Rider issues seem to trickle in, so maybe we'll see someday.

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

I have issues 50 and 56, with 56 referencing this very issue in flashback. cool!
And yes Laurel ansd Hardy were hardcore in their day.