Writing: Howard Mackie
Art: Ron Wagner
What Went Down: Alright, part two of the unnamed four issue crossover between the X-Men and Ghost Rider. See X-Men #8 and #9 for parts one and three. Anyways it’s Mardi Gras time in New Orleans. An unnamed member of the Thieves Guild is overseeing the festivities. A mysterious masked killer kills the thief, claiming a blood feud.
Coincidentally, Ghost Rider happens to be cruising into town. Because of all the wild costumes that people are wearing, nobody gives Ghost Rider a second thought. Through Ghost Rider’s internal monologue, the reader learns that Ghost Rider’s host and secret identity, Dan Ketch, has been fatally wounded. GR is searching for Johnny Blaze to help him. Inside his head, Dan Ketch ponders his fate and walks towards a light. Obviously he doesn’t know a lot about the afterlife.
On the outskirts of New Orleans, the X-Men Blue Team is cruising towards the city in a red convertible. The X-Men are driving because both Blackbirds are out of commission. A police officer, possibly the same one from X-Men #8, pulls them all over and draws his gun. The X-Men attack and subdue him, then blow up his patrol car, which seems like overkill to me.
In the French Quarter of New Orleans, Ghost Rider drives up to a church, searching for a place to rest. He finds the masked killer killing two more members of the Thieves Guild. After standing there like an idiot and watching the Killer kill the Thieves couple, Ghost Rider decides it’s time to actually attack the bad guy. The Killer runs away and lures GR through a door. Ghost Rider drives through and goes down an underground cave, where he encounters an army of Assassins Guild members. Unfortunately these soldiers are actually members of the alien race the Brood, so they subdue him and allow the Brood Queen to infect Ghost Rider.
Downtown, the Blue Team members admire the Mardi Gras festivities. The group meets up with Rogue and Bella Donna, who flew to New Orleans as scouts. The X-Men go to the church where they find the bodies of the two dead Thieves members. After going into the underground passage, the X-Men encounter an army of Brood aliens. After defeating a couple of soldiers, the X-Men are blindsided by the Brood-infected Ghost Rider.
How It Was: Most people wouldn’t associate the X-Men with the Ghost Rider, but at the time both were really strong selling comics. Is there any real connection between the two books in this story? Well part of this story is dealing with Gambit’s origin while the other part deals with the death of Ghost Rider’s host Dan Ketch… so no this is a random story tying both unrelated plot lines together. But it is what it is, so let’s break it down.
Ghost Rider doesn’t really come off great in this issue. He shows up during Mardi Gras, discovers a murder too late to stop it, and then gets captured and infected by the Brood. Plus the opening internal monologue that GR delivers at the beginning of the issue is really dull and over-melodramatic. Likewise, the X-Men don’t get much to do either except for attacking a traffic cop. This part feels really out of character for the X-Men, especially with Cyclops joining in on the fun.
Really the only aspect of the plot that is exciting at all is the mysterious killer. He’s got a simple but sinister design, and his jack-o-lantern features are just enough to give him a stylized look. Of course we never figure out who this character is, but that’s really a complaint for next issue. Actually, the fact that the serial killer plot line gets replaced by a Brood/body snatchers story is kind of disappointing.
The art is spectacular, from the wacky decorations and costumes of Mardi Gras to the flames coming off of Ghost Rider’s head and bike. The designs for the Assassin’s Guild costumes are also pretty awesome. Lots of great use of shadows and negative space; all the black really helps set the tone.
This is a textbook middle chapter where not a lot happens. Both of the main protagonists stand around with not a lot to do, and then eventually come together for an exciting fight in the next issue of the story.
C+
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