Ghost Rider Graphic Novels
So you’ve watched the movie and you’re ready to dive into some Ghost Rider graphic novelling.
Join me, friends and strangers, as I present a semi-chronological rundown of Ghost Rider books, complete with
sugar-dipped publisher solicitations and running commentary. Read on for more!
JOHNNY BLAZE
[Ghost Rider's graphic novel history begins with collected editions of the 1973-1983 comic book series. Featuring Johnny Blaze, stunt cyclist carny extraordinare, the original series lasted a total of 81 issues, with a large majority of these comics having been reprinted - in glorious B&W - via Marvel's budget-conscious Essentials format.
It should be noted - although an earlier version of the Ghost Rider (later renamed the Phantom Rider) appeared in the 1950s, self-titled issues featuring this ghostly horseman have yet to be published in graphic novel form, although the old-school Western rider did make multiple guest appearances with Mr. Flame-Skull himself.]
Essential Ghost Rider Volume 1
Trade Paperback- $16.99 (suggested retail)
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When orphaned stunt-show star Johnny Blaze discovers his adoptive father Crash Simpson is dying of a rare blood disease, he barters his immortal soul for a miracle cure. The trade-off ultimately leaves him bound to the demon Zarathos, and their melding of spirits would manifest itself every night in the form of Ghost Rider, the most supernatural super-hero of all! Collects Marvel Spotlight #5-12, Ghost Rider #1-20 and Daredevil #138. - Amazon.com
Essential Ghost Rider Volume 2
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Demons, vampires, cults, actors - nothing’s too intense for the Sizzling Cyclist of the Seventies! After mowing down a mob of motorcycling miscreants, the Ghost Rider faces what waits in the Wild West of the Phantom Rider and the Two-Gun Kid! Plus: See Johnny Blaze and Zarathos separated for the first time! Guest-starring Doctor Strange, Professor X and more! Collects Ghost Rider #21-50. - Amazon.com
[These Essential volumes are the best Ghost Riding bang for the buck. Sure, they're reprinted in B&W, but all things considered, both books are a great buy for the collective price. Here's hoping we'll see a Volume 3, collecting the final 31 issues of the series.]
Champions Classic Volume 1
Trade Paperback- $19.99 (suggested retail)
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Okay, a god, a demon, a spy and two mutants walk into… resulting in some of the strangest scenarios of the ’70s! It’s gods vs. heroes in the City of Angels! With mad scientists, Russian super-spies, and guest-stars from Marvel’s western and horror eras! Plus: the secrets of the Black Widow! Featuring Hawkeye! Collects CHAMPIONS #1-11.
- Marvel Previews April 2006
Champions Classic Volume 2
Trade Paperback- $19.99 (suggested retail)
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Demon-gods, alien monsters and killer bees - it only goes to show that Angel, Iceman, Hercules, Black Widow and Ghost Rider did more before #17 than some teams get done by #50! The short-lived super-team squeezed multiple mayhem into mere months of masked marvelry! Featuring the Stranger and the Stilt-Man! Magneto and Modok! The world reign of Doctor Doom! The Sentinels and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! Guest-starring Spider-Man and the Avengers! Plus: destined for the pages of Punisher War Journal… Rampage! Collects Champions #12-17, Iron Man Annual #4, Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14 and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18. - Amazon.com
[Ghost Rider may be better known for his team membership with the Secret Defenders, but he also served with a short-lived group named the Champions.
I've never read this series, as I'm told I shouldn't if I tend to enjoy quality team books. 
Still, having the entire series collected across two volumes - with the second including some supplemental issues to provide some closure - isn't altogether a bad thing for Flamehead completists.]
Ghost Rider Team-Up
Trade Paperback- $15.99 (suggested retail)
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The Spirit of Vengeance rides roughshod over Spider-Man, the Thing and the rest of the Marvel Universe! The Spider, the Ghost and the soul-stealer who hates them both - who will survive the Carnival of Fear? The Thing vs. the Ghost Rider in Death Race! Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Morbius and Werewolf by Night - the Legion of Monsters - join forces for the most spine-tingling team-up of all in the mysterious Marvel manner! Hawkeye, the Two-Gun Kid and the Ghost Rider take on the menacing might of the Manticore! Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers, embark on their most dangerous mission yet: capture the Ghost Rider! Plus: the Ghost Rider’s strangest adventure ever - featuring the Night Rider, Marvel’s first Ghost Rider! Collects Marvel Team-Up #91, Marvel Two-in-One #80, Marvel Premiere #28, Avengers #214 and Ghost Rider #27 & #50. - Amazon.com
[Ghost Rider also appeared in other issues of Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One, collected in B&W elsewhere - namely, Essential Marvel Team-Up Volumes 1 & 2, and Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1.)]
What If? Classic Volume 3
Trade Paperback- $24.99 (suggested retail)
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It’s alternate-Earth anarchy as Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman, Nova and Shang-Chi are turned against humanity when fate is tossed a twist by that infamous question mark! Plus: The Howling Commandos fight for Earth, and Spider-Man fights for… ratings!? Featuring the Fantastic Four, Daredevil and Hellstorm! Collects What If? #14-15, 17-20. - Amazon.com
[Ghost Rider makes an appearance in What If? #17 - "What If... Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman, Captain Marvel Were Villains?"]
Essential Marvel Horror Volume 1
Trade Paperback- $16.99 (suggested retail)
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What’s it like to be the son and the daughter of the Father of Lies? Find out as Daimon Hellstrom and his sister, Satana, face the worst of two worlds! Can they save their souls along with the world? Featuring Exorcists, Cyclists, Nihilists and Ice Demons! Secrets of Ancient Atlantis revealed! Guest-starring Spider-Man, the Thing and the Human Torch! Collects GHOST RIDER #1-2, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12-24, SON OF SATAN #1-8, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #14, MARVEL TEAM-UP #32 and #80-81, VAMPIRE TALES #2-3, HAUNT OF HORROR #24-25, and MARVEL PREMIERE #27. Black & White
- Marvel Previews August 2006
[Ghost Rider was only one of many horror themed characters Marvel introduced during the 70s. This particular book focuses on two others - Daimon Hellstrom (aka The Son Of Satan) and his sister. Flamehead is along for a short ride with issues 1 and 2 of Blaze's first series (also collected in Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1).]
Essential Marvel Two-In-One Volume 1
Trade Paperback
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The Thing can’t stay out of trouble, but at least he makes friends wherever he goes! The Ever-Lovin’ Idol o’ Millions teams up with heroes both frontline and forgotten against menaces spanning time and space! Gods! Aliens! Spies! Demons! Dinosaurs! Time travellers! Martial artists! The Living Eraser and the Mountain That Walked Like a Man! A veritable who’s who of history’s horror heroes! Fans of NEW INVADERS take notice of Ben’s team-ups with the Invaders AND the Liberty Legion! Collects MARVEL FEATURE #11-12; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1-20, 22-25 and ANNUAL #1; MARVEL TEAM-UP #47; and FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #11.
- Marvel Previews September 2005
[Ghost Rider is featured in Marvel Two-In-One #8.]
Essential Marvel Team-Up Volume 1
Trade Paperback- $16.99 (suggested retail)
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Spider-Man teams up with Marvel’s most celebrated super heroes! The Fantastic Four, the greatest team of adventurers ever assembled! The X-Men, Children of the Atom! And the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Plus: Namor the Sub-Mariner! Ghost Rider, Spirit of Vengeance! Captain Marvel, legendary intergalactic guardian! Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts! And the Incredible Hulk, the most powerful man-like creature ever to walk the Earth! From the far corners of the Marvel Universe they come - joining forces with the wisecracking web-slinger to strike for justice! Collects Marvel Team-Up #1-24. - Amazon.com
[Our favorite biker badboy appears in Marvel Team-Up #15.]
Essential Marvel Team-Up Volume 2
Trade Paperback- $16.99 (suggested retail)
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Horrific heroism, Kung Fu crimefighting, courtroom chaos: Spider-Man’s up for anything in this selection of shared sagas! Co-starring Daredevil, the Incredible Hulk, the Thing, the Beast and the Frankenstein Monster! Join Spidey on a titanic trip through the timeline in one of his most incredible epics yet, followed by the trial of the Wraith and the debut of Jean DeWolff! Plus: guest-stars from the Avengers and the Defenders! Also featuring the Human Torch’s team-ups with Iron Man, Doctor Strange and more! Collects MARVEL TEAM-UP #25-51 & MARVEL TWO-IN-1 #17. - Marvel Previews May 2006
[Look for 'ol flamehead in Marvel Team-Up #28.]
ENTER DAN KETCH AND THE SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE
[In the early 90s, Marvel decided to resurrect the Ghost Rider franchise, updating the character with a new look, new bike, and a new host - Dan Ketch.
The storyline gets complicated, and I won't spoil it for anyone, but suffice it to say, Johnny Blaze eventually returns to the fold (albeit, Zarathos-less, and equipped with cliched trenchcoat and sunglasses), and was often featured with the new Ghost Rider throughout the better part of the decade.
Point being, don't be surprised if you see Blaze with Rider - as two distinct persons - in some of these books. It's all good.]
Ghost Rider: Resurrected
$12.95 (suggested retail)
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” THE SCOOP: The Spirit of Vengeance roars to life in this trade! ” THE STORIES: Johnny Blaze will deliver righteous vengeance this month… but have you read Dan Ketch’s adventures? Now you can as this volume reprints GHOST RIDER (vol. 2) #1 - #7, featuring sweet art by Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira! ” THE FORMAT: 192-page trade paperback. - Previews April 2001
[The starting point for Ketch Rider. While collecting only 7 issues of a 95 issue series, this book is still recommended reading, especially before tackling other graphic novels featuring this particular Ghost Rider incarnation.]
Ghost Rider/Captain America: Fear
Trade Paperback
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[An original graphic novel, with Cap and Rider taking on the evilness of the Scarecrow. Not half bad, actually.]
Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness
Trade Paperback- $4.95 (suggested retail)
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[Another OGN, this time with characters a bit more anti-hero-thematic than the good Captain. The Punisher and Wolverine join Ghost Rider in battling Blackheart (yeah, the guy from the movie.)
A spiritual sequel to this story, Dark Design, has seen print in only comic book one-shot form. Thus far.]
Essential Wolverine Volume 4
Trade Paperback- $16.99 (suggested retail)
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The deadliest X-Man’s on the edge of death when his unbreakable Adamantium advantage is eliminated! Even with his claws stripped to the bone, Wolverine’s up to some of the choicest challenges from his past and future - but how far will he go to make his latest fight with Sabretooth the FINAL one? Plus: cyborgs, Sentinels, the Savage Land and then some! Guest-starring Gambit, Ghost Rider and more! Collects WOLVERINE #70-90.
- Marvel Previews February 2006
Marvel Comics Presents Volume 4: Wolverine
Trade Paperback- $12.99 (suggested retail)
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The mayhem-loving mutant faces occult intrigue against Abdul Alhazred, while fallout from the Acts of Vengeance brings him face to facelessness with the ninjas of Deathwatch! Wolverine does it again, and he does it the best! Guest-starring Ghost Rider! Collects Marvel Comics Presents #62-71. - Amazon.com
Fantastic Four: Monsters Unleashed
Trade Paperback- $5.95 (suggested retail)
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[So the Fantastic Four are captured, and the "new" Fantastic Four (consisting of Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, and yeah, Ghost Rider) are off to the rescue. Haven't read this one yet, but Walt Simonson can write some great stuff, imo. Collects Fantastic Four issues 347-349.]
X-Men/Ghost Rider: Brood Trouble in the Big Easy
Trade Paperback- $6.95 (suggested retail)
(Comic book cover artwork shown)
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[Collects Ghost Rider (1990) issues 26 and 27, and X-Men (1991) issues 8 and 9. Jim Lee fans - here ya go!]
Rise of the Midnight Sons
Trade Paperback- $19.95 (suggested retail)
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[With a renewed interest in superhero-horror themed comics and a driving speculator market, Marvel created several new comic series during the 90s, all falling within a new "Midnight Sons" imprint, doubling as a loose-knit superhero team.
Collects Ghost Rider (1990) issues 28 and 31, along with (ready for this?) Morbius, The Living Vampire (1992) #1, Darkhold (1992) #1, Nightstalkers (1992) #1, and Spirits Of Vengeance (1992) #1.]
Spirits of Venom
Trade Paperback- $9.95 (suggested retail)
(Comic book cover artwork shown)
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[Take one part Ghost Rider, one part Johnny Blaze, one part Venom, one part Spider-Man. Stir 'till frothy and what do you get? Spirits Of Venom. Collects Web Of Spider-Man (1985) issues 95 and 96, along with Spirits Of Vengeance (1992) issues 5 and 6.
Oh, and the cover artwork for SoV #6? Best Venom Cover. Ever.]
JOHNNY BLAZE RETURNS!
[By the new century, Johnny Blaze found himself back in the saddle seat. This time, with edgier, gritter storylines and artwork.]
Ghost Rider: The Hammer Lane
Trade Paperback- $15.95 (suggested retail)
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[Johnny's first major foray as the renewed Ghost Rider began with 2001's comic book 6-issue mini-series, The Hammer Lane. Collected here in it's entirety.]
Ghost Rider: Road To Damnation
Hardcover- $19.99 (suggested retail)
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Stunning art and a story that only Garth Ennis could tell! He’s paying the price for his deal with the Devil - is the Ghost Rider condemned to ride the highways of Hell for all eternity? His saving grace could be in the form of an unlikely ally: an industrious angel with a deal that would free Ghost Rider once and for all! Collects GHOST RIDER #1-6[: Road To Damnation]. Trim Size: Standard
- Marvel Previews April 2006
[Also available in trade paperback for the suggested retail of $14.99, collecting the entire 6 issue mini-series. Not for the kiddies!]
Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears
Hardcover- $19.99 (suggested retail)
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Here it is - the prequel to Garth Ennis and Clayton Crain’s smash hit GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO DAMNATION! Travis Parham thought he’d seen hell. As a lieutenant in the Confederate Army, he stood neck-deep in muck and blood, surrounded by the whistle of hot shrapnel and the screams of dying men. Two years later, Parham has carved a new life for himself, doing his best to forget the depravity that lurks in the pits of men’s souls. Now, Parham’s tranquil world is about to be rudely interrupted. Up from the depths comes a force of nature that transcends his wildest dreams - a fiery wraith that knows a thing or two about evil and even more about vengeance. Collecting GHOST RIDER: TRAIL OF TEARS #1-6. - Marvel.com
[Collecting the entire mini-series, this edition is also available in trade paperback for the suggested retail of $14.99.]
Ghost Rider Volume 1: Vicious Cycle
Trade Paperback- $13.99 (suggested retail)
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Once upon a time, Johnny Blaze made a deal with the Devil - and to no one’s surprise but his own, he got shafted. Now trapped in hell, with the Spirit of Vengeance bonded to his immortal soul and weighing him down, Johnny may have finally found a way out. But at what cost? From the depths of Hell to the glittering spires of Heaven, the Ghost Rider rides again, blazing new trails and dispensing fiery vengeance in his wake. The demonic team of Daniel Way, Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares reunite to put ol’ Flamehead back in the saddle where he belongs. Ready or not, here he comes! Collects Ghost Rider (2006) #1-5. - Amazon.com
[Collecting the first five issues of the new, ongoing series! Perhaps the best jumping on point for movie fans, as by this time, Johnny Blaze's Ghost Rider has evolved into something very similar to the film. That is to say, a mix of the original Ghost Rider and the Ketch version.]
Ghost Rider Volume 2: The Life & Death Of Johnny Blaze
Trade Paperback- $13.99 (suggested retail)
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How did Johnny Blaze end up in Hell, anyway? It’s simple, really: He died. And when he died, his eternal soul - long promised to Hell in exchange for “saving” Crash Simpson - descended into the Pit, taking the Ghost Rider along with it. This is the story of how and why it all happened, courtesy of writer Daniel Way and horror-comic legend Richard Corben. Plus: In a small town northeast of Chicago, people are losing their heads… literally. The sheriff of this sleepy little town firmly believes he’s found the culprit - a scruffy drifter found sleeping in the bushes with blood on his clothes and no believable explanation for where he was and what he was doing when the murders occurred. He even gave the sheriff a fake name: “Johnny Blaze.” But the identity of the true culprit is even more macabre: Lucifer has taken up residence in a new host - a casualty of Civil War who’s bound to raise eyebrows! Collects Ghost Rider (2006) #6-12. - Amazon.com
Ghost Rider Volume 3: Apocalypse Soon
Trade Paperback- $10.99 (suggested retail)
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Johnny Blaze has-against the will of the Ghost Rider bonded to his soul-decided to try to help the people of New York City against the unstoppable juggernaut that is the Hulk…by attacking the Hulk, head-on! Johnny just wants to do some good…but isn’t that what he always says before he does something ultimately catastrophic? Also, there is an important new character in Ghost Rider’s world. A powerful player with a unique place in the battle between Heaven and Hell appears, known only as Mister Eleven, but whose side is he on? Collecting GHOST RIDER #12-13 and ANNUAL #1. - Marvel.com
Ghost Rider Volume 4: Revelations
Trade Paperback- $14.99 (suggested retail)
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The final confrontation between Ghost Rider and Lucifer begins here! Ghost Rider, now back in control after Johnny has (once again) proven himself to be…not so good at it, has begun his brutal final march toward Lucifer’s ultimate destruction. But should the fate of the mortal world - and possibly the immortal world - be entrusted to a vengeful spirit bonded to the soul of an ex-carnival performer? Heaven doesn’t think so. Collecting GHOST RIDER #14-19. - Marvel.com
OTHER GHOST RIDER APPEARANCES
[The Ghost Rider has made appearances in some other, out of the way (and sometimes, off the wall) comics, some of which have been collected in a graphic novel format.]
Marvel Mangaverse
Trade Paperback- $24.95 (suggested retail)
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” THE SCOOP: East meets West as Marvel’s greatest champions are manga-fied! ” THE STORY: Big eyes, speed lines, and lots of tech — we’re talking the ultra-popular art form known as manga, responsible for the phenoms Voltron, Pokemon, and Digimon, to name but a few! But what happens when some of manga’s most popular creators get their hands on some of Marvel’s most popular characters? It’s all-new, all-different excitement when Ben Dunn Jeff Matsuda, Kaare Andrews, Peter David, Lea Hernandez, C.B. Cebulski, Chuck Austen, UDON and enter The House! Reprinting all of the MARVEL MANGAVERSE titles, including NEW DAWN #1, AVENGERS #1, GHOST RIDER #1, FANTASTIC FOUR #1, PUNISHER #1, SPIDER-MAN #1, X-MEN #1, and ETERNAL TWILIGHT #1! ” THE FORMAT: 224-page trade paperback.
- Previews February 2002
Mega Morphs
Tankobon- $7.99 (suggested retail)
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Some dangers are too big for even the Marvel Super Heroes; that’s when they activate Tony Stark’s newest inventions: the Mega Morphs! Super-powerful, high-tech transforming robots piloted by the unlikely team of NEW AVENGERS’ Spider-Man, Captain America and Wolverine — along with Ghost Rider and the Hulk?! Join fan-favorite writer Sean McKeever and superstar-on-the-rise Lou Kang for furious fighting based on the hot new line of toys from Toy Biz. Marvel’s heaviest heroes in giant-robot action? True Believer, this is the toy tie-in other toy tie-ins dream of being! Collects MEGA MORPHS #1-4, plus the toy line’s MEGA MORPHS mini-comics.
- Marvel Previews October 2005
Exiles Volume 9: Bump In The Night
Trade Paperback- $17.99 (suggested retail)
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The Exiles enter into a world of swords and sorcery that any true X-fan will enjoy! Guest-starring the villainy of Kulan Gath! Plus: Ego the Living Planet - a father?! It’s up to the Exiles, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four to keep the Earth from becoming Ego Junior! Finally, a seemingly trivial, low-key mission spirals into a cataclysmic, universe- shattering disaster…all because of a Danish?! It’s the Exiles’ most hilarious adventure yet! Collects EXILES #52-58. - Marvel Previews January 2005
[Why Exiles Volume 9? Because during issues 55-57, Zarathos rules the world.]
[And so ends the GNA's brief look at Ghost Rider, graphic novel-fied. Hope you enjoyed it, hope you'll give some of the mentioned books and try, and if you know of a book I missed, please drop a comment. They're always appreciated. - Jeff]