Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 Review

Written by: Howard Mackie
Art by: Daniel Picciotto
Colors by: GURU-eFX
Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover art by: Ben Harvey (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: August 30, 2023

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 brings the trip down memory lane to a close when Danny Ketch, Johnny Blaze, and the Caretaker team up against the Master.

Is Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 Good?

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 brings Howard Mackie’s Danny Ketch ending to a complete but rushed ending. If you’re looking for a tried and true Ghost Rider thriller with supernatural fights, a horror atmosphere, and a relatively happy ending, this finale has it all.

When last we left Danny Ketch and friends, they failed to stop a power-enhanced Blackout and Scarecrow from kidnapping their loved ones as bait to get the Hell heroes to come before the Master. Now, the Caretaker shows how he gets around so fast by leading the former and present Ghost Riders to the Master’s doorstep where the demon’s history and short-term plans are waiting.

What’s with this Master guy? It turns out the Master isn’t a demon at all but a perpetually hungry Morolok who was transformed into something malevolent after eating a sliver of Ghost Rider’s Medallion of Power. Making a hungry Morlok bigger, stronger, and hungrier doesn’t explain how he came to amass servants and power, but there it is.

What’s great about Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4? Howard Mackie’s ending ties up all the loose threads in a neat little package, the supernatural action is entertaining albeit brief, and the ending leaves the door open just enough to foretell more adventures in the future. In short, Mackie and Marvel got the job done.

What’s not so great about Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4? Again, the ending feels rushed as the Ghost Rider(s) move from one scene to the next to the next to the next to wrap it all up. There’s no time to develop dramatic tension or emotional beats (rage? desperation? malicious glee?). The scenes come at you rapid-fire, leaving you feeling like you read a synopsis rather than a fully-developed story.

How’s the art? It’s fine. Daniel Picciotto delivers well-developed figure work, clean lines, and some dramatic-looking action panels. You’ll be pleased with the art, but you won’t be blown away.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 brings the nostalgic mini-series to a brisk close as Howard Mackie rifles through the scenes to sprint across the finish line. Each scene is technically complete, but there’s no time to develop drama, emotion, or tension.