Hellhunters #1 Review- The Spirit of Vengeance Goes to War
From Marvel Comics
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by Adam Gorham
I may be slightly late to the exhalations for the latest original series from superstar writer Philip Kennedy Johnson, but such is the busy nature of the end of the year holiday season in the states.
Rest assured however that I am as enthralled as the next comic book fan with this badass, horror tinged debut issue delving into the past of Ghost Rider ’44 created by Johnson in his ongoing run of The Incredible Hulk last year.
It isn’t often that we get new characters from Marvel Comics that make this much sense. A WWII Soldier who is offered the power of the Ghost Rider in his final moments in order to exact revenge against the Nazis? Yeah, of course I want to read about that. In fact, green light the film adaptation already, what are you waiting for? “Marvel Comics meets Saving Private Ryan” is a pitch that movie execs would have a heart attack over.
But I digress- The most compelling aspect of this series is its sheer inherent bombastic-ness, which thankfully has not been toned down in any way by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, who has heralded on social media that this series as a narrative excuse to kill Nazis- a genre we always need more representation from.
If you have been a fan of Johnson’s bold, expansive, genre bending approach to The Incredible Hulk, layering the world of Marvel Comics with eldritch, occult characters and lore- than Hellhunters is only going to allow you to scratch that itch further until it bleeds. Sometimes the best comic series are the simplest in their approach- with morally focused characters like the Ghost Rider punishing the bad guys, only to find that there’s a lot more bad people in the world than you ever realized, especially in war.
Let’s talk more in depth about this exhilarating first issue, which means,
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Our issue begins with a cinematic cold open, following a group of Nazi soldiers fleeing a Russian military assault. As they venture deeper and deeper into the woods the Nazi’s stumble past an occult symbol tied to a tree, a symbolic display of bones, viscera, and powerful crystals that the pursuing Russian soldiers dare not venture beyond.
As the Nazi’s debate their next move, they are suddenly confronted by a disembodied voice speaking through the corpse of a horse chained to a large tree trunk. The demonic entity seems to know the men’s motivations and their fate, offering them power and immortality as, “The Undying Champions of the Reich” in exchange for their souls. The Nazi Officer stands his ground, unwilling to bargain, until he is suddenly shot in the head by one of his men, Bruckner, who willingly accepts the deal. The creature clamps down on Bruckner’s neck with hidden mandibles, and he is overcome with a ghostly power, before we cut to our title page.
This intro feels like it could just as well belong in a Hellboy comic, which speaks to the tonal ingenuity that Johnson is introducing to the Marvel Comics landscape with this issue and, of course, The Incredible Hulk. I am excited to learn more about the nature and origins of this ancient evil that enacts this devil’s bargain with the Nazis, especially given their inherited powers showcased in the preceding pages.
Speaking of, we are next introduced to our main character, Sal Romero, in a military dropship flying over occupied German territory, before the plane, and every soldier within are suddenly impaled with unnatural shards of ice. Romero manages to make it off of the plane, although battered and trapped on a tree branch by his torn parachute, as the “Undying Champions of the Reich” approach him through the haze like specters out of a John Carpenter film. As Romero opens fire on the Nazi’s, Bruckner leaps upon him, transforming into a hideous winged demon whose bite is infused with hellish frost.
As Romero dies upon the branch, he is then visited by a strange crow with fiery eyes offering him a chance at vengeance. An offer that Romero heartily accepts after the death of his comrades and his encounter with the ungodly, powerful Nazi soldiers. As anticipated, Romero is consumed by flames and he is reborn as a skeletal Ghost Rider, wielding a molten chain.
However, Romero doesn’t have much time to adapt to his new state as he is immediately attacked by shadowy figures with strange weapons in their arsenal. Managing to repel the attack, he suddenly hears a voice declaring that they have made a mistake, because Romero is wearing, “American Colors.” Which leads to the introduction of the other members of our heroic cast of characters- the famed Howling Commandos led by Nick Fury.
As I stated earlier, sometimes the best narrative choice for a comic series is the one that makes the most obvious sense, which succinctly illustrates how I feel about the Howling Commandos addition to this historical tale. In other words, “Oh hell yeah, of course they’d be here!”
Though this issue ends rather abruptly and simply, it is still an exciting, praiseworthy demonstration of the tonal and character elements that will drive this series forward in the future, presenting an inventive, dramatic, violent, and imaginative new series in the Marvel catalogue.
Please support your local comic book stores, and pick up Hellhunters #1 on shelves now!
Also, while you are at it, you should consider checking out the excellent Hellverine series from Benjamin Percy, exploring the latest horrific saga of Wolverine’s deceased son, Daken, as a brand new Spirit of Vengeance. It is truly a great time to be a Ghost Rider fan with all of these new additions to the mythos of the character.
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
