As Captain comics mentioned in the "Comics shipping Nov. 19" thread, this volume completes the 1970s iterration of Ghost Rider. Not only that, but thanks to PS Artbooks, the 1950s iterration of Ghost Rider is now available in its entirety as well.
Now if only someone would collect the 1967 version I'd be happy (at least as far as Ghost Rider is concerned).
Trivia: The character was inspired by Vaughn Monroe's "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and Disney's movie The Headless Horseman.
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You probably know this, but Marvel's seven-issue Ghost Rider was reprinted in Night Rider #1-6 (issues #1-6) and Western Gunfighters #25 (#7). They may be cheaper than the originals. Or may not. The prices on back issues of reprints always shocks me. They're reprints! The whole point of reprints is to be an affordable alternative to back issues! Bah!
Also, legend has it that the New York editors didn't know the connotations of the term "night rider" in the South, especially to Black people, and when they found out abruptly canceled the book. That's probably apocryphal, but it has the ring of truthiness. This is the publisher that saw no problem with the titles "Giant-Size Man-Thing" and "Marvel Triple-Action."
But yes, a TB/HC collection of those stories would look nice next to the others.
As to PS Artbooks, I'm very happy they served up all that Ghost Rider-y nonsense from the '50s. My only complaint is that they are collected out of order. Ghost Rider was introduced in Tim Holt comics, an evolution of the Calico Kid character. Those stories should have been presented first, but are instead collected in the third volume. Heresy! The saving grace is that '50s comics could be read pretty much in any order.
You probably know this, but Marvel's seven-issue Ghost Rider was reprinted in Night Rider #1-6...
I do happen to have Night Rider #1, but #1 only.
They may be cheaper than the originals. Or may not.
They are... but not cheap enough (or readily available) to make it worth my while. Here are the prices from my favorite online backissue source:
Besides, I prefer the high-quailty paper stock and better printing of a reprint. (The first issue of the 1967 series is reprinted in Marvel Firsts: The 1960s.)
My only complaint is that they are collected out of order.
Ah, I didn't know that. Good to know. I'll keep it in mind for when I get around to reading them.
The Night Rider did appear in Ghost Rider #50 (N'80) and #56 (My'81) and Incredible Hulk #265 (N'81) without changing his name
They did briefly had him go back to being "Ghost Rider" when Johnny Blaze was freed from his curse, as seen in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #5 (Ap'86) and West Coast Avengers #8 (My'86).
But that didn't last long. When he next appeared in West Coast Avengers #18 (Ma'87), he was renamed "the Phantom Rider" and stayed that way!