Ghost Rider – Definitive Reading Order and Collecting Guide

The Ghost Rider comic books definitive issue-by-issue collecting guide and trade reading order for omnibus, hardcover, and trade paperback collections. Find every issue and appearance! Part of Crushing Krisis’s Crushing Comics.Last updated November 2018 with titles scheduled for release through May 2019.

Ghost Rider is the rare classic Marvel hero whose name is just a title given to a skull-headed, vengeance-seeking rider (or sometimes driver) possessed by a demonic spirit. Over the years, at least five Marvel characters have carried the title, as well as several spirits.

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• Vol. 1: The Phantom Rider (1967)
• Vol. 2: Johnny Blaze / Zarathos (1972 – 1983)
• Vol. 3: Daniel Ketch / Noble Kale (1990 – 1992)
• Vol. 3: The Midnight Sons – Ketch & Blaze (1992 – 1994)
• Vol. 3 & Blaze (1994 – 1998)
• Vol. 4: Johnny Blaze / Zarathos (2001-  2002)
• Vol. 5: The Road to Damnation – Johnny Blaze / Zarathos (2005 – 2006)
• Vol. 6 & Heaven’s On Fire – Blaze & Ketch (2006 – 2010)
• Vol. 7: Alejandra Blaze (2011 – 2012)
• Marvel Now: All-New Ghost Rider – Robbie Reyes (2014 – 2015)
• All-New, All-Different Marvel: Ghost Rider & Spirits of Vengeance

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Ghost Rider – The Phantom Rider (1967)

Though he was called Ghost Rider at the time, this character was later retconned to be named Phantom Rider – as well as made part of the modern Ghost Rider legend. This character originated in a Magazine Enterprises comic in 1951-52, which Marvel took advantage of after the trademark had lapsed.

The Ghost Rider #1-7: Not collected.

Phantom Rider made further appearances in the 1970s in Western Gunfighters #1 & 6, Giant-Size Kid Colt #3, and Avengers #142-143.

Ghost Rider – Johnny Blaze / Zarathos (1972 – 1983)

The modern concept of Ghost Rider debuted in Marvel Spotlight in 1972. The series was acting as a horror anthology at the time, having just launched both Red Wolf and Werewolf by Night into their own series. Johnny Blaze [CBDB] graduated into his own title in September 1973.

Marvel Spotlight #5-11 & Ghost Rider, Vol. 1 #1-20: Essential Ghost Rider, Vol. 1 b&w
Also collects Daredevil #138, which continues from #19. Issues #19-20 are also collected in Essential Daredevil, Vol. 6. Issues #1-2 are also collected in Essential Marvel Horror.

#1-2: Son of Satan Classic
Collects Ghost Rider (1973) #1-2, Marvel Spotlight (1971) #12-24, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #32, Marvel Two-In-One (1974) #14, and Son of Satan (1975) #1-8

#12: Marvel Ghost Stories
Collects Captain America (1968) #326, Ghost Rider (1973) #12, Hellstorm: Prince of Lies (1993) #6, Silver Surfer (1968) #8, Silver Surfer (1968) #9, Tomb of Dracula (1972) #23, War Is Hell (1973) #9, West Coast Avengers (1985) #41

After #2: Marvel Spotlight #12
After #5: Avengers #118, Marvel Team-Up #15
After #11: Marvel Two-in-One #8
During #14: Champions #1-2
After #15: Champions #3
After #16: Champions #4
During #17: Marvel Premiere #28
After #19: Daredevil #138
After #20: Avengers #151, Champions #7, From the Marvel Vault: Gambit & The Champions, Champions #8-10

#21-50: Essential Ghost Rider, Vol. 2 b&w
#17 and 23 feature the Champions.

#27 & 50: Ghost-Rider Team-Up
Collects Marvel Team-Up #91, Marvel Two-in-One #80, Marvel Premiere #28, Avengers #214 and Ghost Rider #27 & #50.

#35: Collected in color in Ghost Rider, Vol. 3: Trials and Tribulations and Ghost-Racers, both below.

After #21: Marvel Treasury Edition #13, Champions #11-13
After #24: Marvel Team-Up #58, Champions #14-15
After #25: Human Fly #2, Iron Man Annual 4, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, Champions #16, Giant-Size Hulk Vol. 2, Champions #17, & Sensation Spider-Man #17-18
After #40:M/TU 91

#51-65: Essential Ghost Rider, Vol. 3 b&w
Also collects Marvel Two-in-One #80, Marvel Super-Heroes Fall 1992, and Avengers #214.

After #57: Defenders #96
After #60: Marvel Two-in-One #80
After #62: Marvel Graphic Novel 1, Avengers #214

#66-81: Essential Ghost Rider, Vol. 4 b&w
Also collects Amazing Spider-Man (1962) #274 and New Defenders (1972) #145-146

#68-81: Reprinted in color in The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again (1991) #1-7

After #74: Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 3 #11, Team America #11
After #81: As Johnny Blaze in Defenders #145-146

Ghost Rider, Vol. 3 – Daniel Ketch / Noble Kale (1990 – 1992)

Marvel was nearing its peak of sales in 1990, with vigilante characters like Wolverine and Punisher surging in popularity. Ghost Rider was the perfect addition to the anti-hero mix, and Marvel made the masterful move of maintaining the character’s legacy while introducing a new host for the Rider – Danny Ketch [CBDB].

Despite Johnny Blaze’s lengthy history in comics, for many readers introduced to Marvel in the 90s with no access to the 70s series it is Ketch who is the true Ghost Rider. Want to learn more about this run? Read my post on the potential to collect it as an omnibus.

#1-10: Danny Ketch Classic, Vol. 1

After #6, Fantastic Four #347-349 is an infamous sequence where the FF is replaced by Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Hulk.

After #6 or 9 (unclear): Marvel Comics Presents #64-71

#11-18: Danny Ketch Classic, Vol. 2
Collects #11-20, though #19-20 comes after the next few guest apperances.

After #9: Thor #429-430
After #12: Dr. Strange #28, Moon Knight #35, Spider-Man #6-7, Damage Control, Vol. 3 #4, Daredevil #294-295
During #18: Cloak & Dagger, Vol. 3 #17-18, Quasar #22-24, Punisher War Journal #29-30
After #18: Marvel Comics Presents #90-97, Spirits of Vengeance #7-8, Marvel Holiday 1991 (may just be a pin-up?), Marvel Comics Presents #98-100

Ghost Rider / Wolverine / Punisher: Hearts of Darkness OGN (1992)
Reprinted in a 2017 TPB.

#19-20: In Classic Vol. 2, above

#21-25: Not collected

After #20: Slapstick #4, Spider-Man #18 & 22-23, Deathlok #9-10
After #21: Sleepwalker #11
After #24: Marvel Comics Presents #101-118, Marvel Collector’s Edition (Charleston Chew giveaway)

#26-27: A famous X-Men/Ghost Rider Brood crossover with covers from Jim Lee. The sequence is X-Men #8, GR #26, X-Men #9, GR #27. This was collected in an ancient TPB, but more recently has been collected alongside the X-Men issues.

Ghost Rider – The Midnight Sons, Ketch & Blaze (1992 – 1994)

Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance starts here! Since Johnny Blaze is also a primary Ghost Rider, this guide will continue to thread his appearances with Danny Ketch’s from this point forward. Spirits of Vengeance issues are denoted with SOV and the remainder of this run of Ghost Rider with GR.

The launch of Spirits of Vengeance and the other Midnight Sons titles is a crossover that doesn’t really cross over – you can read all of the #1s in sequence and then return at Ghost Rider #31 for the conclusion. From Spirits of Vengeance #1 it continues to Morbius #1, Darkhold #1, Nightstalkers #1, and then to issue#31.

GR #28 & 31 & SOV #1-6: Spirits of Vengeance: Rise of the Midnight Sons
These don’t all fit here in reading order – see below for the breakout. Collects Ghost Rider (1990) #28, 31; Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits Of Vengeance #1-6; Morbius: The Living Vampire (1992) #1; Darkhold: Pages From The Book Of Sins #1; Nightstalkers #1; Web Of Spider-man (1985) #95-96; and material From Midnight Sons Unlimited #1

GR #28-31 & SOV #1-3: All but GR #29-30 are collected, directly above above. Issues #28 and #31 are part of Rise of the Midnight Sons, as is Spirits of Vengeance #1, though GR #29-30 and SOV #2-3 are not. In sequence, it is GR #28 (pt1), SOV #1 (pt2 – both Blaze and Ketch appear), GR #29, Morbius #1 (pt3), SOV #2 (continues during #30 and Darkhold #1), GR #30, Darkhold #1 (pt4), SOV #3, Night Stalkers #1 (pt5), and GR #31 (pt6)

GR #32: Not collected

Optionally, read Darkhold #2-4 here (no GR). All of Darkhold is collected in Darkhold: Pages From The Book Of Sins – The Complete Collection

After #32: Darkhold #5, Dr. Strange #50, Midnight Sons Unlimited #1 (Blaze does not appear again until Mys-Tech Wars #2), and Darkhawk #22

Ghost Rider / Captain America: Fear OGN (ISBN 978-0871359476)
Cap appears here directly from Infinity War, in which Rider does not participate

After Fear: Marvel Comics Presents #119-122 with Cloak & Dagger in “Let There Be Light”

GR #33-38: Not Collected

During 33: Sleepwalker Holiday Special

After #38: Nightstalkers 7, Marvel Comics Presents #123-130 in a multi-part story with Typhoid Mary, Mys-Tech Wars #2 (UK) (includes Blaze, though he skips the next appearance), and Shadow Riders #2

SOV #4-6: Collected above. Spirits of Venom crossover as SOV #4, Web of Spider-Man #95, SOV #5, Web of Spider-Man #96.

SOV #7-10: Not collected

GR #39 & SOV #12-11: Not collected. Yes, these SOV issues are meant to be read out of order.

After GR #39 & SOV #11-12: Marvel Holiday Special 1993, Fantastic Four #374, Punisher War Journal #57-58, Terror Inc. #13, Midnight Sons Unlimited #2, Marvel Comics Presents #131-136 in “Heart and Soul”

GR #40 & SOV #13: Not collected. Midnight Massacre crossover as Nightstalkers #10, GR #40, Darkhold #11, Morbius #12, SOV #13

After Midnight Massacre: Midnight Sons Unlimited 3

Ghost Rider Annual 1: Occurs during #41, below.

During/After #41: Marvel Comics Presents #137-142 in “Fellow Travelers,” Gun Runner #1-2

GR #41-43 & SOV #14-16: Not collected. Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link crossover as GR #41, SOV #14, (they appear in Morbius #15 – not part of the crossover), GR #42, SOV #15, GR #43, SOV #16

GR #44-45 & SOV #17-18: Not collected. Siege of Darkness crossover as Nightstalkers #14, GR 44, Marvel Comics Presents #143, Darkhold #15, Morbius #16, Marvel Comics Presents #144, Dr. Strange Vol. 3 #60, SOV #17, Nightstalkers #15, GR #45, Marvel Comics Presents #145-146, Darkhold #16,  Dr. Strange Vol. 3 #61, SOV #18, Midnight Suns Unlimited #4

Vengeance takes over as lead character in this title from Danny Ketch / Noble Kale. Blaze continues to Blaze: Legacy of Blood

GR #46: Not collected

Blaze: Legacy of Blood (1993) #1-4: Not collected

SOV #19: Not collected. Features Vengeance

After SOV #19: Vengeance in Marvel Comics Presents #147-151 in “Tower of Blood

GR #47 & SOV #20: Not collected. SOV does not feature Vengeance, but comes before Midnight Sons Unlimited #5 so should be read here.

After #47: Vengeance next appears in: Midnight Sons Unlimited #5, Marvel Comics Presents #152-159 in “Dangerous Games”, and Dr. Strange #65-66

GR #48-50 & SOV #21-23: Not collected. Reading order is GR #48, SOV #21 (does not feature Vengeance), GR #49, SOV #22, (Vengeance is not longer the lead character), GR #50, SOV #23

Vengeance ends his run as lead character in Ghost Rider #49. After SOV #22, he takes over one quarter of Marvel Comics Presents until the end of that series, starring in #160-163 in “Diab0lique,” #164-166 in “Once and Future Spirits,” #167-169 in “Old-Time Religion,” #170-171 in “Shrink to Nothing,” and one-off stories in #172-175. He next appears in Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1-4 before returning in GR #70.

Ghost Rider, Vol. 1 & Blaze (1994 – 1998)

“Spirits of Vengeance ends here. Danny Ketch returns to lead character status in Ghost Rider #51, while Blaze continues to his own self-titled series.

GR #51,  Blaze #1-3, Ghost Rider Annual 2: Not collected

After GR Annual 2: Midnight Sons Unlimited #7

GR #52-57 + Blaze #4-9: Not collected

After GR #58: Wolverine #89

Ghost Rider / Wolverine / Punisher: Dark Design OGN (ISBN 978-0752206912)
Reprinted in a 2017 TPB.

After Dark Design: Morbius #29, maybe in Midnight Sons Unlimited #8 (need to check appearance and placement)

GR #58-61 + Blaze #10-12: Not collected The Blaze issues have no intersection w/GR, but they begins after #61

Blaze ends with issue #12, but Blaze continues to appear in the next arc of Ghost Rider.

GR #62-65: Not collected. Blaze appears next in Crossroads, below.

After #65: Double Edge: Omega, DC vs. Marvel #1-2 (not in continuity)

GR #66-82 & Crossroads: Not collected. Crossroads is effectively an annual and comes between #68-69

After #66: Over the Edge #4
After #69: Ketch & Blaze in Over the Edge #9
After #82: Marvel Fanfare, Vol. 2 #3

GR3 #83-89 & -1: Not collected. The minus one issue was released between 86-87, but the story falls before either Blaze or Ketch was the Rider. Naomi Kale begins to appear from #89

After #85: Cyblade/Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider/Ballistic #1-3 (neither in continuity)
After #89: Co-stars in Venom: Sign of the Boss #1-2
During #90: Daredevil #372

GR3 #90-93 & Finale (AKA #94): Not collected. Weirdly, #94 was never released when the series originally concluded in February 1998, and was eventually released in 2007 along with a reprint of #93. #94 is collected in Danny Ketch: Addict, below.

• Johnny Blaze appears next in X-Force/Champions Annual 1998
• Noble Kale appears next in Werewolf by Night #6 (1998)
• Danny Ketch appears next in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #93 (1998), where he is re-bonded with Noble Kale, followed by Thunderbolts #57.

Ghost Rider, Vol. 4 – Johnny Blaze / Zarathos (2001 – 2002)

This is Johnny Blaze’s next appearance after X-Force/Champions Annual 1998. There is no in-story explanation of how he is once again the Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider: Highway to Hell (2001): Reprint of Ghost Rider (1973) #35 Ghost Rider (1973) #81 Marvel Spotlight (1971) #5

#1-6: Ghost Rider: The Hammer Lane

#1/2: Continues from #6. Rider does not reappear in the Marvel Universe until the next volume in 2005.

Ghost Rider, Vol. 5: The Road to Damnation – Johnny Blaze / Zarathos (2005 – 2006)

#1-6: Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears (2007)
Though not in present-day continuity, this acts as a prequel to Road to Damnation Available in hardcover

#1-6: Ghost Rider: The Road to Damnation
Available in hardcover

Ghost Rider, Vol. 6 & Heaven’s On Fire – Blaze & Ketch (2006 – 2010)

#1-19: Ghost Rider by Daniel Way Ultimate Collection
Note that this does not contain Annual 1, as it wasn’t written by Way. Reprinted in 2017 retitled as “Complete Collection.”

#1-5: Vol. 1: Vicious Cycle

#6-11: Vol. 2: The Life and Death of Johnny Blaze
Some online sources have this containing #12, but I verified it ends with #11 in my own copy.

#12-13: See Marvel Universe Events: World War Hulk

#12-13 & Annual 1: Vol. 3: Apocalypse Soon

#14-19: Vol. 4: Revelations

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) #1-5: Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch – Addict
Reintroduces Danny Ketch prior to his reappearances in the main series. Includes Ghost Rider, Vol. 2 Finale AKA #93 plus what would have been #94.

#20-35: Ghost Rider by Jason Aaron Omnibus
Also collects Heaven’s On Fire #1-6

#20-25: Vol. 1: Hell Bent and Heaven Bound
Annual 2 is not included in this collection, but it is the next chronological issue.

#20-32 & Annuals 1-2: Ghost Rider: The War For Heaven, Book 1 (2019 paperback)
Also collects Ghost Rider Saga

After Annual 2: X-Force (2009) #9-10, Wolverine #73

#26-32: Vol. 2: The Last Stand

#33-35 & Annual 2: Vol. 3: Trials and Tribulations
Annual 2 is placed after #25 and before X-Force #9-10, above. Briefly features Danny Ketch as Ghost Rider as #34

#1-6: Ghost Rider: Heaven’s On Fire
Also collected in the Jason Aaron Omnibus.

• Blaze is next in Deadpool Team-Up #897, Dr. Voodoo #3-5, Strange #34, Deadpool #26,
• Ketch is next in Deadpool Team-Up #897

Johnny Blaze takes part in the street-level heroes event Shadowland. See Marvel Universe Events: Shadowland. Blaze appears Shadowland #2-3, Shadowland: Moon Knight #2, Shadowland: Ghost Rider #1, Shadowland #5, & Daredevil #511. (Also, in Shadowland: Powerman #3? Need to check)

Blaze also appears in Chaos War: Chaos King (need to check this appearance – if it is significant it is likely directly following Shadowland) – see Marvel Universe Events: Chaos War.

After Shadowland, both Blaze and Ketch appear in Wolverine (2010) #2-6. Then, Blaze appears in X-Men: To Serve and Protect #2, Heroes for Hire #2, and in the digital Spider-Man: Big Time #6-8 (unclear on if this was collected along with ASM #658-660, where it appeared as a backup)

Ghost Rider, Vol. 7 – Alejandra Blaze (2011 – 2012)

This series introduces a new Ghost Rider to the family – Alejandra Blaze [CBDB].

#0.1: Johnny Blaze’s final appearance as Rider before the spirit inhabits Alejandra, though he appears in nearly every issue of this series.

#0.1 & 1-9: The Complete Series by Rob Williams

#0.1 & 1-5: Fear Itself: Ghost Rider
Available in hardcover.

Fear Itself: See Marvel Universe Events: Fear Itself for more information. In additional to Alejandra, Ketch appears in Fearsome Four #2-3 & the parody book Shame Itself.

After #3: X-Men #15.1

Venom: Circle of Four
This storyline in Venom #13, 13.1-4, 14 was originally meant to be a crossover with Red Hulk, Rider, and X-23, but the impending cancellation of the latter two series made it more expedient to wrap this up in a series of .1 issues rather than as a crossover. It fits prior to #9. Also available in oversize hardcover.

After the end of her series, Alejandra goes on to appear in Venom #23, 25, & 42 (need to check – these might just be flashbacks. Blaze next appears in Wolverine and the X-Men #19, which is the beginning of Marvel Now.

Marvel Now: All-New Ghost Rider – Robbie Reyes (2014 – 2015)

An all-new, Latino teen named Robbie Reyes [CBDB] debuts as Ghost Rider in All-New Marvel Now. This series is tremendous fun, with angular mid-00s Saturday morning cartoon art and vivid coloring.

And, it doesn’t mean our old favorites are gone – Johnny Blaze begins to appear in Thunderbolts starting with issue #20. See Thunderbolts for collection information.

#1-5: Vol. 1: Engines of Vengeance

#6-12: Vol. 2: Legend

Blaze appears in Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe #2-3, which is of dubious continuity, and briefly in Deadpool: The Gauntlet digital comic #11 & 13. From there, he stars in Thunderbolts #20-29 & 32. Somewhere in that period, he makes a significant appearance in Uncanny Avengers Annual 1. He then appears in All-New Ghost Rider #7-11.

Ketch appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #699.1 (a prelude to Morbius’s Marvel Now series) and Superior Spider-Man Annual 1.

This title continues to a Secret Wars tie-in series, Ghost-Racers.

All-New, All-Different Marvel, Marvel Legacy, & Fresh Start (2016 – present)

Author Felipe Smith continues the story of Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider: X-Mas Special (2016): This digital special has not been collected.

Ghost Rider (2017) #1-5: Vol. 1: Four on the Floor

Reyes next appears in The Unbelievable Gwenpool (2016) #14-15 and Iceman (2017) #6 (along with Johnny Blaze!). He then makes a very ominous appearance in Marvel Legacy #1 (along with an ancient, mastodon-riding version of Rider) before joining Jason Aaron’s Avengers in Marvel Fresh Start.

Spirits of Vengeance (2017) #1-5: Spirits of Vengeance
This Johnny Blaze starring series likely occurs after his appearances in Iceman (2017) #6 and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2016) #24.

Finally, Alejandra Blaze makes a rare re-appearance in Venom #154.

Johnny Blaze: Ghost Rider (2018) #1: Doctor Strange: Damnation
Johnny Blaze plays a brief but pivotal role in this event which sees a major change in his status quote. Collects Damnation (2018) #1-4, Johnny Blaze: Ghost Rider (2018) #1, Doctor Strange #386-389, Iron Fist #78-80, Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider (2017) #15-17

Meanwhile, far in the future, Donny Cates introduces a somewhat-insane Cosmic Ghost Rider in the pages of his Thanos Wins run in Marvel Legacy. That version graduates to his own five-issue limited series in Marvel Fresh start, collected in Cosmic Ghost Rider: Baby Thanos Must Die and in oversize hardcover in Thanos by Donny Cates, followed by Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History, appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers, and Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider.

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