Did the world need this crossover? Probably not. Did Marvel let Benjamin Percy have some fun with two of his best characters? You bet. Did we all benefit from that decision? Hell yeah! WOLVERINE/GHOST RIDER WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE ALPHA #1 is a rip-roaring, bike-riding, thrilling badass adventure featuring two characters from Benjamin Percy’s other going series.

Readers won’t need to be caught up on either character’s solo series to enjoy this isolated event. Percy sets the stage by introducing a gruesome murder scene that brings Wolverine and Ghost Rider together to solve and makes it clear that this isn’t the first time they’ve seen this type of horror. The main plot of the issue follows flashbacks where readers learn about the original murder spree that caused their paths to cross. We get a lot of great character moments during the flashback and witness an epic battle between Wolverine and Ghost Rider before they realize they’re both trying to achieve the same thing.

That battle, and the entire book, are brought to life by the immense talents of Geoff Shaw on art, Rain Beredo on colors, and Travis Lanham on lettering. The clash between Wolverine’s adamantium claws and Ghost Rider’s fiery chains is gorgeously visualized and Beredo’s bright orange flames especially pop off the page. Shaw also does a great job at drawing the graphic murder scenes which are straight out of a gory horror film.

Percy has been excellently writing Wolverine and Ghost Rider in their respective solo titles for some time and it’s only fitting to have these two characters, who love to claim that they’re loaners, team up for a mission to deal with a demonic force straight from the pits of hell. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this duo as much as I did but I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of this story come to life.

Rating: 9/10