Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears

If you’re a comic book fan, then chances are you recognize the name of Garth Ennis. You also know that he has a great feel for dialogue, and he’s known for writing series like The Boys, Crossed, Preacher, and Punisher Max. While Ghost Rider: Trailer of Tears isn’t one of Ennis’s better known works, it is worth seeking out.

Trail of Tears begins with a violent, bloody battle in the American Civil War. In the aftermath, a former slave named Caleb discovers a wounded Union soldier named Travis Parham on the field, and takes Parham back to his farm. After Parham recovers, he works on Caleb’s farm to pay off his debt, and in the process befriends Caleb and his family.

Later, Parham rides out to the frontier to seek his fortune, but winds up returning to Caleb’s farm two years later. To Parham’s horror, he discovers that Caleb and his family have been slaughtered, and he starts hunting down the killers.

But Parham soon learns that the Ghost Rider is going after the same group as well. And no matter what Parham originally meant to do, the plans of the Spirit of Vengeance are much, much worse.

Now there’s one thing I should mention about Garth Ennis’s work. While I am a fan, I don’t care for his writing when he’s making fun of superheroes, or shooting for crass, gross-out humor. In those cases, Ennis’s raunchiness can often overpower his own work, and lessen what might otherwise be a compelling story.

But in the case of Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears, I’m happy to report that Garth Ennis was in his “serious” mode when he wrote it. And he appears to have used the basic concept of the Ghost Rider as just an excuse to write a kick-ass, B-movie, Old West horror comic. While it doesn’t reach the greatness of Ennis’s Preacher or Punisher comics, it’s still a solid story.

- Nate