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Cosmic Ghost Rider #5 (of 5)

80
Comicscore Index
Generally favorable ratings

Based on 5 critic ratings.

The dramatic conclusion to the series everyone is talking about! Featuring Punisher! Thanos! Punisher! AND Thanos! Plus a few more surprises, some terrible deaths…and maybe a little redemption? Sounds unlikely given who we’re talking about.

Publication Date
Publisher
Format
Kindle Edition
Print Lenght
22 pages
Language
English
Price
$1.99
Amazon ASIN
B07GL4JCBX

Cover Artists
Variant Cover Artists

20%
80%
5 Critic Ratings & Reviews from:
  • 100

    ComicBook.com

    Cosmic Ghost Rider ends in just about the same way it started: a surprisingly thoughtful, yet completely insane intergalactic adventure. This final issue deals with Frank's biggest fears realized as he stands toe-to-toe against his son/Thanos/Punisher. It's certainly a wild story, but it also reminds us that destiny, no matter how hard we fight it, is sometimes out of our control. This is a book that knows what it is 100% of the time, but still finds a way to provoke the deepest of thought when you least expect it. Wonderful finale for Cates and company.
  • 100

    Horror DNA

    I'm so sad that this mini-series has come to an end. I could read this forever. Writer Donny Cates has done wonders with this character, so I'm glad to see that he's sticking around in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy relaunch. For now, this is a solid read that melds all these corners of the Marvel Universe into one awesome being. If you would have told me that a book called Cosmic Ghost Rider would have me screaming from eye-popping action one moment and nearly in tears the next, I wouldn't have believed you. This comic delivers on so many levels and it is an absolute must read.
  • 93

    Sequential Planet

    Cosmic Ghost Rider could be the best miniseries this year. The weakest issue was #1, so if you can get to #2, you’ll be roped in immediately. As always, I wish it didn’t have to be a mini, but the time spent was memorable and had some of the best comedic lines of any Marvel book. Cates didn’t give us any twist in the finale, but he did give it some heart, so I commend him on that. Frank Castle as Cosmic Ghost Raider is ridiculous, but it works thanks to Cates’ writing. Don’t miss this series.
  • 88

    The Super Powered Fancast

    There is so much rich detail and well done dialogue in this issue that to say anything else about the plot would spoil some incredibly funny and amazing moments that should be experienced. To that end, Donny Cates does a great job with this issue and with the evolution and development of these characters. His Frank is nuanced and self-reflective in a way that doesn’t make him in any way less dangerous and volatile. It gives a greater sense of purpose to what Frank does because we get a glimpse into his mind through the internal dialogue Cates adds to the story. As fun an exciting as the story is, the visuals by Dylan Burnett add and enhance every page with both the kinetic style of the action and the detailed and fun facial expressions. It’s going to be interesting to see where Frank goes from here and this issue lays the groundwork for some fun and intriguing journeys to come.
  • 70

    Epicstream

    This is the final issue of Cosmic Ghost Rider which concludes the series. Thanos and Frank face-off in a rather short-lived battle to decide the fate of their timeline. Afterward, the fate of baby Thanos is revealed. The issue didn't offer any surprises and was a bit light on content. It wrapped up the series well and didn't leave any loose ends. Antonio Fabela's coloring in Cosmic Ghost Rider is my favorite in all of comicdom right now and I hope to see more of his work at Marvel.

More From Cosmic Ghost Rider (2018)

About the Author: Donny Cates

Donny Cates (born September 14, 1984) is an American comic book writer, artist, and podcaster, known for his work on titles like Venom, Thanos, Doctor Strange and Thor.

Early life

Donny Cates was born in Dallas, Texas. Raised in Garland, Texas, Cates states that he was taught to read by his father using comic books. Cates graduated from Garland High School and attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he would meet future artistic collaborators Tradd Moore and Geoff Shaw. Cates majored in sequential art, but left the school after being accepted into a Marvel internship program. While interning, Cates stole a Diamond Distributors Gem Award awarded to Astonishing X-Men #1. At the advice of Marvel editor Mark Peniccia, Cates left the program after a year to pursue writing his own comics. After a chance meeting with a Dark Horse Comics staffer at C2E2, Cates was given the opportunity to write short stories for the company.

Career

Cates’ first comic work was a short story in Dark Horse Presents vol. 2 #24, released in August 2013. Co-written by himself and Eliot Rahal, the title of this story was Hunter Quaid: Armageddon Outta Here. It was followed up three issues later with Hunter Quaid: The Only Things We Have to Fear… are Nazis and Creepy Monsters. Satisfied with these stories, Dark Horse gave Cates the green light for later projects like Buzzkill, The Ghost Fleet and The Paybacks. Between 2016 and 2017 Cates also wrote stories for IDW Publishing, including an entry in Star Trek: Waypoint and a one-shot, Star Trek: Deviations. Cates eventually began writing for Image Comics, where he released God Country. With this title he attracted the attention of editors at Marvel, who offered him a contract.

His first long-term Marvel works were runs on Doctor Strange and Thanos. After the success of these titles, Cates was given writing duties on Venom, where he was paired with artist and podcaster Ryan Stegman. This led to him penning multiple company-wide events, including Absolute Carnage and King in Black.

Personal life

Cates currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, comic artist Megan Hutchinson. The two host a comic review podcast, The Devil’s AdvoCATES Book Club.

[Latest Update: May 28, 2022]