When the assembled street-level heroes of New York are soundly trounced by Daredevil and the Hand, they must put their hopes in the least likely of saviors... Ghost Rider.
The Good
I could comment on the strength of the writing and art in this book, but what interests me most is the way this storyline's finally worked Marvel's "knights" into what truly feels a modern urban mythology. There's a lot said about how superheroes are analogous to the pantheons of antiquity and this was the first time I've read a comic where the back-streets of Hell's Kitchen felt as grand as the corridors of ancient Troy. I think it's especially appropriate that Ghost Rider's serving a fury in this opera.
The Bad
While I'm glad that the revelation about who's made DD act this crazy ties into the seminal, under-appreciated Elektra: Assassin... if it really is who they say it is, then it sticks out that Elektra wouldn't cooperate with him for even a second. Considering how prominently telepathy and psychic possession has played into her history, it seems really against-character that she wouldn't sense what was wrong immediately.
The Verdict - 4/5
It's funny; over the past couple months, I've gotten to read a lot of the Shadowland tie-ins, but none of the actual issues from the main mini-series. Now that I've sampled the whole gamut of this crossover, I have to say that the level of quality throughout is impressively strong. This might seem excessive after the end of seven years worth of rolling crossovers, but it's honestly a strong fray that defines this section of the Marvel U as a community, giving each player a significant, clearly-defined role to play.
