By d. emerson eddy — I've mentioned before my love of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, spotlighting a number of different works falling into those genres, but I've neglected to focus on another genre that I love that tends to be overlooked. In honor of the release of Pulp, I wanted to start on some of my favorite westerns and stories that incorporate western conventions to show something new. I tend towards the weird westerns, but there's something existentially fulfilling about the barren expanse, where hard, driven individuals have to eke out an existence on the frontier against regular threat of lawlessness. Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears by Garth Ennis, Clayton Crain, and Joe Caramagna straddles that divide between straight-up western and supernatural thriller built on a superhero legacy.

The first issue itself sets up a bit of a quandary. Our protagonist is a Confederate soldier, Travis Parham. He's not a particularly good soldier, but to be fair his entire regiment is being blown to pieces by Union artillery. Coming at the story through the lens of a Confederate soldier, rescued from the battlefield by a black man, an ex-slave Caleb. There's a kind of sneering at the Union that's unusual, fueled further by a condemnation of war in general, but it sets up a world that's somewhat murkier than clean cut notions of good and evil. I must add that this story doesn't glorify the Confederacy in any way, nor their actions during the American Civil War, though it does paint the picture of a bleak, hard world ruled by corrupt ideals of greed and power more than individual civil liberties. It's interesting how Ennis uses the point of view from a member of the wrong side of the war to upend expectations.

It's also the most grounded portion of the series, with the minimal supernatural element being Parham's discovery of an altar that Caleb set up to honor his ancestors. As such, it leaves Clayton Crain the opportunity to craft a realistic world here to serve as the basis for the more fantastic elements that come down the line. Crain paints a gorgeous sepia-toned opening sequence of Parham's losing battle during the war. It helps set an idea of the period, but also gives the later use of a normal color palette a greater impact when it kicks in. There's an almost serene and bucolic feeling to Caleb's land that serves as a counterpoint to the horror that will come later in the series. Joe Caramagna's lettering mirrors the slick and polished nature of Crain's artwork.

Because after the first issue both the western and supernatural themes come into full effect. It becomes a story of revenge, of vengeance and maybe a little justice, as Parham works to track down a gang of hooded land thieves. And finds that something else has a call for vengeance.

Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears #1 sets up a harsh, and fundamentally unfair, world even with fleeting moments of “peace”. Ennis, Crain, and Caramagna lay the groundwork for a weird western story that feels perfectly at home within the Ghost Rider canon.

Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears #1

Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears #1
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Clayton Crain
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: February 7, 2007
Here it is -- the prequel to Garth Ennis and Clayton Crain's smash hit GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO DAMNATION! Travis Parham thought he'd seen hell. As a lieutenant in the Confederate Army, he stood neck-deep in muck and blood, surrounded by the whistle of hot shrapnel and men's screams. Two years later, Parham has carved a new life for himself, doing his best to forget the depravity that lurks in the pits of men's souls. Now, Parham's tranquil world is about to be rudely interrupted. Up from the depths comes a force of nature that transcends his wildest dreams -- a fiery wraith that knows a thing or two about evil, and even more about vengeance.
Price: $1.99 on Comixology | Also available in the collection: Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears ($10.99)

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.