Since Issue #5 of Marvel Spotlight, Ghost Rider has been astride the kind of chopper that would feel right at home in Easy Rider. But beginning this week, Marvel’s new Ghost Rider is piloting a black Charger that’s a Satanic blend of Dominic Toretto’s wheels, and the Charger piloted by the unnamed gunmen that chase down Frank Bullitt.

The Ghost Rider back story is that supernatural entities known as Spirits of Vengeance occupy the bodies of mere mortals. The hosts and their vehicles — typically raked out choppers — are transformed into flaming death’s heads, bent on exacting revenge and justice, barely on the edge of control.

This week, a new Ghost Rider hits the scene, and his name is Robbie Reyes. He’s a wrench-spinner in East Los Angeles with a disabled brother, and in the first few issues, spends his time trying to figure out just what’s happening when he gets behind the wheel of that black Charger.

The “All-New Ghost Rider” is completely independent of any of the Ghost Riders that came before, according to the writer Filipe Smith in an article in Comic Book Resources, yet it’s respectful of the Ghost Rider lineage. “We are very mindful of continuity and the history of the characters he meets,” says Smith. “I’m not sure if it’s easier or harder than picking up the continuity of an established character, but I definitely think the way Marvel approached this project allows for a new and very distinct storytelling dynamic.”

The big change, of course, is the switch from two wheels to four. Tradd Moore does the art in the All-New Ghost Rider, but all of the initial sketches were Filipe Smith’s. “I initially sketched out what I had in mind; a leather drag racer jumpsuit and a head that would mimic elements of a racing helmet and the body, blower and exhaust pipes of an American Muscle Car,” said Smith.

“We wanted him to have a sleek, techno vibe,” said Moore, “but also be grim and intimidating. In my head I was thinking like, “What if Death joined Daft Punk? What if Satan became a Power Ranger? What if Speed Racer went to Hell and came back a slasher villain? What would that look like?”

BangShift got a sneak preview of the first two issues, and they are badass, with an emphasis on stylized art direction and a minimum of dialogue. It’s all action from page one forward. The issues hit the newsstands this week — if things actually still hit “newsstands” — and we’re hoping to see a lot more, including some more detail on the car itself.