Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Benjamin Raab
Art by: Pat Quinn
Colored by: Ken Wolak
Lettered by: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Joe Gentile
Publisher: Moonstone Books
The Phantom was created by Lee Falk in 1936, and first saw publication as a daily comic strip. As the story goes, the Phantom has been the protector of the jungles of Bangalla for more than 400 years. Known by the pygmy tribes that inhabit the area as the “Ghost Who Walks,†the mantle of the Phantom has actually been passed through the Walker family from generation to generation. The Phantom really was the first costumed hero, predating even Superman. While his popularity in America has diminished some, he’s still a worldwide force.
I haven’t been a regular reader of the Phantom’s adventures; in fact I’ve only read a handful of comic stories featuring the character. I first learned about the character in the late 80’s from the short-lived cartoon, Defenders of the Earth. This show featured the Phantom, as well as Mandrake the Magician, Flash Gordon and others from the Kings Features stable. I became far more aware of the character in 1996, which saw the release of a film starring Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, and a just shy of stardom Catherine Zeta-Jones. The movie was exciting, escapist entertainment, but sadly didn’t meet box office expectations.
While I was researching the Phantom for this review, I found out a very startling thing. The Phantom is a veritable behemoth in Australia, and in Sweden there’s been an ongoing Phantom series since 1950. They’ve published over 1300 issues to date, and the group called Team Fantomen recruits writers from all over the world to write for them. That’s how Benjamin Raab, the writer of the new Moonstone Phantom series, got his first gig with the character.
Thanks to Mr. Raab, I was able to get a black and white sample of the first issue of the new ongoing Phantom series. This action-packed debut issue, brings the classic hero to life in all possible glory. I truly can’t wait to get a copy in full color, when it’s released later this month! Mr. Raab establishes a story around illicit diamond mining that gets your hands just dirty enough to please the modern day fan. Although it’s set in the present, Raab’s writing captures the feeling of a bygone age, a time when the Phantom was one of the most popular characters in the 4-color world of comics. A time, by all rights, this incarnation of the Phantom should return to again.
The dichotomy offered up within this book is stunning. Somehow, Mr. Raab captures the classic, almost ageless feeling of past adventures. In that “rose colored glasses†look back that is so enticingly out of reach. Yet, this is a modern day story and deals with the biggest fear of most people in the world today, terrorism. I like the contemporary setting, but I’m thrilled that the book hasn’t gone all “hi-tech.â€
The artwork by Pat Quinn is beautiful. Mr. Quinn’s style is very clean, and offers a tremendous amount of detail. The layouts and artwork capture the classic look that lends the character the dignified air he deserves. I hadn’t seen much of Mr. Quinn’s artwork in the past, but I’m going to make a concerted effort to remedy that error. Moonstone has a first rate team on board, there’s no reason this book can’t be a success.
Ever since seeing the film in ’96, The Phantom is one of those characters I’ve always meant to go back and read up on. With that I don’t mean the history, although that’s great too, what I really mean are the classic stories that made the character what he is. While I still plan to do that, I’m thrilled that a regular comic will be chronicling the Phantom’s adventures. There are so many wonderful comic book characters that are nearly forgotten; thanks to Benjamin Raab, Pat Quinn and others, the Phantom isn’t one of them!
Special note: Later this month, look for more special coverage on the new Phantom series. Including interviews with both Benjamin Raab and Pat Quinn!
