The Phantom #1- The Prolific Purple Hero Returns!

From Mad Cave Studios

Written by Ray Fawkes

Art by Russel Olson

The Phantom is one of the oldest superhero characters in the genre, created by Lee Falk back in 1936 (which he then went on to write about in newspaper serials for a stunning 63 years). Though the character has fallen out of the zeitgeist in the last twenty five years with the advent of hyper modern superhero tales and the resurgent popularity of major publishers like Marvel and DC Comics, the character can lay claim to some of the most iconic “firsts” in comic history. First and foremost being his eye-catching “skin-tight” latex superhero costume and the second being his dramatic, monochromatic eyes.

On Free Comic Book Day this year, comic book fans were treated to a thrilling preview of The Phantom’s return to comics through Mad Cave Studios, who have been successfully reviving several niche, cult-favorite comic characters in the past few years such as Dick Tracy and Flash Gordon, but only the official debut issue of this series could definitely tell whether this title had what it takes to be just as immortal and mythic as its titular character.

This week, I am happy to say that not only is veteran writer Ray Fawkes clearly the perfect choice to script this legendary series remount, but he and artist Russel Olson have succeeded in instilling me with fervent excitement for this series’ future.

It is clear from Issue #1 that Fawkes has a clear respect for the iconic character, taking the time to reference some key elements in the characters backstory, but also a clear vision as to how to make such a Golden Age character relevant and enticing to a modern comic book audience.

Which is truly the most exciting prospect of this series- the potential for The Phantom to become a relevant figure in popular culture again. A character who fights an unceasing battle against the forces of corrupt, chaotic, human evil in order to protect the natural world that he is merely a steward of. The concept of The Phantom seems outright simple. An immortal figure stalking the jungles of the Amazon in an absurdly purple outfit adorned with outlandish skulls, as he fist fights smugglers and militias and drug cartels ad nauseum. However, in the context of the modern world, so far removed from the 1940’s stylization of the characters’ inception, that has become increasingly separated from the natural world by industrialization and corporate greed- I would argue that the motivations of The Phantom are more relevant than ever.

But let’s talk more specifically about the harrowing deeds of The Phantom in Issue #1, which means-

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Our story begins by jumping straight to the action as The Phantom battles a group of smugglers who recently crash landed in the heart of the jungle that The Phantom calls his domain. One of the pilots groggily rises from the jungle floor and aims his gun at our hero as The Phantom explains that if he shoots, the plane will explode due to the leaking fuel- but in a hilariously twisted sequence, the confused grunt fires anyway.

The next moment, we are whisked away to The Phantom’s cavernous layer as his story is interrupted by his partner Diana Palmer (presumably The Phantom’s wife, but this hasn’t been confirmed in the new title yet) who tells Kit to start over from the beginning of the story as she repairs his wounds. While The Phantom isn’t the only instance of a popular superhero being lovingly married and having children, it is certainly a refreshing change of pace in the modern comic book sphere, so I can only hope that that element of the character is explored deeper in this new series as well.

As we return to the beginning of our tale, we are first granted insight into Kit’s inner monologue, as he describes the naturalistic sentiment that the East African Jungle instills upon all of its inhabitants as the seasons begin to cruelly shift, with some elegant, ingeniously lit artwork from series artist Russel Olson as we descend from high above the clouds to deep within the heart of the jungle, as a beautiful bird by the waters edge quickly becomes a crocodile’s snack.

From here, we follow The Phantom as he trains openly in the village he calls home, to the delight of the humble inhabitants, before venturing with his old friend Guran to the bedside of his ailing father, the village Chieftain. On the roof of the home, The Phantom and Guran reminisce about their adolescence together in a truly touching, human scene as they both mourn the imminent loss of the man they both love. Suddenly, a damaged plane careens through the night sky above their heads before it crash lands in the jungle.

Cutting back to the present moment, we watch as helicopters slowly approach the smoldering ruin as well as the peaceful village as The Phantom realizes that the village will soon be in danger, and that perhaps he should have created a distraction. Slow, thematically and visually expansive moments such as this are a credit to Ray Fawkes realistic lens in scripting, as evidenced in his long career in elevated historical fiction (such as Sanction) and psychological thrillers (such as Intersect). Cinematic, unfolding panels such as this allow the reader to earnestly pay attention to the art and the narrative element allows the reader to connect with the central protagonist on a much deeper, personal level.

As the helicopters land, we are introduced to our shadowy villain, Asif Singh, a member of the feared Singh Brotherhood. Asif makes a speech to the gathered members of the village as The Phantom slowly takes out patrol members in the tree line. Guran is forced to bring his sickly father to the assembly where Asif feigns nice and says he wouldn’t have allowed such a thing. In our final moments, The Phantom watches in horror as Asif levels his gun at Guran’s temple, proclaiming that the current chief is “unfriendly” and that, “you won’t be needing him anymore,” in a harrowing, desperate final image.

Will The Phantom reach his friend in time?! And if he intervenes will he risk the lives of everyone else in the village?! And what about the greater Singh Brotherhood- even if The Phantom defeats Asif, will more take his place?! These are the questions that the final page leaves the reader with, which is such a classic, dramatic, serial comic book cliffhanger that I can’t help but feel charmed. If you are looking for a comic book hero outside of the normal fair, beyond the backdrop of city lights and high tech gadgets- then The Phantom is the epic palette cleanse you are after.

Please support your local comic book stores and discover the clandestine escapades of The Phantom #1 on shelves now! Support Mad Cave Studios latest classic character revival so that the series can continue as long as it deserves to!

-Nicholas Aaron Hodge