“I am the whisper of a memory. I am the fear you might have lost your mind. I am the face you don’t remember, but you have seen a thousand times. The ghost who is still alive.” From The Ghost Who Is Still Alive, written by Beth Crowley.
As far as many are concerned, he is over 400 years old. Technically, he’s been in print for 89 years and counting. He is often called America’s first costumed superhero in comics; one could debate that, but only because comics fans will debate anything.
He is The Ghost Who Walks, trademarked under the name “The Phantom.” Back in the hallowed days of viable newspapers, he appeared every day in hundreds of ‘em. That newspaper comic strip exists to this day and is easily found online. Over these past 89 years The Phantom’s adventures have graced the comic book racks almost continuously, both reprints and original stories. About a dozen publishers have licensed the character in comic books, and I’ve edited some of those myself.
Last week The Phantom was added to the Mad Cave Studios line-up with a brand new series joining Dick Tracy and Flash Gordon in the publisher’s campaign to make us baby boomers truly feel our age. Lee Falk’s 1936 creation gets updated a bit, as often was the case in previous comics as well as in movies (feature film and serial) and teevee. I’ll let our critic and my editor Bob Harrison review it because that’s his turf, and he keeps the grass well cut. I will say this: It is written and drawn, respectively and respectfully, by Ray Fawkes and Russell Olson. I enjoyed it a lot, and I’m real picky
Mad Cave has done a nice job promoting The Phantom, starting with a zero issue for Diamond’s final Free Comic Book Day. Even if you missed that you can follow the story with ease. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: The Ghost Who Runs”
