What I Read This Week

Once again, it's two -- two -- two weeks in one here at the Bunker!

The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks #0 -- Moonstone relaunches their Phantom series with this special-priced retelling of the origin of the first Phantom, wherein he was shipwrecked by the Singh Brotherhood and helped lead the Bandar from captivity.  As a preview of things to come this is neat and worth reading if you are interested in the adventures of The-Ghost-Who-Walks.

Batman And The Outsiders Special #1 -- Setting up the new status for the Outsiders team, as well as introducing us to new members the Creeper and Owlman (sort of).  Tomasi seems to have a solidly defined plan on where he wants to go, and Kubert's work is every bit as nice as it was on Last Will And Testament, so it's a shame that he is not doing the monthly book (although I understand the rationale).  Top notch all the way.

Batman #686 -- Part 1 of "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is different from what I expected it to be, but still really enjoyable reading.  I like Gaiman when he takes on "mainstream" superheroics and once more with the Kubert.  Stinks that I have to wait so long for the conclusion over in Detective!

Batman Confidential #26 -- Featuring the comic book debut of King Tut!  As they say in showbiz, "WILD!"  With a rash of murders taking place in Gotham City by a self-styled pharoah who tells his victim riddles as he does them in, Batman immediately suspects the Riddler.  But he is locked up tight in Arkham Asylum... right?  Really fun detective romp as Bats tracks down King Tut before he kills again.  I wouldn't mind this Tut becoming a regular part of the Bat Rogues.  (Maybe I should polish up my Shame story pitch?)

Kull #4 -- Kull and Brule go on the offensive against the Snake-Men, with predictably bloody results.  A bare-chested, blood-soaked S&S comic in the best tradition of the genre, this is a tale of two men putting aside their ancenstral grudges to kick snaketail and take names.  Nelson and Conrad are really hitting their stride, and I hope we see more of the Valusian King from these two.  This is a badass comic book.

Black Lightning: Year One #3 -- The new origin of Suicide Slum's defender continues, as we learn more about Gambi's history with Jefferson's father, and the 100 make their big move against Black Lightning.  I am still enjoying this fast-paced and fresh-sounding series, although it looks like my "Fire Man" prediction may have been wrong.  May have.

House of Mystery #10 -- "Love Stories for Dead People" comes back to where it all started as the mysteries of the basement are explained and Miranda and her nightmares take center stage.  The backup tale, depicting young Fig's adventures in the world where stuffed animals move on their own, is equal parts charming and heart-breaking.  Every time this title comes out, it makes me smile.

Invincible Iron Man #10 -- Tony Stark has to go on... the... run... zzzzzzzzz.  Someone wake me up when this coma-inducingly boring story is over.  So far we have had three issues of the exact.  Same.  Thing.  This title really is becoming the Iron Man title for people who are not Iron Man fans.  Even Larocca's art is starting to turn me off.  I had to wait two and a half weeks for Marvel to send me this?

War Of Kings: Darkhawk #1 -- Chris Powell is trying to put his life back together and overcome his dangerous anger issues.  But things look like they are taking a turn for the worse when an alien -- who looks a lot like his alterego of Darkhawk -- crashes into his Long Island neighborhood.  Cebulski seems to like the character and spends a lot of time fleshing out Chris and his issues.  I am not familiar with artist Harvey Tolibao beyond his work on the Iron Man Annual from last year, but his work is very flashy and effective. Also features a full-color reprint of Darkhawk #1, which I also enjoyed.  (I think that may be a longer post at some point, by the way.)

Futurama Comics #41 -- Fry, Leela, and the Professor volunteer at Amy Wong's soririty's (that is, Kappa Kappa Wong) kids summer camp, only to find that the camp is brainwashing kids to be President Nixon's new intergalactic army!  Hilarious effort from the fine folks at Bongo.

The Pick Of The Pile is Batman And The Outsiders.  I almost gave it to either House of Mystery or Kull, but the overall package of the Outsiders Special carries the banner this week with it's great mix of story, page design, and characters.

So, what did YOU read this week?

What I Read This Week

House of Mystery #3 -- Fig discovers that there is a reason why all of these strange folks are hanging out in the House of Mystery, while gangster Joey Spats tells us a story about how there is always a way out of any situation.  Sturges and Willingham are building to a resolution of the first mystery very nicely, while exploring the dissimilar cast of characters in a very appealing manner.  There's some really obvious photo-referencing of King Kong Bundy in the short, but that's okay: it's King Kong Bundy, after all.  Overall this series reminds me of the "old days" of Vertigo when I was a younger man, and that's a good thing.

Storming Paradise #1 -- Chuck Dixon and Butch Guice take a look at a world which was only one misplaced decimal point away, as the Manhattan Project blows up in the US's face (literally), the Allies are forced to undertake the unthinkable invasion of Japan.  A straight-forward historical story, there is a sense of dread looming over the entire proceedings as we know that bad stuff looms on the horizon for pretty much all involved.  Dixon's flexibility shines in this "fictional non-fiction," and Guice's pencils look right at home.  Fans of War comics, or WWII in general should definitely check this series out.

Tor #3 -- Tor finds himself with a band of similar outcasts, and finds companionship for the first time that he can remember.  But a trip into a dark, dank cave finds something much more evil.  Kubert's work has a sort of washed out look to it which suits the prehistoric landscape perfectly.  (In a classy move, DC back-loaded all the ads, so the narrative is not interrupted at all.)  It's simple tale of survival and loyalty, but it's so elegantly handled (and has such a kicking cliffhanger) that you wind up drawn into it; Kubert's world is pretty darn-well realized, and populated with visually interesting flora and fauna.  It is odd, though, that this comic contains a topless woman for almost the entire length, but carries no warnings or anything.  It's not dirty, but still surprising.  If you are looking for something off the beaten path, then check this one out.

The War That Time Forgot #3 -- As the Volcano tribe sets out to rescue the Colonel, they pick up a new ally, but also face new and deadly peril.  Meanwhile, back at the home camp, someone is not showing all their true motivations to the others.  This issue just rocks it from beginning to end, with an exciting mix of humans fighting each other, humans fighting dinosaurs, and intriguing new developments behind the scenes.  This series, like Tor, seems to have nothing to do with anything, and is substantially stronger for that; it's a one-off tale filled with a mishmash of characters from different periods, all working together in a fun and interesting way.  Very fun comic.

The Phantom #24 -- With Bangalla tearing itself apart due to the introduction of the drug Manic into the air and water, the Ghost-Who-Walks tracks down the drug's creator, Ortega, to shut him down.  The biggest Phantom story Moonstone has ever told continues to get bigger here, as the Phantom confronts the first member of the conspiracy which has been destroying his life.  How exactly all of this is going to wrap up in the next issue is anybody's guess, but the adventure has been top-notch so far.

The Pick Of The Pile is The War That Time Forgot, which mixed history and dinosaurs and action and even a little intrigue.  But as a whole this was another great week, with every purchase being very enjoyable to read!  

What I Read This Week

The Phantom #24 -- Did not read, as this was shorted to Borderlands by Diamond.  Evidently, Moonstone's time with the series is drawing to an end, which stinks.

Final Crisis #2 -- Morrison and Jones continue their deconstruction (of sorts) of the DC Universe as Dan Turpin finds himself closer to the truth than he realizes, the Justice League investigates the murder of a New God, and deep-rooted evil plans are partially revealed.  All this and Sonny Sumo!  I don't see what is so hard to understand about this series, honestly, as I can follow it fine and I am not neither a "DC Historian" nor a "DC Completist."  (And perhaps I should add for completeness sake that I am not a "DC Apologist," either.)  I am very much enjoying this series so far.

Caliber #3 -- I wish I could say the same about this one, though.  More lovely art paired with confusing storytelling, at least the general plot is easily digestable this time.  But so far this great concept has barely been scratched, and with only two issues remaining I am left disappointed so far.  

Conan The Cimmerian #0 -- A short introduction to the next phase of Conan's life, this features enough blood and carnage in it's short span to satisfy most feature-length stories.  Truman and Giorello have a good grasp on the character (colorist José Villarrubia's bold choice for the blood is also applauded) and seem to relish the idea of transitioning him into the mercenary/pirate era.  I do believe I will be checking this series out.

Project Superpowers #4 -- The (re)introduction of some interesting characters -- namely, The Flame, Hydro, and Pyroman -- make this installment more fun than the last.  That, and a more readable script which seems to finally have a sense of momentum rather than a series of vignettes.  I have been on the fence about this title lately, sometimes enjoying it and sometimes not, but for this month I am falling into the "enjoying" camp.  It will be very interesting to see how this series wraps things up for the revamped "Superpowers" universe we have been promised from Dynamite -- as well as whether or not that wrap-up will have me interested enough to invest any further time and money into it.

The Pick Of The Pile is Final Crisis, beating out strong competition in the form of Conan.  But Morrison and Jones' work is a superior effort and I eagerly await the next issue just to see what the heck is going to happen next, and that's a pretty ringing endorsement where I come from.

So what did YOU read this week?

4 Color Cinema

The Phantom

Inspired by Mike Sterling's recent viewing, I decided to finally get around to posting my thoughts on this film, which I re-watched a few months back. I remember when The Phantom was first coming out, you couldn't flip through an issue of anything, especially Wizard, and not see an ad for it, proclaiming that the Ghost-Who-Walks would "SLAM EVIL!" I never got if that was supposed to be impressive, or intimidating, or simply hilarious, but it certainly raised awareness. And by "awareness" I mean derisive shouts of "SLAM EVIL!" across comic shops nationwide.

Be that as it may, our story is about Kit Walker, the latest in the long line of Phantoms, which has been passed from father to son for 20 generations in the jungle nation of Bangalla. The Phantom lives in the Skull Cave, which is hidden in the dark and forbodding Deep Woods. From there, he strikes out at evil, using his athleticism, twin automatics, and the mysterious jungle legends of being "The Man Who Cannot Die" to combat pirates, murderers, and thieves. Kit finds himself mixed up in new intrigue when a group of goons attempt to pilfer a legendary crystal skull (yes, years before Indiana Jones!), which leads to a run-in with his ex-girlfriend Diana Palmer and a trip to New York to stop the evil Xander Drax from achieving ultimate power.

Overall, this offering is something of a mixed bag. There's a lot of fun to be had, sure, but it's not the most expertly made or well-polished piece of entertainment you'll ever come across. The principles all turn in solid perfomances, especially Billy Zane, who looks and sounds like he stepped off the funny pages, and Treat Williams, who aggressivly gnaws on the scenery whenever and wherever he gets the opportunity. As Diana, Kristy Swanson could have been little more than a shrieking MacGuffin tied up to some deathtrap or another, but, true to the character from the strip, she is instead smart, resourceful, and brave beyond measure. The same cannot be said for the villianess pilot Sala (Catherine Zeta-Jones, a few years before The Mask Of Zorro), who is given little to do beyond vamp and fails to deliver anything more than that.

The photography and scenery is spectacular, evocative of the classic era of jungle documentaries from the 20s and 30s, but in full lush colors. There's a lot of fighting and stunts, as is to be expected, and Zane is buff enough (he eschewed a Batman-esque muscle suit) to make most of it believable -- save a jump from a crashing plane onto his horse, Hero, which strains credibility even a film of this nature. The costuming similarly does a great job of capturing the period without looking like a parody. The Phantom's costume is faithful to the strip, which I applaud, as it could have just as easily be made black or dark grey. The purple really pops against the greens of the Deep Woods or the greys and whites of New York City.

The Phantom holds several distinctions over it's later -- more successful -- brethren, not the least of which is it's tone. Though not a comedy, there is a lot of humor to be found here; the term "light-hearted adventure" seems an appropriate label for the proceedings. Further, it is a period piece, echoing to old-school pulp adventure serials and their descandants, such as the aformentioned Indiana Jones films as well as contemporaries like The Shadow and The Rocketeer. These elements are somewhat polarizing -- depending on one's taste, you may really dig, or really groan at the slightly-less-serious take. Personally, I think that playing up the swashbuckling attitude works in the film's favor. Your mileage may vary. The Phantom is a pulpy product, so treating him in a pulpy manner works. Such sentiment is helped immeasurably by Zane's perfomance, which is so likeable that you tend to just roll with it once things get going (and usually end up cheering for him to lay someone out).

So, as I said, it's a mixed bag. I think that if you are looking for something light and fun, with a lot of high adventure and peril without any serious examination of character or emotion, then The Phantom would be a good choice. It doesn't require a huge investment on the part of the viewer, and it delivers exactly what it sets out to achieve: a fun, fast-paced romp through the jungle, both tropical and urban. Worth checking out, just don't go in expecting it to beat the world.

(Re-watching this film and writing this post has further inspired me to take a second look at the two aforementioned contemporaries, The Shadow and The Rocketeer, so hopefully you'll be able to hear about those in future installments.)

What I Read This Week

Given the number of titles here, yeah, these are going to be a little on the short side this week.

Tiny Titans #4 -- It's intense babysitting action as Wonder Girl has to take care of the Little Tiny Titans! As usual, this is too cute for words. I especially liked Starfire's new hairdo and Lil' Jericho's choice of clothes for Lil' Wildebeast.

Captain Britian and MI13 -- With the UK under Skrull invasion, it is up to Captain Britian and the combined might of all the British superheroes to defend queen and country. Very disappointed overall in this debut, which left me cold and unnethused. This title is on the watch list.

The All-New Iron Manual -- Part technical manual, part sourcebook, the new version of the Manual coveys lots of information about the Golden Avenger and his corner of the Marvel Universe. Some odd choices (I like Mrs. Arborgast, but she gets a profile over someone like the Controller?), but overall worth the money for an Iron Fan; others need not apply. There's a few errors and typos which are pretty noticeable, sadly. Also worth noting is that apparently Enter The Mandarin is in continuity.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #1 -- In order to prevent Annihilation Wave-level events from reaching that point, Peter Quill pulls together a group of adventurers to defend the cosmos. Great fun from DnA, this series looks like a worthy successor to Annihilation Conquest, with a hell of a stinger at the end.

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #2 -- Lots of fans on message boards have demanded that Iron Man go to Hell, so I guess this answers that request. "Old school cool" from Michelinie, Layton, and Lim, with twists and turns and doublecrosses galore.

The Phantom #23 -- The Ghost Who Walks faces threats to Bangalla on all sides as his enemies all conspire to sow unrest and anarchy. The plot builds very nicely, but the action is a little light this time out.

The War That Time Forgot #1 -- An American Navy pilot finds himself stranded on an island filled with dinosaurs, and other anarchronisms. A little slow on the setup, but as this is 12 issues and not 6 as I had thought, I guess that is to be expected. Right now I am just marking out for all the war characters.

Invincible Iron Man #1 -- Tony Stark, in full "cool exec" mode, must leave the countessa in his bed to respond to a strange new terrorist threat. Very impressive all around, as this title manages to be a different animal from the senior series while covering similar territory.

Project Superpowers #3 -- Probably should have read this one before the FCBD Special. Anyway, the fighting reaches Shangri-La, and more of the Superpowers spill out of the urn. I really hope Ross and Krueger have a goal in mind here, because things are still somewhat jumbled.

House of Mystery #1 -- Go see last week's Weekly Dose of Weird for a recap. A tremendous new spin on the old classic. Also, I really like the non-glossy paper -- DC, please use this more often.

Tor #1 -- Joe Kubert's classic caveman is back for more prehistoric adventure. Tor runs afoul of a tribe of ape-men and interrupts their ritual sacrifice, with predictable results. This title is a throwback in more ways than one, but in a good way.

Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1 -- Jon Favreau and Adi Granov deliver a Shellhead comic which looks really, really nice (Granov can do tattoo babes like nobody's business), but this is really much too vapid for the price.

Nova #13 -- As Nova helps save the population of a world which has been targetted by Galactus, he discovers a spectral psionic being named Hallow using the opportunity to cause chaos. This title is essentially Marvel's answer to Green Lantern, and I mean that entirely as a compliment.

The Pick Of The Pile is Invincible Iron Man, unsurprisingly. The surprising thing, actually, to me about this title was how much it reminded me of the early-middle run of volume 3, almost like a less-jokey version of a story Frank Tieri would have written. (That's not a knock on Tieri, by the way -- I like his work.) Other strong features were more unusual or outlandish work like HoM and Tor, trad fare like GotG, Nova, and Legacy of Doom, and Tiny Titans is always a treat. Overall, a highly above-average set of titles over the last two weeks.

What I Read This Week

Well, I managed to get the Weekly Dose and Links posted (early, even!) but a mix-up at work left this post unfufilled until today. What a revoltin' development.

Tiny Titans #2 -- Started to get annoyed now, as Borderlands still has not received copy one of this title.

Freddy vs Jason vs Ash #6 -- This one was not on the Diamond list for last week, nor did I see it, but evidently it was released. Hopefully I can find it this week.

Batman And The Outsiders #5 -- Moving on to comics I actually did manage to purchase, we catch up with Batman's covert crew in the South American jungle, trying to prevent the mysterious Mr. Jardine from making his space shot. A lot of action this time out, as the Outsiders have to deal with Jardine's mercenaries, including the heavy hitter, Militia, and the trigger happy Gunhawk and Gunbunny -- luckily they get a timely assist from an unlikely duo. Dixon is working on his own pace here, and it's a pretty enjoyable read for it. Lopez's pencils remain eye-pleasing and solidly rendered for the action sequences, although Katana's torn costume -- revealing juuust a bit of cleavage -- was a little gratuitous. I do have to wonder how the team is going to get out of this cliffhanger, and that's a sign of a good team book, I think.

The Flash #238 -- New series writer Tom Peyer joins Freddie Williams II to introduce the newest member of Flash's Rogues Gallery -- Spin, who is able to amplify the public's fears into a mind-numbing paranoia and terror. And a slip of the tongue by Wally West is poised to make him Public Fear No. 1. Peyer impresses in his debut, both in his ability to pick up the strings of Waid's arc (Keystone City's infastructure is in danger due to the removal of water content thanks to the alien invaders, the kids' aging dilemma) and even Keith Champagne's fill-in (Wally is unemployed) as well as writing a true Flash story. I mean, there's a guy with a costume and a super-power stealing something! And then using his power to put the Flash in a bizarre bind! That's Flash comics, people! Williams' art shines; he's a really good fit on this title. And Spin himself is a very interesting villian, from his visual to his powers to his voice, he has the potential to cross over into the DCU at large in addition to giving the Scarlet Speedster headaches. If you were not thrilled with either The Fastest Man Alive or the Waid relaunch, then you should definitely pick up this series again. And if you liked them, well, then you are already reading.

Futurama Comics #36 -- The Planet Express crew travels to the planet of New England, populated entirely by robots (no, it doesn't have oceans of clam chowder, that's New New England!) and gets embroiled in the mystery of the notorious Jak The Deleter! Meanwhile, Amy, Hermes, and Dr. Zoidberg try to have an adventure of their own, without much luck, sadly. Silly and enjoyable Futurama-y goodness, although the art is a little iffy in places. The wide range of British jokes alone makes this worthy of pick-up.

The Phantom #22 -- Without time to mourn from the events last issue, the Ghost-Who-Walks throws himself headlong into the investigation of the terrorist attack on Bangalan soil. As the Phantom works on one end, we see the machinations on the other, as all sorts of bad people are involved in a scheme which threatens far more than the Deep Woods, or even the African continent. The pace slows down here as Mike Bullock sets up the big conflict, which draws on a lot of the last few years of Moonstone Phantom stories. It's a different place for this title, which normally goes pretty all-out -- due, in no small part, to the fact that this is the first 5-issue story for the title. As such, it's a bit of a letdown from the normal jaw-smashing action. There's just not that much for Szilagyi to draw. Still, it's a good read, and there is the always popular sense of impending doom hanging over the entire affair, which is good, and the cliffhanger promises more chin-checking next time out.

The Pick Of The Pile is a title which hasn't gotten that honor in some time, and that is The Flash. Peyer's debut is a fresh read, with script that manages to be clever without being cute (a rare trick indeed). Combined with Williams' continuing on pencils, the title has been given a shot in the arm, and, retroactively, "The Wild Wests" now looks more draggy than it was.

What I Read This Week

Justice Society of America #12 -- I'm not sure why exactly Geoff Johns feels the need to introduce EVEN MORE characters into this title, but a new trio of heroes make their debut this time out anyway, while Wildcat puts Judomaster through her paces and Jakeem Thunder makes his return. It's enjoyable to see the interactions between heroes new and old, but considering that this is part of the ongoing "Thy Kingdom Come" storyline, there's precious little having actually to do with that plot. There's an interesting development of a sort of "Boys' Club" in the JSA this issue as well, with Wildcat, Wildcat Jr, Citizen Steel, Starman, and Damage all hanging around being dudes. Also of note is not one, but two old school Outsiders references, including the wholesale slaughter of one of Barr's villain teams (the New Olympians).

Annihilation Conquest #4 -- While reading this issue, I started thinking about the major differences between this title and its predecessor from last year. And the biggest change is of course the fact that in Annihilation, it was all-out war, where here in Conquest, it's about resistance. What that means is that this entire series seems a little smaller in scope, because we don't have vast cosmic armadas duking it out, but instead focus on smaller conflicts and groups. If nothing else, it helps to make this a wholly different experience from the first story, while still being a recognizeable part of the same over-reaching corner of the universe. Things look bleaker and bleaker by the minute for our heroes, but it looks like Ronan has the tools to break the occupation -- but what about the cost? Really fun science-fictiony stuff.

Futurama Comics #35 -- Go Go Go New Justice Team! The new (old) adventures of Captain Yesterday, Clobberella, and (the greatest one of them all!) Super King take center stage here as our intrepid heroes battle the fiendish Son Of The Human Sun! Great, goofy fun with sight gags a-plenty as lots of Silver Age tropes are sent up in riotous fashion. Also, be sure not to miss the Professor's venomous hatred of the 1980's musical scene. Considering that this title is published bi-monthly, I don't think you have much of an excuse not to buy it, really.

Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook #4 -- Foreword: My review of this title shall consist of only two words. As such, some opening remarks. Namely, if you enjoy sourcebooks and Beast Wars Transformers, you should have already bought this series. This issue contains a few more major characters, including Tigatron and Waspinator, and otherwise continues with the same quality as the previous installments. Thank you.

Review: SKY SHADOW!

The Phantom #21 -- After the breather last issue with the flashback story, we're back in the present-day for the Ghost-Who-Walks, and kicking off a big new storyline to boot. When groups of armed soldiers begin using a small Bangalan village as a battleground, the Phantom puts a swift end to it. But in the process he catches wind that one of his past enemies is making a comeback, and the wife of recently defeated dictator, child-kidnapper, and all-around piece of crap Him has begun to make waves as well. And then everything comes off the tracks, and the fight turns personal. Bullock's script and Szilagyi's pencils are in sync, and this comic really looks great (especially on the newly glossy paper). And the story itself builds up vrey nicely -- slowly at first, but then taking a harsh and nasty twist which redefines the Phantom (at least in the context of this series) in a way which both intrigues me and angers me. Hopefully it will be played for what it is and not just used as a plot device. But given the history interent to the title, I have a lot of hopes that it's not going to go the typical route. In any event, this series rarely disappoints, and it doesn't here.

The Pick Of The Pile this week goes to Futurama Comics, which despite being light and silly, was super-enjoyable (pun intended). All of my purchases were enjoyable, and quality comics, but after the grim stuff going on in most of them, Futurama was a really nice change of pace.

And Now, Your Moment of Zen

For those who are thinking about steppin'...


... best think again.

Make your own motivational poster and share the wisdom!

Fair Trade -- The Phantom: Death in the Deep Woods

Take a journey into the African jungles, where legend speaks of a terrifying spirit who haunts all those who stand for injustice and greed. This Man-Who-Cannot-Die, the Ghost-Who-Walks, has stalked the darkest part of Bangalla for the better part of five centuries, and he does not tolerate crime in his adopted homeland. So if you serve evil, and you find yourself deep in the woods on a dark night, watch your back -- because The Phantom will be there.

Collecting the first four issues of Moonstone's relaunched Phantom series, written by Ben Raab and with art by Pat Quinn and Nick Derington, Death In The Deep Woods tells two stories of the Kit Walker, the 21st and current Phantom. For those not in the know, the title of the Phantom is a hereditary one, passed from father to son for generation after generation, each donning the mask and purple and black costume, leading to the legend of the undying hero. And since this hero must produce an heir, the Phantom is a family man, with his wife Diana, their daughter Heloise and son, also named Kit.

The first story (both are two-parters, and as a result this is a pretty short trade, all told) revolves around Diana's work as Bangalla's representative to the United Nations. Namely, an anti-terrorist bill she is working on has attracted the unwanted attentions of a certain Middle Eastern extremist, and he has designs on silenting her. Unfortunately for him, the lady is protected by the Ghost-Who-Walks! The second tale is a little more experimental in nature. Raab introduces a foil for the Phantom in the form of Kua The Undying, a towering member of the Bandar's rival tribe, who has menaced the Phantom many times over the centuries. Turns out that Kua himself is a multi-generational creation, who's mission is to kill the Phantom and enslave the Bandar. Kit has his hands full with Kua, who is smarter than he looks and has plans to strike at the Phantom where he is most vulnerable.

Both stories are fast moving and energetic, with a lot of action crammed into a slim page count. Phantom himself is sort of a Batman figure, using not only his physical strength but also his mystique (Old Jungle Legends) and psychological tactics to take out his opponents. But he's not nearly as grim as Bats, though, adding some levity and almost a swashbuckling-type of tone to the adventure. Raab makes Kit extremely readable, and the reader begins to identify with him very quickly. Same goes for the supporting cast, including Diana and the kids. They are handled not as baggage, but as integral pillars supporting the entire structure. Diana is no stay-at-the-cavw mom, either: she's as much a hero to Bangalla as her hubby is. The Bandar tribe add a nice element as well, and are not portrayed as superstitious or ignorant savages. Even the Phantom's two animal assistants -- the timberwolf Devil, and horse Hero -- acquit themselves nicely.

The art has a nicely weighted feel to it without looking too photorealistic. Quinn and Derington never forget that they are drawing a comic book, and keep things grounded in that reality. The action is intense, but since this series is wat I would call can Adventure strip -- as opposed to a Superhero one -- things do stay relatively low key, but in a good way. I do have to say, though, that Phantom throws the sickest punches this side of Jim Aparo. Don't believe me? Check this out (click to Phantom-ize!):


Yeeouch!

I rather liked this trade. It's a bit pricey at $14.95 for 120 pages (in addition to the 4 issues, there is also a two-page short explaining the character's history), but it reads really well and is a lot of fun. I was already a Phantom fan before I bought it -- the only reason I didn't buy these as singles is that I didn't know they were being published, which will teach me to pay more attention to Previews -- but even a Ghost-Who-Walks novice can pick this up and enjoy. Definitely worth reading if you want something a little bit different from your typical superhero fare.

What I Read Last Week Part 2

Supergirl and The Legion of Superheroes #36 -- Finally, my boy Lightning Lad goes to town on some poor schmuck! Well... kinda. Ah well, plenty of time for that now. Calero and Bedard finish their transitional storyarc as things get setup for Jim "The Shooter" Shooter to retake the reins next month. And considering the "fill-in-y" nature of the story, they do an admirable job shifting from the "Supergirl and..." bit back to the regular Legion, wrapping up the three-pronged story admirably and enjoyably. While I would have very much liked to have seen these two really have a shot at creating adventures for the Legion long-term, they did very well in the short term, and nothing will change that.

Freddy vs Jason vs Ash #2 -- The main thrust of the three-way horror crossover begins here, as the story shifts into gear and starts to pick up some steam (if you'll excuse my triple-mixed-metaphor). As Ash rants to anyone who will listen (and a lot of people who won't) about the Deadites and the Necronomicon, a certain Mr. Voorhees is on a quest to find the Book of the Dead as well. And woe to anyone stupid (and nubile) enough to get in his way! There's gore galore and not one, but two couples attacked mid-coitus, and while in any other setting that would be questionable, it's the exact level of gratuitousness needed here. In a series featuring the main characters from three different horror franchises, calling something over the top is superfluous. Jason Craig's art shines in this issue since he gets to draw more blood and dismemberment, which seems to be his forte (not a bad thing). And Kuhoric's dialogue rings true for established characters -- Freddy's snake oil salesman routine is nice, as is Ash's never-ending self narration and aggrandizment. Fans of these franchises will want to buy this, but non-gorehounds will be turned off to it.

Superman Annual #13 -- "Camelot Falls: The Finale!" Yeesh, it's about time. No matter how enthused I have been over the actual fill-ins, the fact that there have been so many fill-ins has caused the main thesis to become so elongated and stretched out that some elements of it need some serious refreshing. (The fact that since the last installment of "Camelot Falls," we have also had the complete "Third Kryptonian" story doesn't help matters either.) Anyway, after some future-time pep talking with the Phantom Stranger, we return to the present where Superman brings the fight to Arion's undersea doorstep. Can the Man of Steel overcome the Atlantean sorcerer's magicks? And more importantly, can he prove that his deeds are not bringing about the doom of the entire human race? Busiek and Pacheco do their level best here, but overall the lead story is somewhat underwhelming -- as Arion says, it's not a problem you can solve with punching. The climax is nicely handled, but it's that old-style Marvel "resolution without a resolution," which I saw coming but still am not happy with. Readers who haven't been following this story will also be mostly lost, too, unfortunately. I'm happy to read the end, but it would have been more impactful a few months ago, honestly. The backup details a day spent on an unihabited alien paradise by Clark, Lois, Kara, Chris, Jonathon, Martha, and Krypto. It's a sweet story, very quiet; Nicieza and Busiek offer little character moments which are familiar to Superman readers but not unwelcome. Of note is Renato Guedes' portraly of Supergirl -- she has knees! And a stomach! And, most bizarre of all, normal sized breasts for a teenager! I'm completely taken aback by this development. This is also the most interesting I have ever seen this Supergirl written. We also get profile pages of Subjekt-17 (am I the only guy who likes him?) and Khyber, who apparently Busiek has more plans for. Casual Superman readers can safely pass this one, but if you have been following "Camelot Falls" then grab it.

Trails of Shazam! #10 -- With two challenges remaining, Freddy has to come to terms with the fact that his rival Sabina is now nearly on equal footing with him -- and this is a situation which puts a lot of people in a lot of danger. Meanwhile, Sabina, on the hunt for Mercury, runs across someone a little more feline who wants her stopped. Lives up to it's rep of being dark and gritty (moreso than the vast majority of the rest of this series, despite what bloggers who don't read it would have you believe), new artist Mauro Cascioli's work retains Porter's painted look but is decidedly more severe. Winnick's script is pretty good for that is essentially half a book of setup and half a book of a brawl; his new take on one Mr. Tawky Tawny should please fans with it's Narnian aspects, but won't because it was thought up by Winnick. Two issues, two trials, and I'm looking forward to see how it plays out.

The Phantom #20 -- One of the main strengths of the Phantom property is that our hero, Kit Walker, is not the first man to don the purple and black. Being the 21st Phantom, it allows for stories like this, which can take place historically without being an "Elseworlds" or "What If?" style -- they are just memoirs of Walkers past. Taking a breather after the intense "Invisible Children" arc, Kit reads to his children from the Chronicles of the 13th Phantom, and his battle against a trio of Musketeers (but not that trio of Musketeers!) who have stolen a certain priceless treasure, The Heart of Lafitte, to regain the favor of King Louis XVIII. I dig the pacing of this series, as scribe Mike Bullock takes a story which would have been two parts from creators and effectively tells in it one. The pencils are by Zeu, an artist who's work I have never seen before but now want to see more of -- the only work of his I recognize is Infiniteens. He does great fisticuffs, and has a handle on the female form that is beautiful without being the typical ghastly combo of giant boobs, wasp waist, arched spine and permanantly swiveled hips. And, this issue is totally appropriate for All Ages readers, to boot -- I just wish it was easier to find on the rack!

THe Pick of the Pile has got to go Phantom. LOSH made a play at it, but the Ghost Who Walks takes it this time, with a solid mix of action, history, and romance, all told in a done-in-one which the whole family can read and enjoy.

What I Read This Week (Times Two)

I'm so far behind, I'm going to need a little help finishing these reviews...

3X2(9YZ)4A!

Outsiders: Five of a Kind #1 -- Nightwing! Versus! Captain Boomerang Jr! An Identity Crisis tie-in... errr, waitaminute. It's pretty obvious who the Internets want to win ("We love you Dick!"), but me, I liked the ending of this one. Get back to Bludhaven, Greyson! (When are we going to see the Suicide Squad ongoing already?!)

Justice Society of America #8 -- Two done-in-one's in two months? A spotlight which matches the cover and moves along other plots? Growth from characters? A guest star villain who makes sense? An editorial footnote box?!! What the heck is going on here?! This book is on like a pot of neck bones.

***

Outsiders: Five of a Kind #2 -- Picking this up, I thought, 'Huh, won't this spoil the end of Trials of Shazam. But since I'm the only person who reads that series, I didn't think much of it. Well, Mike Barr, that magnificent bastard, turns in a Katana solo story guest starring the wizard Captain Marvel (Billy), sidestepping any problems. Nifty.

Annihilation: Conquest: Wraith #2 -- No, he's not ROM, Spaceknight, but this "spaghetti space opera" is quality entertainment nonetheless. This is true for newbies as well as those who read the first Annihilation, as we catch up with Kl'rt, Praxagora, and my main man Ronan. Space-tacular.

Nova #5 -- The Human Rocket spends most of this issue on his back, but that's cool, because as we all know, ragtag bunchs of Kree misfits make good reading. The second half, with Gamora going all "most deadly woman in the galaxy" on us, is great, and so is the cliffhanger, even if Wraith has basically the same one.

New Excalibur #22 -- Remember how I said I was the only one readnig Trials of Shazam? Yeah, this one too. It's the Shadow Captains versus part of Excalibur and Shadow X, and, well, it ends badly. Claremont has some interesting balls being juggled here (the inevitable clash between Sage and Lionheart, the redemption of Shadow X, pretty much everything Albion does), but alas, no one cares but moi.

The Phantom #18 -- I'm going to write more about this particular comic, as it deserves it, but for now let me say that this mag features "The Ghost Who Walks" tormenting and terrorizing a despicible African warlord, and if you get The Phantom pissed at you, well, you're about 9 different ways of screwed.