Fantomen Nr.17/2004
by Paul Ryan & Tom Smith
|
- The 21st Phantom
- Script: Claes Reimerthi
- Art: Paul Ryan
- "First" published in Fantomen Nr.17/2004 by Egmont, Scandinavia (not until 12 Aug!). Original cover shown on the left, thanks to Brian Jensen.
- Message from the Publisher:
Presenting our new adventure! The 21st Phantom, with script by Claes Reimerthi, art by Paul Ryan and covers by Antonio Lemos.
As mentioned in our previous issue, this story contains many fascinating "insights" into Phantom history. Claes Reimerthi and Paul Ryan have depicted something never seen before in any Phantom adventure - the secret jungle graveyard in which the wives of the previous 20 Phantoms are buried!
In all Lee Falk stories, only the tombstone of the wife of the 20th Phantom was depicted (see, for example, The Young Phantom from 1944-45 and The Childhood of The Phantom from 1959-60, publishing details of which can be found in Frew's 50 Year Index published in 1998). Not to mention the fact that the new, 21st Phantom tries to saddle Thunder, his father's magnificent black stallion - and meets with some opposition. The 21st Phantom may look identical to his father, but Thunder knows instantly he is not his real master. (A gentle reminder to new readers ... Thunder, the horse ridden by the 20th Phantom was black. It was some time later that the 21st Phantom was presented with the great white stallion he called "Hero").
Once again, I must stress that Reimerthi's story development should not be accepted as official Phantom history. That remains the domain of Lee Falk's long chronology of The Ghost Who Walks.
Believe it or not, there are still revelations to be found in Lee's published adventures and Frew's resident historian Barry Stubbersfield, who recently completed a comprehensive new study of Lee's stories from 1936-1966, has come up with some new Old Jungle Sayings!
Reimerthi treads a great deal of new ground with his script! He sets out to explain the understandable nervousness any new Phantom must have felt when taking over the role of The Ghost Who Walks for the first time. It is all fascinating and quite an understanding treatment of the character development of the 21st in the line. I feel sure you will thoroughly enjoy this new adventure!
Just as you will our next edition another new adventure entitled The Peace Keeper on which Claes Reimerthi and Paul Ryan have again teamed. This is a follow-up to The 21st Phantom and again shines a new spotlight on the development of the current Ghost Who Walks. The theme is quite different to anything else contained in the Chronicles. Long-term devotees of The Phantom have grown used to any new Phantom immediately slipping into the role. The Peace Keeper traces another challenge which faced the 21st Phantom in his formative years.
For centuries many jungle tribes have warred amongst each other and it has always been the duty of The Phantom to maintain the peace and always with an absolute minimum of bloodshed. Easier said than done, of course, even though from Lee Falk's original adventure (The Singh Brotherhood) which appeared in 1936, The Phantom has battled evil doers in virtually every story ever written! In 1936, The Phantom fought it out with the Singh Pirates and in quick succession, battled villains ranging from Sala's notorious Sky Band to diamond thieves, kidnappers, slave traders, the unforgettable all-female Golden Circle gang and the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces!
|
