Fantomen Nr.1/2006
by Rolf Gohs
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- Jonathon Wild Pt.2: Sentenced to Hang
- Script: Claes Reimerthi
- Art: Kari Leppänen
- First published in Fantomen Nr.1/2006 by Egmont, Scandinavia. Original cover shown on the left, thanks to Ulf Granberg.
- Message from the Publisher:
Jonathan Wild, London's criminal mastermind, is finally crushed by The Phantom! In this episode, author Claes Reimerthi and artist Kari Leppänen spin a gripping tale of tension and take this adventure to an unusual climax.
Despite what I wrote in a previous Message, Jonathan Wild actually did exist! He ran his murderous and money grubbing operation exactly as described in the story and he was eventually convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. His public execution at Tyburn, a commonplace event in those strange days, drew an enormous crowd. For a long time, the authorities believed that public executions would be so horrific that potential law breakers would be deterred. It seemed to take the same authorities a long time to realise that such executions had little or no effect on crime and probably worse, that a huge number of people regarded public hangings as some macabre form of 'entertainment'! They were indeed, peculiar times. The packed population centres in and around London generated poverty and squalid living conditions and produced some of the most evil people in British history. Wild was a one-man Mafia, whose organizational skills were years ahead of his criminal rivals. In hindsight, it is almost unbelievable he remained at the top of his evil 'profession' for so many years! However, because he was a master blackmailer and utterly ruthless, there were few who even considered defying him, let alone attempting to murder him. Wild's gangland connections were so powerful that anybody who even dreamed of killing him was guaranteed instant death themselves! Jonathan Wild's infamous life has been well chronicled and it will be very worthwhile tracking him down on a number of web sites. You will find even more in major crime encyclopaedia works and In particular, a fascinating book called Villains, written by the same man who wrote the enormously popular Rumpole of the Bailey novels which were turned into a long-running television series starring Australia's own Leo McKern.
In our next issue, the action continues at a murderous pace in Mistaken Identity. The story, by 'Idi Kharelli' (real name, Eirik Ildahl) is illustrated by the talented Hans Lindahl and was first published in 1986. It has never previously been published by Frew. The Phantom finds himself embroiled in a weird mystery in which murders occur at an almost non-stop pace in Morristown. The police are mystified and for a time, so too is The Phantom. Why are so many people being killed and who is behind it? While the story sounds savage (and it is!) the continuing mystery is absolutely intriguing. As is Lindahl's dark and atmospheric artwork! The story - and Lindahl's art - was rated one of the most popular published in 1986 and being set in the modern era it stands up just as strongly 20 years later! The adventure is a little savage, but you will find it engrossing from start to finish. Particularly as you join The Phantom in trying to unravel all the mysteries involved! Imagine yourself in The Phantom's shoes - and see if you can outguess The Ghost Who Walks. Those enthusiasts who have amassed collections of Swedish Fantomen or Norwegian Fantomet (The Phantom) comic books, may very well have the original edition. The story was entitled The Grey Eminence in the Scandinavian editions, but we decided to re-title it as Mistaken Identity, because that more clearly explains the theme of the adventure!
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