KING: THE PHANTOM #1 Review


Does this new mini-series even matter? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

“What IS The Phantom?” Welcome to the KING, full of TWO-FISTED SCRAPPING and RUGGED COURAGE and UNSTOPPABLE PURPOSE and DARINGINFILTRATION and BREAKNECK COMBAT and INDESTRUCTIBLE LEGACY and GHOSTS…WHO…WALK!

Prepare yourself for BULLETPROOF BRAWLING by BRIAN CLEVINGER (Atomic Robo) and BRENT SCHOONOVER (Adventures of Superman) with a connecting King cover by comic legend DARWYN COOKE!

King-The  Phantom 1_Variant CoverBack in 2013 fanboys and fangirls were treated with a unique crossover that took not one but three dormant heroes and combined them in a contemporary way. The result was an exciting event that left a vibrant literary landscape and until now Flash Gordon has had all the fun. But it’s time for another icon, as this creative team effortlessly tackles that purple suit wearing avenger.

In the wake of a failed Mongo invasion our world is reeling, as technology was set back a few decades. That might sound dismal but for the ghost who walks it could not be more perfect, as Brian Clevinger takes the latest Phantom out for a spin. Within the text there’s a present sense of adventure that’ll be instantly familiar to those that dived into Kings Watch, although as this specific arc plays out it’s hard to sell it as a solid entry point. Don’t get me wrong, the release is a thrill-ride that understands its boundaries but if I hadn’t read the mini-series that started it I’m not entirely sure it would resonate.

The art, to me, happened to be the best feature of the outing. Brent Schoonover won me over with a display that kept up a minimalist streak from start to finish. Every character came off smartly realized but there were panels near the climax that seemed rocky and even inconsistent. Despite that the visuals worked within the confines of the written word without undermining it. And when the colors by Robt Snyder came into focus my complaints fell off. To put it simply: the illustrations made the book look good more then a few times.

King: The Phantom #1 covered the necessary meat and potatoes, but if you want the full experience then you need to go hunting for that stellar event which started it all. As a stand alone it does right by its cast and earns a place on your pull-list and for that sound reason this issue comes recommended.

OUR RATING
7.5
  • + Hey, it's The Phantom!
  • +Carried a strong but simple script.
  • + Right from the start it had compelling art.
  • - Might be confusing if you avoided Kings Watch.

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