Sunday Pin-Up
March 9, 2008 by The Fortress Keeper
The Phantom by Don Newton
The Ghost Who Walks has endured a rather checkered career in comic books, bouncing around from company to company with often negligible results.
(Although we’ve heard the Moonstone books are pretty good … )
One highlight, however, was Don Newton’s brief run on the character’s Charlton series in the mid-1970s.
From his gorgeous painted covers to stylish interior art and snappy story-telling (Newton wrote as well as drew his tales), the artist left an indelible mark on Lee Falk’s crime-fighter that deserves to be remembered.
Hah! Nice! I was just recently talking Phantom, and enjoying every minute of it!
As someone raised on the “original” Falk stories, as well as some of the great tales that have followed, I have a lot of mixed feelings about Moonstone’s stuff.
The first issue I picked up, which had the Phantom throwing daggers at people, kinda made a first impression on me. Like the very worst kind of fan, I have to admit to going in a little bit cynical, though. I tend to assume most American publishers are going to be less than well informed, and sadly, that might even be true.
I think when you have a creator as brilliant and progressive as Lee Falk was in the thirties and forties, it’s a tough shadow to get out of. I think when you look at the constants in the publishing regime and see the arc of the Phantom’s growth as a relatively light character who tackles dark subjects, you lose the growth a Batman might have had post-Finger and Kane, where the character got “grittier” and more serious.
Then again, I think the working parts are so specific, you don’t have the traps of a character like Captain Marvel, who just seems impossible for most modern writers to get a grip on. Phantom’s light, without being fluffy like cotton candy.
Love some of the art styles in the Moonstone books, but just haven’t seen enough to know on the writing side.
… And if I don’t stop now, there’s a good chance I might not shut up…
Nice work, chief! ;-p
So Moonstone sounds like the same old, same old then.
Too bad. I heard some decent things about their comics a year ago, but never got around to picking any of them up.
Sadly, I’ve never had a chance to read much of Lee Falk’s original Phantom so your post back at Secret Wars was a revelation.
Thanks!!!!
My main exposure to the Phantom was through black and white reprint anthologies in French. I’ve lost those old Jumbo books, but I have a feeling the stories were pulled from the Charlton series.
If so, they’re responsible for my wanting to see the Phantom back in quality print.
Mixed conclusions and convolutions regarding Moonstone’s first issue of the on-going series, if you’re interested.
Totally your fault, by the way. ;-p