THE PHANTOM #1

KOLCHAK: TALES OF THE NIGHT STALKER #1
Ulanski/Marrinan/Williams
Moonstone

Moonstone's been quite successful at carving a niche for themselves amongst the large number of small comic publishers. Focusing on tales of classic horror and suspense seems to have been a wise move on their part. Recently, they debuted two new ongoing full-color books - THE PHANTOM and KOLCHAK: TALES OF THE NIGHT STALKER (although both properties have been featured in a number of one-shots and specials).

Veteran comics scribe Ben Raab starts THE PHANTOM ongoing with a tale of slavery in the jungle, murder in the city, and a battle against terrorism. The script's fairly straightforward but generally enjoyable - and I'm a big fan of cliffhangers like the one that ends the book.

I'm far from a PHANTOM expert, so I was unsure of the title character's place in the jungle world of Bangalla. I would have expected some set-up, some explanation of the situation, though there was none here. Considering a first issue is bound to pick up new readers, Moonstone seems to have dropped the ball in this regard.

But artist Pat Quinn seems well suited to the book, equally adept at depicting the depths of the jungle and settings like the ornate interior the Bangalla capitol building. Ken Wolak's colors are striking without being excessive, and the whole package is wrapped in a dramatic John Cassaday/Wolak cover.

Like THE PHANTOM, KOLCHAK throws the reader right into the thick of the story, again missing an opportunity for a "what has gone before" text page or something similar. Although I've never seen an episode of the television series, I'm a bit familiar with Carl Kolchak's shtick through previous Moonstone books.

Writer Dave Ulanski starts the series with a self-contained story involving Kolchak's search for two mysterious denizens of New Orleans. His version of Kolchak seems to be on the money compared with previous interpretations I've read, and the tale itself is a tasty slice of pre-X-FILES creepiness.

The art team of Chris Marrinan and Keith Williams are appropriate for the world of the Night Stalker, though they've both done better work elsewhere. Still, they do well capturing the mysterious mood and creating several unique personalities. Colorist Wolak again supplies the understated hues.

It sounds a bit silly to say that Moonstone's handled these classic properties classily, but that's just what they've done. It's obvious the folks there have the highest respect for Kolchak and the Phantom, and I'm eager to see how they continue to bring their adventures to a modern comics audience.

Reviewer: Doug Giffin

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Doug Giffin is the creator/writer of Harlow's End: Elijah's Tale (as previously seen in Digital Webbing Presents #3). To see more of Doug's work, visit his website at www.psychoengine.com

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