Broken Frontier

The most I knew about The Phantom going into this series was from the not so great 90s movie, starring Billy Zane (the creeper in Titanic). I know he’s from a long line of protectors, passing the task from generation to generation, appearing as an omnipresent ghost to those that would do harm to the jungles. Hence, he earns the name The Phantom and wards off evil men from the shadows. Or so I think is the case, considering I learned all this from a movie almost two decades ago.

Enter writer Scott Beatty and Dynamite Entertainment’s The Last Phantom. This book very much acts as a jumping on point to the mythos, only requiring a basic knowledge of the character’s legacy. Beatty drops us into the life of Kitridge Walker, this generation’s Phantom and global businessman. We’re introduced to him later in his life-saving career, as he mentions he hasn’t had to put his costume on in years. 

Kit Walker is a successful philanthropist with a loving family, waiting for him back in Bengali. After a fundraiser, he hops on a plane with his closest advisor and starts the journey back home. Things will never be the same for Kit after that plane ride, for the wheels of betrayal have already been set in motion. Not everyone will get out of it alive. 

Beatty, along with artist Eduardo Ferigato create a tight and well-paced origin story that’s both new, but very reliant on an existing past. The tone they set right away suggests that there’s a long history before the first page, but it’s not necessary to learn in order to enjoy the tale they’re telling. It’s a great lived in and immediate feeling that’s hard to pull off. It also adds a needed weight of gravitas to the book, like this is an integral story, merely a piece of the grander epic. In regards to immediacy and drama, it’s a well-crafted book.

Eduardo Ferigato’s pencils are tight and his layouts are fluid, never getting overly complicated or cluttered. He allows the story to unfold at its natural pace. He also lets the characters act, illustrating effective emotion all over the page. This story runs the gamut from heartbreaking to fist pumping moments and everything in between. Some fall a touch flat, but most hit the mark successfully. 

Having little knowledge of the franchise or character, I was still able to connect with the story on emotional and visceral levels. The Last Phantom is a solid success thanks to a talented creative team and a property that’s ready to get a shot in the arm. Here’s hoping that the subsequent issues or series maintain the same levels of respect and fun that are contained in the first chapter.