By Paul Jonassen
From the moment the Invisible Children story was
announced, or when writer Mike Bullock spilled his ideas of the
Phantom’s encounter with child-soldiers, I was very much
intrigued. This is a story based on a real-life ongoing conflict so
insane that it is hard to believe that it is pretty much ignored or
forgotten by most people and the media. Fortunately, the Phantom
is here to remind us about things that are far more important than
the latest “tactics” of the Iraq-war: The lives of innocent children,
dragged into a bizarre conflict by horrendous adults.
Invisible Children, Part 1 is in pretty much every way a great story.
The fact that we read is actually based on (albeit fictionalized)
reality, somehow makes me feel a little guilty for enjoying the book
so much, which is good. Way too rarely does a Phantom story make us think over what kind of a world we actually live in where such deeds are committed
without anyone raising an eyebrow.
Readers first got to hear about HIM in issue 16. Loosely based on LRA-founder Joseph Kony,
the character was only mentioned in awe and fear by people who had in some way
encountered or heard about him. This was a clever way of writer Bullock to get people’s
imagination going, using a technique that reminds me about the way Marlon Brando’s Colonel
Kurtz was portrayed in one of my favorite films, Apocalypse Now. The more you hear about
him, the more intriguing he becomes. I fear that when he makes a proper appearance (he is
only seen very briefly in issue 17) he might actually end up as something of an anticlimax,
since he is already quite well developed in my mind.
I am also very glad Bullock did not actually have the Phantom fighting (and possibly
defeating) the real-life Kony. It would have been every bit as tasteless as when Superman
defeated Hitler during World War II, while brave soldiers were still dying in the field for their
countries.
Silvestre Szilagyi has the potential to be the best artist on Moonstone’s Phantom so far, and
this issue’s glossy paper suits his excellent drawings very well. He comes across as being
inspired by Sy Barry, and like the great man, his style feels timeless, combining what you
expect to see in a modern American graphic novel with the classic feel of the old strips. It is a
real treat to see a man this talented illustrate the Phantom on a regular basis, and I hope he
stays on the title for a long time.
It’s rare to see a storyteller grow better and more assured with every piece of fiction he writes,
but this is the case with Mike Bullock. From his good two-part debut Tiger’s Blood, the
increase in quality from issue to issue has been huge, and Invisible Children flows a lot
smoother and is just a whole lot more exciting than any of the man’s previous work on the
character. The Phantom is portrayed in a way I have always been very fond of, mysterious
and scary, always having the upper hand on his enemies by using simple, borderline
theatrical techniques. Here, the Ghost Who Walks relies very much on the power of sound
effects, using something as simple as a flute to scare evildoers.
The cliffhanger could be one of the most exciting in Phantom
history, but you’ll have to read the thing to see it for yourself, as I
don’t want to spoil it for potential readers of this book. Let’s just
say I am very much excited to see how things go from here, and
how Bullock is going to explain this in a way that can live up to the
thrilling premise and actually make any sense.
Invisible Children part 1 is a flawless issue, and possibly
Moonstone’s best Phantom story in a regular comic book this far.
Bullock and Szilagyi will have to work very hard to match the
standard set here in the future. With an, as usual, interesting
article by walking Phantom-encyclopedia Ed Rhoades and an
interesting interview with Bullock and Danica Russell, one of the
founders of the real life Invisible Children-organization, this book is
truly worth every buck. With a quality-product like this, I don’t think the Phantom is going to disappear from US comic book shelves again anytime soon.
I think Lee Falk would have been proud.
5/5
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