Phantom Phrenzy!

When Hermes Press after much ballyhoo finally launched their Phantom comic strip reprints, I gleefully picked up the first volume. It solid and the comics were outstanding. I'd have like a bit more density on the pages but the strips were very easy to read.

I then went ahead and picked up the second volume too. It was much the same. The earliest work by Lee Falk and artist Ray Moore on these early Phantoms has a raw energy that's fascinating. It's easy to see why this earliest of superheroes caught on.

Then for whatever reason, I did not pick up the third volume. My attention shifted or something, but I let it slip and slip. I'd think from time to time I needed to get it, but somehow I never did. Always there was another priority somehow. Then I saw the other day that prices on these earliest volumes were shooting through the roof. I realized that I needed to act fast, I'd soon be unable to get hold of one. My local store has had one for some time, so I went and...ahem...happily paid full price, since the alternative seemed so much more painful.

On returning home, I then ordered the fourth volume as well as the first of the Sunday comics volumes. With luck they should be on my doorstep early this week. I've got a lot of grand Phantom adventure to enjoy it seems. The other volumes coming later this  year (two more have been solicited) catch me up, at least on the comic stirps.

Since I own so many of the comic books, I've not yet picked up the volumes collecting up the Gold Key, King, and Charlton runs of the character. I need to correct that oversight. Alas the life of a comics fan is not an easy one, either we hanker for gems we'll never see or we are awash with jewels we can barely afford to take hold of. Sigh.

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