This second volume of The Phantom -The Complete DC Comics puts its focus on the creators, especially artist Luke McDonnell. We are treated to a short interview with him conducted by Hermes head honcho Dave Herman. Included are pages of original art by McDonnell from various projects for Marvel and DC.
"Pirates" from the third issue takes the Ghost Who Walks right back to his roots and has him confront piracy, but a modern and especially brutal kind. Needless to say, that with a little help from members of the Jungle Patrol he is able to get a little justice. It's not perfect, but this is a somewhat harsher universe than that of Lee Falk's comic strip.
The Phantom returns to America and specifically the town of Clarksville in a two-part story beginning with "HATE in the U.S.A." and wrapping up in "Unleashed" when a friend from school is set upon by racists trying to stop his newspaper and to run him out of town. His black skin is all that is required for "The Order" to hate him and mark him for death. Given the nature of the modern world today, it was nice to see some racist assholes get their butts handed to them. While he's in America he proposes to Diana Palmer.
"Waste" from the sixth issue is a heartbreaker, and much of the story is told from the point of view of a father just trying to make life better for his family and only finding he's brought death to them. Modern society has never confronted out necessity to do away with the toxic chemicals our world requires. This story speaks to that dilemma in a most wrenching way.
The story "Gold" has Diana Palmer learn of the Phantom's trip to South America to confront the villains who prey on the miners drawn there by a desire for wealth that consumes them. In many ways this mission is a failure for the Phantom and Diana learns much about the man she is planning to marry.
"Apes" wraps up this second tome and tells the story of a researcher who grew up in the jungle studying gorillas. She has seen both her parents die, both researchers like herself. Now she continues their work in the face of killers who want to poach these precious animals. The Phantom steps in.
These stories hold up exceptionally well. Despite attempting to being topical and relate to the problems of the time over three decades ago, they still resonate. Much to our shame, these problems seem to be still with us.
The Verheiden-McDonnell Phantom returns in the third and final Hermes volume next time.
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