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The Phantom Stranger Omnibus
The greatest adventures of DC's supernatural crime-fighter are collected in a massive, era-spanning hardcover!
First introduced in 1952, the Phantom Stranger stands decades later as one of DC's most enigmatic characters, a supernatural hero whose origins have remained shrouded in mystery!
This omnibus collects the Phantom Stranger's earliest adventures in the 1950s, his late-1960s revival, and early 1980s stories in the pages of The Saga of the Swamp Thing. Through it all, the Phantom Stranger has remained one of DC's most unique characters, navigating the weird, scary side of the DC Universe!
Collects The Phantom Stranger #1-6 (1952), The Phantom Stranger #1-41 (1969), stories from The Saga of the Swamp Thing #1-13, Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #18, The Brave and the Bold #89, #98, #145, Showcase #80, Justice League of America #103, House of Secrets #150, DC Super-Stars #18, Secret Origins #10 and DC Comics Presents #25, and #72.
First introduced in 1952, the Phantom Stranger stands decades later as one of DC's most enigmatic characters, a supernatural hero whose origins have remained shrouded in mystery!
This omnibus collects the Phantom Stranger's earliest adventures in the 1950s, his late-1960s revival, and early 1980s stories in the pages of The Saga of the Swamp Thing. Through it all, the Phantom Stranger has remained one of DC's most unique characters, navigating the weird, scary side of the DC Universe!
Collects The Phantom Stranger #1-6 (1952), The Phantom Stranger #1-41 (1969), stories from The Saga of the Swamp Thing #1-13, Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #18, The Brave and the Bold #89, #98, #145, Showcase #80, Justice League of America #103, House of Secrets #150, DC Super-Stars #18, Secret Origins #10 and DC Comics Presents #25, and #72.
1184 pages, Hardcover
Published August 29, 2023
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Various
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 16, 2025
Wow what a massive book, that takes you through this character’s transformation from a detective debunking supernatural mysteries in the 1950s to a mystic force for good. Art and story by many of the greats in the industry. Very recommended.
Currently reading
January 24, 2024Golden Age Phantom Stranger (#1-6). There was a Golden Age Phantom Stranger!? Sure enough! I'd never heard of these stories, primarily by John Broome. Surprisingly, they're more in the style of Dr. 13 or Scooby Doo: thieves and conmen pretend to be supernatural and the Phantom Stranger exposes shim. And the only supernatural thing about him is that he appears and disappears at the start and end of each story. Not particularly good, unfortunately, but I expected little more given the timeframe [2/5].
Rebooted Stranger (Showcase #80, v2 #1-3). The rebooted Silver Age Strange starts out with a bizarre conceit, in stories primarily by Mike Friedrich. Dr. 13 and the Phantom Stranger team up, but it's mainly a frame to reprint Golden Age stories of the Phantom Stranger and Dr. 13 (wow, I really never would have guessed that he was from the Golden Age!). The stories are ever so slightly better than their Golden Age brethren because of the teamup, but they're redundant and also weak because Dr. 13 is going on about there being no ghosts, and this Phantom Stranger is mostly aboard that sentiment. The highlight is the improved, sometimes moody art of the new era, especially in Showcase #80 [2+/5].
The Phantom Stranger & Dr. 13 (v2 #4-10). Though the comic moves over to entirely new stories with issue #4, it maintains the tiresome duel between Dr. 13 and the Phantom Stranger. It's much worse for the fact that the Stranger is now more obviously magic and more obviously fighting magical foes. Which just makes Terry 13 look like a fool. On the bright side we get the intro of two major magical foes: Tala in #4 and Tannarak in #10, who give a bit of depth to the Stranger's stories (but are also kind of repetitive, much like the stories themselves [2+/5].
After 13 (v2 #11-13). The next few issues drop Dr. 13, and the comic is immediately better for it. There's even some scary stuff like the Child of Evil (#13) and the somewhat confusing Army of Evil (#11). But, the authors don't really know if they're writing horror, fantasy, or science-fiction, and the storytelling is still muddled [3/5].
Rebooted Stranger (Showcase #80, v2 #1-3). The rebooted Silver Age Strange starts out with a bizarre conceit, in stories primarily by Mike Friedrich. Dr. 13 and the Phantom Stranger team up, but it's mainly a frame to reprint Golden Age stories of the Phantom Stranger and Dr. 13 (wow, I really never would have guessed that he was from the Golden Age!). The stories are ever so slightly better than their Golden Age brethren because of the teamup, but they're redundant and also weak because Dr. 13 is going on about there being no ghosts, and this Phantom Stranger is mostly aboard that sentiment. The highlight is the improved, sometimes moody art of the new era, especially in Showcase #80 [2+/5].
The Phantom Stranger & Dr. 13 (v2 #4-10). Though the comic moves over to entirely new stories with issue #4, it maintains the tiresome duel between Dr. 13 and the Phantom Stranger. It's much worse for the fact that the Stranger is now more obviously magic and more obviously fighting magical foes. Which just makes Terry 13 look like a fool. On the bright side we get the intro of two major magical foes: Tala in #4 and Tannarak in #10, who give a bit of depth to the Stranger's stories (but are also kind of repetitive, much like the stories themselves [2+/5].
After 13 (v2 #11-13). The next few issues drop Dr. 13, and the comic is immediately better for it. There's even some scary stuff like the Child of Evil (#13) and the somewhat confusing Army of Evil (#11). But, the authors don't really know if they're writing horror, fantasy, or science-fiction, and the storytelling is still muddled [3/5].
September 21, 2024
(Zero spoiler review)
I was worried when I opened this and was greeted with story after story of enough golden age cheese to make a Frenchman's armpit blush. I skipped through, worried I had once again spent a bunch of money on a turkey. Thankfully, we skip a couple of decades and land somewhere at the end of the silver age / the start of the bronze, and things begin to improve from there. Though it isn't until Len Wein and Jim Aparro team up that this book really hits its stride and becomes a book truly worth reading. Once the two of them leave, you could, and possibly should do the same, as both the stories and the art begin to vary wildly.
The main thing wrong with this book is that The Phantom Stranger himself is more of a plot device, rather than a character. The only writer to ever get within shouting distance of some interesting and appealing characterisation unsurprisingly was Wein, but he was off the book soon after. If this more closely resembled O Neill's The Question run, it would have been a thing of beauty. Sadly, a far too inconsistent collection of stories that never really reaches its potential. Worth the price for the Wein Aparro stuff, though it depends on how much you can snag it for. 3/5
OmniBen.
I was worried when I opened this and was greeted with story after story of enough golden age cheese to make a Frenchman's armpit blush. I skipped through, worried I had once again spent a bunch of money on a turkey. Thankfully, we skip a couple of decades and land somewhere at the end of the silver age / the start of the bronze, and things begin to improve from there. Though it isn't until Len Wein and Jim Aparro team up that this book really hits its stride and becomes a book truly worth reading. Once the two of them leave, you could, and possibly should do the same, as both the stories and the art begin to vary wildly.
The main thing wrong with this book is that The Phantom Stranger himself is more of a plot device, rather than a character. The only writer to ever get within shouting distance of some interesting and appealing characterisation unsurprisingly was Wein, but he was off the book soon after. If this more closely resembled O Neill's The Question run, it would have been a thing of beauty. Sadly, a far too inconsistent collection of stories that never really reaches its potential. Worth the price for the Wein Aparro stuff, though it depends on how much you can snag it for. 3/5
OmniBen.
April 24, 2025
After finishing Swamp Thing, I wanted to explore more of DC’s older horror and noir titles, which led me to The Phantom Stranger Omnibus. It’s a massive book -- over 1,200 pages -- and collects just about everything the character appeared in from the 1950s to the early '80s.
The cover by Neal Adams nails the mood: pulpy, shadowy, and totally fitting for the Stranger. The overall design is great, though the book itself is a serious brick—definitely not something you casually flip through on the couch.
Inside, it includes the original Phantom Stranger #1–6 from 1952, the full second series (#1–41 from 1969–76), plus appearances in Swamp Thing, Brave and the Bold, Showcase, Justice League of America, and more. One highlight is the Secret Origins issue that gives four different takes on the Stranger’s backstory -- one of them by Alan Moore.
The reading experience varies. The 1950s stories are very “Scooby Doo” -- the supernatural always turns out to be fake. The later stories shift into full-on mysticism, with the Stranger acting as a narrator and supernatural force. Dr. Thirteen pops up often as the skeptical counterbalance, and their dynamic keeps things interesting.
The writing can be dense and a bit theatrical, but that’s part of the appeal if you're into moody, slow-burn horror. And the art—especially from Jim Aparo, Neal Adams, and Carmine Infantino—really shines. Aparo’s style suits the Stranger perfectly.
If you’re into the weirder corners of the DC Universe, or just want a deep cut horror collection, this is definitely one to check out. Heavy in every sense, but worth it.
The cover by Neal Adams nails the mood: pulpy, shadowy, and totally fitting for the Stranger. The overall design is great, though the book itself is a serious brick—definitely not something you casually flip through on the couch.
Inside, it includes the original Phantom Stranger #1–6 from 1952, the full second series (#1–41 from 1969–76), plus appearances in Swamp Thing, Brave and the Bold, Showcase, Justice League of America, and more. One highlight is the Secret Origins issue that gives four different takes on the Stranger’s backstory -- one of them by Alan Moore.
The reading experience varies. The 1950s stories are very “Scooby Doo” -- the supernatural always turns out to be fake. The later stories shift into full-on mysticism, with the Stranger acting as a narrator and supernatural force. Dr. Thirteen pops up often as the skeptical counterbalance, and their dynamic keeps things interesting.
The writing can be dense and a bit theatrical, but that’s part of the appeal if you're into moody, slow-burn horror. And the art—especially from Jim Aparo, Neal Adams, and Carmine Infantino—really shines. Aparo’s style suits the Stranger perfectly.
If you’re into the weirder corners of the DC Universe, or just want a deep cut horror collection, this is definitely one to check out. Heavy in every sense, but worth it.
November 30, 2024
Overall pretty good stories all round. Highlights were the tanarak saga, the swamp thing tie-ins, and the origin stories near the end of the book. Definitely dated, but enjoyable.
May 22, 2025
3.5
solid ending, first two thirds were slow
solid ending, first two thirds were slow
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews