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The Phantom: The Complete Newspaper Dailies #1
The Phantom: The Complete Newspaper Dailies Vol. 1: 1936-1937
The first, original, and best masked hero to ever grace the pages of comic strips and comic books returns with Hermes Press' new complete reprint of The Phantom! Referred to by comic strip historian Maurice Horn as the "granddaddy of all costumed superheroes," The Phantom was created in 1936 by Lee Falk with artwork by Ray Moore. The strip hit the funny pages of newspapers well before the Dark Knight or Superman made their first appearances and has been acknowledged as an influence on every "masked man of mystery" since. The Phantom set the standard for action, adventure, intrigue, and romance in adventure comic strips and comic books. Now, Hermes Press will offer the entire run of the comic strip, which will span over seventy years of The Phantom legend, ending with artist Sy Barry's run on the strip in 1994. As with Hermes Press' critically acclaimed reprint of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, the new definitive reprint of The Phantom will introduce the strip to a whole new generation of readers and give fans of the "Ghost Who Walks" a chance to revisit the series all over again.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2009
42 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Lee Falk
1,663 books68 followersLee Falk, born Leon Harrison Gross (April 28, 1911 - March 13, 1999), was an American writer, theater director and producer, best known as the creator of the popular comic strips The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician. At the height of their popularity, these strips attracted over 100 million readers every day. Falk also wrote short stories, and he contributed to a series of pulp novels about The Phantom
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 5, 2017
Lee Falk's The Phantom is one of comics' earlier masked crime-fighters, a superhero before there were superheroes. Indeed, much of the Phantom's early stories treat him like a storied jungle avenger, with a backstory born of swashbuckling adventure stories not totally divorced from the epic sagas of literary figures like those of Alexandre Dumas.
Set in "the jungle," which seems to draw on Orientalist depictions melding together African and Asian cultures, especially those of India and the Middle East, this first collection depicts The Phantom's first three major arcs: The Singh Brotherhood, The Sky Band, and The Diamond Hunters.
In the Singh Brotherhood, The Phantom faces the dangerous Singh pirates, a group of evildoers who have plagued The Phantom's line for literal centuries. Here, Falk and Moore put down the inroads for The Phantom's legend, and detail what the character will ultimately become. He dances about falling in love with Diana Palmer, and in the meantime fights a few pirates in outlandish sequences that wouldn't be unfamiliar to any readers of science fiction strips from the previous few years (more than a little inspiration seems to have been taken from Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon series).
The second saga details The Phantom's efforts agains the infamous Sky Band pirates, a group of lady aviators who pull off tremendous aerial heists. The Phantom even becomes the prisoner of one particular Sky Band pirate, and has to use his wiles (and sexuality) to plot his way out of captivity.
Lastly, The Diamond Hunters details The Phantom's struggle against a pair of white men who, in their extreme greed, subvert the law of the jungle and turn the jungle natives of The Phantoms home against each other in a drawn out tribal war. The Phantom has to return peace to his people, as well as bring the white men responsible to justice.
These early Phantom stories are a mixed bag in terms of quality. Culturally speaking, while they are certainly indicative of attitudes toward the East at the time, they have not aged well, and many of the depictions and assumptions of the book are notably racist. Additionally, as progressive as the sexual politics can be in the Sky Band saga, The Phantom and his attitudes are still decidedly misogynist, and it can be difficult to take any of what Falk tries to do very seriously. This collection is, at times, provocative and thought-provoking for its 1930s time period, and at times, as damning a piece of literature as ever came out of that time period. Its racial and sexual politics are probably the most difficult issues to deal with, though I think, overall, the readings can spark very interesting discussions about the culture of the '30s and how the strip both challenges cultural norms even as it reinforces them thoroughly throughout the book.
The stories themselves aren't particularly exciting, and go through regular dips in quality of narrative as each saga drags on, which is typical of a newspaper daily strip. It can make for some interesting reading at times, but struggles to maintain most of its narrative momentum throughout.
Of note is that the final third of the book looks the best in terms of the reprint, as the art is made from printers proofs, and the clarity of the new prints is noteworthy. Moore's art is able to stand out quite a bit more, and the dry-brush style of The Phantom pops that much better. Moore isn't the best artist in the field, but he is certainly worth a gander. There were a few unfortunate problems with some of the organization of strips, unfortunately, and at least one page has repeated panels in the copy I read.
All things aside, this is a good collection of those wanting a complete account of The Phantom's adventures, and while he remains mired in painfully outdated social politics, he's worth reading if only for the trends he follows and thus sets in his own adventures.
Set in "the jungle," which seems to draw on Orientalist depictions melding together African and Asian cultures, especially those of India and the Middle East, this first collection depicts The Phantom's first three major arcs: The Singh Brotherhood, The Sky Band, and The Diamond Hunters.
In the Singh Brotherhood, The Phantom faces the dangerous Singh pirates, a group of evildoers who have plagued The Phantom's line for literal centuries. Here, Falk and Moore put down the inroads for The Phantom's legend, and detail what the character will ultimately become. He dances about falling in love with Diana Palmer, and in the meantime fights a few pirates in outlandish sequences that wouldn't be unfamiliar to any readers of science fiction strips from the previous few years (more than a little inspiration seems to have been taken from Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon series).
The second saga details The Phantom's efforts agains the infamous Sky Band pirates, a group of lady aviators who pull off tremendous aerial heists. The Phantom even becomes the prisoner of one particular Sky Band pirate, and has to use his wiles (and sexuality) to plot his way out of captivity.
Lastly, The Diamond Hunters details The Phantom's struggle against a pair of white men who, in their extreme greed, subvert the law of the jungle and turn the jungle natives of The Phantoms home against each other in a drawn out tribal war. The Phantom has to return peace to his people, as well as bring the white men responsible to justice.
These early Phantom stories are a mixed bag in terms of quality. Culturally speaking, while they are certainly indicative of attitudes toward the East at the time, they have not aged well, and many of the depictions and assumptions of the book are notably racist. Additionally, as progressive as the sexual politics can be in the Sky Band saga, The Phantom and his attitudes are still decidedly misogynist, and it can be difficult to take any of what Falk tries to do very seriously. This collection is, at times, provocative and thought-provoking for its 1930s time period, and at times, as damning a piece of literature as ever came out of that time period. Its racial and sexual politics are probably the most difficult issues to deal with, though I think, overall, the readings can spark very interesting discussions about the culture of the '30s and how the strip both challenges cultural norms even as it reinforces them thoroughly throughout the book.
The stories themselves aren't particularly exciting, and go through regular dips in quality of narrative as each saga drags on, which is typical of a newspaper daily strip. It can make for some interesting reading at times, but struggles to maintain most of its narrative momentum throughout.
Of note is that the final third of the book looks the best in terms of the reprint, as the art is made from printers proofs, and the clarity of the new prints is noteworthy. Moore's art is able to stand out quite a bit more, and the dry-brush style of The Phantom pops that much better. Moore isn't the best artist in the field, but he is certainly worth a gander. There were a few unfortunate problems with some of the organization of strips, unfortunately, and at least one page has repeated panels in the copy I read.
All things aside, this is a good collection of those wanting a complete account of The Phantom's adventures, and while he remains mired in painfully outdated social politics, he's worth reading if only for the trends he follows and thus sets in his own adventures.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2015
Inventive, fast paced, corny, and definitely dated in terms of ethnicity and gender issues but still thrilling and enjoyable. This book has three stories but all are exciting and different enough. He is doing a lot of exposition and clearly figuring out the mythology as he goes. Art is crude but vibrant and has a noir style. His dog has more charm than his girlfriend.
December 11, 2018
The collected newspaper strips of the first few years of the Phantom were quite an enjoyable read.
There are some cringe-worthy elements however as the book was written in the 1930's. The character suffers from the "White Saviour" complex as he oversees several 'East Asian' (later changed to Africa) tribes and enforces the "Phantom's Law" and the "Phantom's Peace". They revere him as a protector and almost god-like entity. Now this inst because he's white, it's because of the stories of the same man living for hundreds of years, (the Phantom legacy is passed down from Father to Son, but no one knows that), but still it does cause some issues in today's times. There is also the time when he spanks a female villain. Not appropriate in today's day and age.
The stories themselves though are filled with action and adventure and are a lot more complex than I thought they would be. Much more so than the comic books of that time.
There are some cringe-worthy elements however as the book was written in the 1930's. The character suffers from the "White Saviour" complex as he oversees several 'East Asian' (later changed to Africa) tribes and enforces the "Phantom's Law" and the "Phantom's Peace". They revere him as a protector and almost god-like entity. Now this inst because he's white, it's because of the stories of the same man living for hundreds of years, (the Phantom legacy is passed down from Father to Son, but no one knows that), but still it does cause some issues in today's times. There is also the time when he spanks a female villain. Not appropriate in today's day and age.
The stories themselves though are filled with action and adventure and are a lot more complex than I thought they would be. Much more so than the comic books of that time.
March 29, 2021
I have been reading the Phantom in various forms since the 1960s so I was really excited to be able to read strips from the 1930s. I was not disappointed. Diana Palmer, Devil, the Bandar and of course the Phantom all make their first appearance. No horse yet, no Kit Walker identity, but it's fun seeing the legend as it grows.
March 22, 2023
On the one hand these are great adventure stories and are willing to give a lot of space for character work without needing incident in each daily strip as many do.
On the other hand it is so problematic it makes Fu Manchu look woke in comparison.
On the other hand it is so problematic it makes Fu Manchu look woke in comparison.
December 10, 2025
It's a classic. High adventure at it best.
Lee Falk's the Phantom is the first mask crime fighter. High adventure classic comic strip. Great fun stories from the years when pulp heroes ruled.
Lee Falk's the Phantom is the first mask crime fighter. High adventure classic comic strip. Great fun stories from the years when pulp heroes ruled.
May 30, 2011
So many comic strips take a while to find themselves, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Phantom pretty much hit the ground running from its earliest days, almost identical to the strip it is today. Some of the dialogue isn't as polished as it would later become (although Lee Falk's dialogue always strikes me as idiosyncratically distinct), and Ray Moore's art eventually loses much of its unnecessary over-rendered detail in favor of clear, economical storytelling. And some of the details take some time to settle down (is the Phantom the defender of the jungles of Asia or Africa in these early stories?). But it feels like Falk's enduring story of the jungle avenger emerges almost fully-formed from the start.
How surprising, then, to discover in Ron Goulart's illuminating introduction, that the character was originally conceived as an urban avenger, the alter ego of a bored playboy, like so many pulp heroes before him, and so many costumed heroes after! Fortunately, Falk quickly became seduced by his own idea of a generational hero, the mantle of the Phantom passed from father to son, appearing to be an undying hero, fighting piracy for hundreds of years. The strip quickly adopts that idea and runs with it, and it feels like that was the plan all along.
Like most period entertainment, the strips in this book contain unfortunate racial stereotypes of their time. It's sad that such depictions ever existed, but it's also important that we don't just ignore, forget, or dismiss them. We need to be reminded to struggle to be better and more enlightened, because while things may be better, we can always try harder.
The Phantom may be one of the first costumed heroes, although he doesn't have the PR machine that later characters like Superman and Batman have. His comic strip still survives, but it's hardly the hit it once was. Reading these early strips, it's clear why the strip was such a success worldwide, and why it still endures today. The worlds of Falk and Moore in these pages hold their own with other adventure strips of their day, telling some gripping adventures mixed with humor and romance. I look forward to continuing to read these reprints.
How surprising, then, to discover in Ron Goulart's illuminating introduction, that the character was originally conceived as an urban avenger, the alter ego of a bored playboy, like so many pulp heroes before him, and so many costumed heroes after! Fortunately, Falk quickly became seduced by his own idea of a generational hero, the mantle of the Phantom passed from father to son, appearing to be an undying hero, fighting piracy for hundreds of years. The strip quickly adopts that idea and runs with it, and it feels like that was the plan all along.
Like most period entertainment, the strips in this book contain unfortunate racial stereotypes of their time. It's sad that such depictions ever existed, but it's also important that we don't just ignore, forget, or dismiss them. We need to be reminded to struggle to be better and more enlightened, because while things may be better, we can always try harder.
The Phantom may be one of the first costumed heroes, although he doesn't have the PR machine that later characters like Superman and Batman have. His comic strip still survives, but it's hardly the hit it once was. Reading these early strips, it's clear why the strip was such a success worldwide, and why it still endures today. The worlds of Falk and Moore in these pages hold their own with other adventure strips of their day, telling some gripping adventures mixed with humor and romance. I look forward to continuing to read these reprints.
June 23, 2013
I love the Phantom, always have, but oddly have never read the strip from the beginning. Hermes Press has painstakingly restored and reproduced the series from 1936 forward. The crudeness to Ray Moore's art is emblematic of the era but at least he doesn't overly exaggerate the features of his Africans. You can literally watch Lee Falk figure out what the series is about installment by installment so we're months into the strip before the familiar legend emerges.
In hindsight, you wince at the great white man ruling over the African tribes, treated effectively as a god, but that was reflective of the time period. The three stories in the book set the tone and show the nimble thinking in coming up with interesting adventures.
Sadly, Diana Palmer's personality weakens over the months so she goes from a trained boxer, literally in day one, to a weak-willed, stereotypical love interest who cannot abide the concept of living in the jungle despite loving the masked man.
Still, this is the first costumed adventure strip, paving the way from the pulp heroes to the comic book heroes just two years away. The book is a nice entry point and made for fun reading.
In hindsight, you wince at the great white man ruling over the African tribes, treated effectively as a god, but that was reflective of the time period. The three stories in the book set the tone and show the nimble thinking in coming up with interesting adventures.
Sadly, Diana Palmer's personality weakens over the months so she goes from a trained boxer, literally in day one, to a weak-willed, stereotypical love interest who cannot abide the concept of living in the jungle despite loving the masked man.
Still, this is the first costumed adventure strip, paving the way from the pulp heroes to the comic book heroes just two years away. The book is a nice entry point and made for fun reading.
January 11, 2015
This is my first time reading any Phantom stories, and I was shocked at how entertaining they are. The Phantom's a great character, who seemed to have a fully realized personality right at the beginning. A lot of his dialog is hysterical, especially when he's making wise ass remarks when getting captured. I find that I'm reading all of his dialog and imagining Puddy from Seinfeld saying it. The only downside is Diana, who starts out strong but quickly transforms into your standard "damsel in distress" character. The strip has the typical sexism and racism that you'd expect from a 30s comic, but if you can ignore that there's a lot of fantastic storytelling in these strips.
December 31, 2020
The first costumed hero - more super for his very mortality
The Phantom has always been my favorite cartoon hero. Falk and Moore created a background story that was possible and ran with it. Like any long-running cartoon, it provides insight into the social norms of the time, although Falk took some liberties, as is pointed out in the brief but cogent commentary sections. This book is a wonderful contribution to an understanding of a time past, particularly for Phantom fans.
The Phantom has always been my favorite cartoon hero. Falk and Moore created a background story that was possible and ran with it. Like any long-running cartoon, it provides insight into the social norms of the time, although Falk took some liberties, as is pointed out in the brief but cogent commentary sections. This book is a wonderful contribution to an understanding of a time past, particularly for Phantom fans.
May 7, 2015
Art is pretty crude but stories are decent. This and the terrible Billy Zane movie are enough Phantom for me though.
September 5, 2015
4.5 stars
July 12, 2009
I loved this. Can't wait till the second volume comes out.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews