"Cat. Hat. In French..."
The Phantom: Generations #7
Moonstone 2009
WRITER: Danny Fingeroth
ARTIST: Gordon Purcell
COLORIST: Renato Guerra
COVER ART: Doug Klauba & Ruben Procopio
COVER COLORIST: Jason Millet
EDITORS: Mike Bullock (group editor) and Ed Rhoades
A student of Michelangelo’s art school has been hired to create a mountain sculpture in the form of the Phantom’s head. However, pirates learn that Joonkar, the emperor of Bangala, is also hiding treasure there for the Ghost Who Walks to use. The pirate leader wants that treasure, and revenge on the Phantom. With some help from the artist, the Phantom is able to protect both his head and his life.
What they got right: I’ve been enjoying Danny Fingeroth’s work ever since Marvel’s Darkhawk, so I was sure that this would be a good story. I was not disappointed. Doing the 7th Phantom meant doing the story of Phantom’s Head Peak, and unlike a lot of “secret origin stories” in comics lately (I’m looking at YOU, Ultra-Humanite of Power Girl #2), this was a good story. The art is some of the best in this title.
What they got wrong: There is one scene that seems flipped. When the story calls for the Phantom to be shot in the shoulder, the artwork injures the wrong shoulder. Otherwise, it’s the usual complaint that this wasn’t done in the style of the Chronicles like the first few issues, and the generation of the Phantom isn’t give. It’s only because of the series issue number that I can figure it out.
Other note: I looked up the history of Phantom’s Head Peak, and came across this Facebook posting (which I was actually able to access despite not being on Facebook) that states the Peak was indeed thought up by Joonkar, but that Michelangelo himself was commissioned. I suppose he could have sent someone else from his school to do the actual work.
Recommendation: A must for any Phantom fan.
This one is tough to give a “Best Scene” for. It’s a series of illustrations rather than a scene. While all the art was good, no one scene stood out for me.
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