Writer: Mike Bullock
Artists: Gabriel Rearte, Thompson Knox(c)
Publisher: Moonstone
The Phantom often travels the world to fight piracy, but like his predecessors, he resides in the Skull Cave formed in a hidden glade, in the jungles of Bangalla. Bangalla is The Phantom's country, and this fictional nation isn't just a haphazardly stitched together setting. The Phantom's creator Lee Falk hewed out of his stories a land having a civilization consisting of multiple tribes as well as flora and fauna indicative to its specific geography.
Falk often used the real world of piracy and fascism to give substance to the obstacles the Phantom faced. Mirroring reality, the modern world slowly crept into Bangallese culture and created new crimes for the Phantom successor to solve.
Mike Bullock's story honors Lee Falk's intent in a multitude of levels. The crime committed in this issue of The Phantom reflects a real world counterpart and specifically targets a staple creature prowling through the tales of the Phantom. A different type of pirate, the animal poacher, stalks Bangallese tigers, one of the enduring symbols of Bangalla's unique geographic position.
Bullock gives a fictional name to the alleged aphrodisiac being synthesized from the tigers' body parts, but through a cleverly insinuated news program, he informs the sad truths behind the fiction to the reader. The Phantom represents the only fantastic element to the story, and as such, he stands out even more so than he usually does.
The Phantom discovers the aftermath of the poachers' attacks, motherless cubs and a dead butchered tiger. He orders Devil, his wolf companion, to escort the cubs back to the Skull Cave and begins the hunt for the hunters. These pirates have made the biggest mistakes of their lives.
Gabriel Rearte's and Thompson Knox's artwork perfectly choreographs Bullock's story. They render the Phantom as a figure of terror to the pirates who would murder animals. The way the art combines with Bullock's story creates a point of view that follows the reactions of the villains. On the hunt the reader only sees glimpses of the Phantom, but they see his mark, and they savor the pirates' absolute stark raving fear. The craft of the story generates suspense and heightens the tension for a two-page spread release when Rearte and Knox reveal the Ghost Who Walks with his decidedly angry friends.
This lightning paced modern day stand-alone story reinforces the power and legend of the Phantom. Bullock's foray into the jungles of Bangalla is a success, and he sets into motion a juxtaposed subplot that will no doubt affect future issues.
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