Dr Hermes Reviews - THE PHANTOM

THE VAMPIRES AND THE WITCH (June 3, 2002) From June 1974, this was an Avon paperback adapted from the original 1973 comic strip, but here it was done by Lee Falk himself, not a hired ghost just cranking out pages, and that makes a big difference. Falk treats his creation with the right balance of human vulnerability and legendary prowess. The actual prose is not clever or ornate, but it's good straightforward storytelling. (I enjoy the little asides, as when the Phantom is in his treasure room, polishing Excalibur ("earlier known as Caledwoolch".) Hearing radio reports from central Europe of some vampires led by a witch queen, the Ghost Who Walks pores through the archives left by his ancestors. In the chronicles of the Eighth to wear the mask, written back in 1675, our modern Phantom reads of an encounter with a gorgeous Witch Queen and his army of sinister servants--but the story ends abruptly, and a closer look reveals some pages have been torn out from the sacred Phantom Chronicles. Who did it? Why? Well, the reader is hooked and Lee Falk starts spinning his yarn. Pretty soon, our hero is walking essentially into the first reel of the 1931 DRACULA movie. On one level, this is a basic "Scooby-Doo"-type story, with a small village terrorized by murderous vampires and an ancient witch who can overhear their conversations. But there are also hints of something more prosaic but also more vile, a human scheme involving something worth a fortune, which has already caused many deaths. The Phantom is at his best as he investigates, skeptical but still human enough to have a few moments of uncertainty. In addition to the main plot, there is also the 'B' story of the mystery of what happened to the Eighth Phantom and the Witch Queen, and why a page was missing from the Chronicles. The solution is satisfying and a nice wrap-up to the book. Lee Falk knew what he was doing, all right. I'm only sorry there wasn't a series of Mandrake the Magician novels published as well. There is a great moment when an abusive bartender grabs the Phantom and tries to throw him out, and we're reminded that the Ghost Who Walks is not a goody-goody little saint. He slugs the man with a punch that "sounded like an axe hitting a tree trunk", picks him up and throws him against the wall, and then has to restrain himself with a visible effort from finishing the man off. "The fat proprietor would never know how close he came to death that night." The Phantom doesn't take life lightly but he was raised in the jungle after all, where when you had to defend yourself, "you fought to the death." Taking on pirate crews and savage tribes over the centuries, the Phantoms haven't always pulled their punches. (In the Billy Zane movie, it would have been a bit more convincing in the big showdown if he had shot a few Singh pirates in the shoulders or legs.) While the white stallion Hero is useful and a faithful help to the Phantom, he is (as usual) left behind. It's Devil, the gray mountain wolf who is more a partner than a pet, who serves well in this story as in so many others. Devil doesn't really do any tricks that a well trained German Shepherd couldn't perform. But he does have that extra intimidation factor going. Six feet long and two hundred pounds, Devil is a huge animal, and when he kneels on a thug's chest and shows those long white fangs-- well, it saves the Phantom a lot of time interrogated prisoners. (Also, it's very cool how the two are friends, sharing meals and playing little games in peaceful moments. More than most pulp adventurers, the Ghost Who Walks is emotionally open-- he has a girlfriend, a pet, several pals, even adopted wards. Compared to, say, the Shadow or the Avenger or even Doc Savage, the Phantom is remarkably well-balanced.)

THE ISLAND OF DOGS (Nov 28, 2001) From February 1975, this was adapted from Lee Falk's original 1963 story by Warren Shanahan, who did a really good job with it, much better than most of the other books reviewed so far. THE ISLAND OF DOGS gives the Phantom a worthwhile challenge to face and presents a hero who is as impressive and competent as he should be portrayed. Unfortunately, as nice as George Wilson's cover is, it does give away the story completely, spoiling any mystery about exactly what is going on upon the Island of Dogs. But the layout is so neat, leading your eye down in an S-shape to the title that it's worth it. One great thing about Shanahan's work is that he takes the time and energy to present background information beyond the standard Phantom lore. The horrifying history of the Island of Dogs makes for three pages that will haunt you. It's not strictly necessary to the story, but it adds ominous undertones. The same goes for the life stories of the main villain, General Serge, and the impudent heroine, Janice Helm-- the background doesn't go on for too long but it makes them more believable and increases the stakes. Shanahan also handles the Phantom's first action scene in a fascinating way. He treats the Ghost Who Walk's handling of two gunmen as if discussing an athletic event on videotape, stopping to point out details and mention how remarkable the hero's deeds are. This is so much more interesting than the usual "The Phantom hit the roughneck hard, and then turned to the other" stuff we too often get. I smiled at details such as the Phantom grabbing one thug by the shirt and then slugging him so hard that the shirt front rips off as the guy flies backwards. One bit of Phantom mythology that always intrigues is the Sign of the Skull left on goons' faces as they are punched by our hero. Twice, we are told here that these marks have been examined by forensic scientists, who are at a loss to explain the phenomenon. "..the marks are applied with tremendous force, much more than one man could exert, even a professional boxer." Once it's implied that it would take something like a pile driver to make a mark like that. On the other hand (haw!), the Phantom also leaves his good mark with the left-hand ring, gently pressing it against the recipient's wrist. He certainly doesn't smash his ring against a child's wrist with shattering impact. In the interviews I've read with Lee Falk, he always just said that this is one of the Phantom's mysteries and perhaps it's best to leave it at that. But speculation is in my blood and I can't help it. There could be some sort of caustic, acidic substance inside the hollow ring, cutting into skin through the sharp edges of the skull outline (or those crossed Ps or sabers on the other ring). These marks would then be not much a tattoo as a literal brand. In a real all-out brawl, if the Phantom felt it necessary to use both fists, he could either turn the lefthand ring around so its symbol was on the inside of his fist (although maybe then it would print the mark on the inside of his hand, so that might not work). Or perhaps the symbol on the rings can be twisted a half-turn to prevent the mark from being left, as certainly there must be times when the Ghost Who Slugs must be compelled to punch some misguided soul who doesn't deserve being branded for life. On second thought, Lee Falk knew what works. The marks left by the rings are best left a mystery.

THE ASSASSINS (July 6, 2002) From April 1975, this was adapted from the original Lee Falk 1949 newspaper strip by "Carson Bingham", who was actually Bruce Cassidy, also known as Max Day. Writer of a stack of paperback originals and movie tie -ins, Cassidy (using the name Dean Owen) did a group of movie novelizations of GORGO, BRIDES OF DRACULA, REPTILICUS and KONGA that had some pretty steamy scenes not in the actual movies. Quite a few young fans of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND in 1960 were jolted when they mailed away for copies of these books. Cassidy (or Bingham) is a competent, professional writer but he doesn't throw in surprising details or observations of his own. The story moves quickly enough, with chases and fights and running around, but it falls apart badly at the end. The Assassins who have all taken Muslim names like Hassan and Jamal (but who are not actually Muslims or Arabs) have a statue of "Seva", their many armed goddess of destruction, and a leader named Kali. So the writer apparently thinks the Assassins and the Thugs are the same cult. Then there's the vicious killer gorilla Toto (!) who engages the Phantom in a remarkably unconvincing duel. Add the fact that our feisty, resourceful Diana Palmer just goes along meekly and shows little spirit further makes this book seem bogus. One thing Bingham gets wrong is that he portrays the Phantom as shy and unsure of himself with women, blushing and almost visibly shuffling his feet around them. Perhaps this was in the original storyline, but every Phantom reprint I've seen has our walking ghost confident and at ease with even the most gorgeous and enticing women. In fact, he's often pretty flippant and casual, treating them the same honest way he does everyone else. True, he never seems to have any actual physical relations with them, but his romance with Diana Palmer is such a life long, childhood sweethearts thing that it seems likely he honestly isn't interested in other women. Of course, if word got around Bangalla that their holy guardian was having flings with the local women, it might diminish his reputation and his effectiveness. We might also note that he and Diana do go on vacations together and often rendezvous in places like London and Paris. The characterization of the Phantom as a bashful hick seems way off. The story involves our own Diana being kidnapped (again!), this time by a group of skyjackers. Remember when skyjackers were relatively mild criminals, demanding only to be flown to some country or to be paid a ransom, then talked out of it by negotiators? Those days are sure gone forever. It gets a bit more interesting than having just a band of faceless goons, though, as the ransom note fo our girl is signed with a drawing of a hangman's noose. The Phantom recognizes this as a symbol of the Assassins...THE Assassins, the original cult of hashish-smoking killers. Their modern leader, a monocled dandy with the unlikely name of Henry Kali, works under the title of Sheik al Jabal. the Old Man of the Mountain. For once, the Phantom is facing a group of opponents worth his time, in fact the very sort of enemies his line was founded to destroy. It's a nice touch, too, that the Assassins recognize him on sight ("I could see his face. The mask. The hood. I saw the Phantom!") and although they're alarmed and uneasy, they set out to kill him anyway with professional determination. But I cannot stress this enough: if you are a henchman or accomplice who is captured by the hero or the police, do NOT let them interrogate you in a room with a window! It is absolutely certain that you will be shot dead, the killer willl get away and you will only have time at best to gasp out an enigmatic clue. Insist on being questioned in a room with no windows. The story trots along briskly enough, with the Phantom foiling a kidnap attempt on the beautiful Princess Naji and taking her to the Skull Cave for safekeeping. In a wonderful scene, Guran and the other Bandar think the Ghost Who Walks has taken a bride at last, and they prepare an enormous feast, much to the Phantom's chagrin. And he not only lets Diana Palmer know that he has had a royal babe in his cave, he goes out of his way to introduce them to each other! It may show him as more naive than he should be, but it is a funny moment. Devil does not appear and is not even mentioned, which is a bit of a shame. The teamwork and friendship of the man and wolf gives the stories some of their charm. Devil is more helpful than most hero`s sidekicks, and when he's told to hold the crooks hostage, you can be sure they stay put.

THE CURSE OF THE TWO-HEADED BULL (Jan 6, 2002) From July 1975, this was the fifteenth and last in the series of Avon paperbacks featuring the Phantom. On the title page, it's credited to Carson Bingham (actually veteran Bruce Cassidy, also known as Max Day) but in an author's note, Lee Falk states that he wrote it, based on his own newspaper strip of the year before. Now Falk did write several others in this series, but in this note, he lists which of the books were adapted by other writers, including the previous one (THE ASSASSINS) by Carson Bingham. Either Falk (or his editor) made a slip of the typewriter when making the list. [I have since been informed that the attribution to Bingham was a mistake and that Lee Falk was not pleased with it.] In any case, this book is a good deal of fun, giving the Ghost Who Walks a real challenge as he races around the world trying to retrieve a two-headed bull idol stolen from the Llongo tribe of Bangalla. He deals with assorted roughnecks and soldiers, eventually having to rescue Diana Palmer from a literal harem in a small Mid-Eastern counry. (That girl! Diana always says she'll stay put but the Phantom must know by now that she's hooked on excitement. She does get to fling a Sheik over her shoulder, quite a surprise for him.) The Phantom does not quite have as easy a time as usual, but sometimes he finds an unoccupied jeep too conveniently or happens to overhear a conversation which tells him just what he needs to know. On the other hand, it's very convincing how things steadily go more and more wrong for the thief of the Two-Headed Bull, and the interlocking paths of the characters fit together at just the right moments to complicate things for him. One good point is the curse on the statue, that anyone other than a Llongo who touches it will die. Sure enough, as events rush by, a number of folks grab the idol and shortly find themselves impaled on its horns. There's always a reasonable explanation-- usually they're wrestling with someone to take the darn thing but after a while even the Ghost Who Walks is starting to wonder. This understated touch of the supernatural is a part of the Phantom's storytelling I always enjoyed. Anyone who removed the Phantom's mask was also said to be certain to die horribly and over the years, that's exactly what happened. Our hero never killed the villains, fate itself seemed to just punish them. The best moment is something that was lacking almost entirely from the Billy Zane movie (good as it was). In this mythos, sailors and adventurers and criminals all over the world have heard stories of the Phantom all their lives. When they meet him and realize that he's very real, the impact is staggering. Here, when the Ghost Who Walks slugs a villainous sea captain, the man sees the Mark of the Skull on his jaw and starts to cry in shame and fear. " 'It won't come off. Won't come off', he said, choking, sobbing.' " Part of the mystique is that the Phantom is a legendary figure known around the word. Actually meeting him, especially when he's angry, is (or should be) a stunning moment. Many times in the newspaper strip, pirates and outlaws would freeze or panic when they realized who they were facing. The movie could have used a bit more of that.