THE PHANTOM UNMASKED # 1 On Sale!

The first issue of my two-part mini-series THE PHANTOM UNMASKED is on sale tomorrow (June 16th) at a comic book shop near you!

The amazing art is by Hannibal King, lettering by my multi-talented pal, Tom Floyd, and the cover is from the fabulous Franchesco. The mini-series is published by Moonstone.



































Although I've written The Phantom in prose form a couple times, there was something magical about scripting the character in his natural comics format. I was slightly afraid of something akin to stage-fright as I began the tale, or at least I expected to get a mild case of the jitters. Surprisingly nothing nearly so dramatic happened. It was a distinct thrill, to be sure, when I first typed the words "The Deep Woods", but fortunately the story flowed.

Even so, only when writing Superman, Batman, and Sherlock Holmes have I felt such sheer weight from a fictional character and his mythology. I suspect that this one has been wanting to escape my subconscious for a very long time.


















In all my twenty-four years as a professional writer, working in the comics industry, this is one of my all-time favorite projects. My older brothers first introduced me to The Phantom when I was about five years old and he fascinated me immediately, never letting go. It was an honor and a privilege getting to work with Lee Falk's immortal Ghost Who Walks. He is my favorite comic book costumed hero.



































Special thanks to publisher Joe Gentile, who invited me, to Hannibal King, for rendering one of the most beautiful-looking Phantom stories ever, and to ever-loyal friend Tom Floyd, who once again came to my rescue.

And to the late, great Lee Falk, for creating the Man Who Cannot Die.

Hope you'll join us.

(Click on the images to enlarge.)