Last Phantom #1Media Release -- The Last Phantom #1 has sold out through Diamond on the same day of shipping to retailers! Copies should still be available at the retailer level, but with copies sold out at Diamond, there will not be re-orders currently available (though Dynamite is reviewing back-orders to go back to press). With Alex Ross at the creative helm, Scott Beatty scripting and Eduardo Ferigatoon art in the ongoing series, the demand for the new adventures of The Phantom was even greater than we could have anticipated! And we had high expectations! Check out the 7 pages of interior art we're providing as well as covers by Alex Ross with Fabiano Neves and Joe "Blackest Night" Prado!

As we begin the series, there is no Phantom. The historic line stops at Kit Walker the 21st, who has forsaken the mantle of The Ghost Who Walks and is enjoying a life with a growing family, while handling the day-to-day affairs of the Walkabout Foundation, a philanthropy created by one of the previous Walkers/Phantoms to help support charities benefiting Bengala, and the surrounding nations of continental Africa. The Walkabout Foundation was funded initially by pirate treasure from the very first Phantom's origins. The organization is symbolic of every young Walker's world-spanning journey from the Skull Cave to the "outside world," becoming educated and awaiting his destiny to one day take up the costume and crusade of the Phantom. Except that this Kit refused to take up the domino mask, rings, and Colt .45s of his father upon Kit Sr.'s death. Alex Ross' beautiful and dynamic vision promises to bring the concept of the Phantom to the 21st century, and it could not be in better hands.

Please ensure that your retailer has ordered enough copies of The Last Phantom #2 and The Last Phantom #3, which will satisfy the outcry of support from comic book fans wanting to read The Phantom's next, and last, adventure! And trust us when we say that this series will be "Dynamite"!

SEE RAVE REVIEWS OF THE LAST PHANTOM #1!

From Newsarama!

Okay, let me just say this right out of the gate: The only real exposure I've ever had to The Phantom property prior to reading this book was through the classic comic strips that appear daily in my local newspaper and the forgettable 1996 film starring the great Billy Zane in the title role. That said, I was never compelled to follow the character's forays into our contemporary popular culture, and I certainly never realized how much potential the pulp hero had for a modern-day comic book series.

Until now.

Simply put, The Last Phantom #1 fires on all cylinders from beginning to end, as writer Scott Beatty and artist Eduardo Ferigato take us on a visceral, action-packed journey that really does honor the distinguished legacy of the property while simultaneously revitalizing the character for new readers. And while the story told here is indeed somewhat derivative, it certainly manages to hit all the right notes with its spirit and vivacity.

I have to say that The Last Phantom #1 is a great start to this new series, and it should have no problem winning over both casual and devoted fans of the character. As far as I'm concerned, The Ghost Who Walks is back with a vengeance.

From Comics Bulletin!

I've always wanted to get into the lore of The Phantom. Even though Hollywood has done a horrible job with the intellectual property no matter which screen it's showing on, there has always seemed to be much more lurking beneath the surface.

Add into that the words "Alex", "Ross", and "re-design", along with industry mainstay Scott Beatty and we could have our hands on the makings of a great series. The only catch is the word "last" being in the title. Marketing text says this series will be accessible to readers young and old to the character, but I don't think we will know for sure until a few issues are in the can. I'm definitely intrigued, certainly at seeing some great covers and interior art. We'll see if the story follows in lockstep or not.

From Broken Frontier!

The most I knew about The Phantom going into this series was from the not so great 90s movie, starring Billy Zane (the creeper in Titanic). I know he's from a long line of protectors, passing the task from generation to generation, appearing as an omnipresent ghost to those that would do harm to the jungles. Hence, he earns the name The Phantom and wards off evil men from the shadows. Or so I think is the case, considering I learned all this from a movie almost two decades ago.

Enter writer Scott Beatty and Dynamite Entertainment's The Last Phantom. This book very much acts as a jumping on point to the mythos, only requiring a basic knowledge of the character's legacy. Beatty drops us into the life of Kitridge Walker, this generation's Phantom and global businessman. We're introduced to him later in his life-saving career, as he mentions he hasn't had to put his costume on in years.

Kit Walker is a successful philanthropist with a loving family, waiting for him back in Bengali. After a fundraiser, he hops on a plane with his closest advisor and starts the journey back home. Things will never be the same for Kit after that plane ride, for the wheels of betrayal have already been set in motion. Not everyone will get out of it alive.

Beatty, along with artist Eduardo Ferigato create a tight and well-paced origin story that's both new, but very reliant on an existing past. The tone they set right away suggests that there's a long history before the first page, but it's not necessary to learn in order to enjoy the tale they're telling. It's a great lived in and immediate feeling that's hard to pull off. It also adds a needed weight of gravitas to the book, like this is an integral story, merely a piece of the grander epic. In regards to immediacy and drama, it's a well-crafted book.

Eduardo Ferigato's pencils are tight and his layouts are fluid, never getting overly complicated or cluttered. He allows the story to unfold at its natural pace. He also lets the characters act, illustrating effective emotion all over the page. This story runs the gamut from heartbreaking to fist pumping moments and everything in between. Some fall a touch flat, but most hit the mark successfully.

Having little knowledge of the franchise or character, I was still able to connect with the story on emotional and visceral levels. The Last Phantom is a solid success thanks to a talented creative team and a property that's ready to get a shot in the arm. Here's hoping that the subsequent issues or series maintain the same levels of respect and fun that are contained in the first chapter.

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