Talk:The 22nd Phantom

The article writer's opinions of the 22nd Phantom (Marvel Comics version) are patently untrue and give a false impression of the quality of the story-telling in this short 3-part series. Dave DeVries and Glenn Lumsden created an excellent backstory for the transition of the character from the 21st to the 22nd Phantom, updated the Phantom costume to the present day without adding gaudy gimmicks, firmly sets the background of the story in Africa and Bangalla, and shows the beginnings of a possible love story that could lead to major opportunities or major departures from tradition for the Phantom's character and his children. This mini-series shows the strength of the ties between The Phantom, the Bandar, and the Hill Tribes while still allowing for the question of what is his power by right and what is his duty. The 22nd Phantom is only grimmer in the sense that he faces a much grimmer situation than his father: the possible destruction of the Ituri Forest in order to accommodate poverty-stricken Kataba province, the murder of the Hill Tribe chiefs, the bloodshed caused by Princess Nsongo, and the return of Maurice Bababu along with his mercenaries. DeVries and Lumsden write and depict scenes of intense violence and death which follow the plot but which weren't necessary to the plot as well as flashes of sexual decadence in the 2nd issue which serve the plot but which are discordant with the overall feel of the Phantom stories. By contrast, the Last Phantom attempts in a poor way to reboot the legend of the 21st Phantom by making him a reluctant successor to his father, forced by the death of his African wife and son as well as his father, and bringing a modern version of Diana Palmer into the story. On the whole, Last Phantom is substantially darker, violent, and abusive of the legend than any other of the versions of the Phantom, even the SyFy version. The 22nd Phantom on the other hand shows a Kit Walker ready to take his father's place, stepping confidently into the role and traditions he has inherited and adding to them, and shows the confident Kit Walker in white dinner jacket who fights for right with his words and his wit just as the Phantom does with his fists.