Posted in: Comics | Tagged: brian clevinger, Comics, dynamite, entertainment, King: The Phantom

Can The Phantom Fight What He Can't Punch?

Nancy Collins, writer of Swords of Sorrow: Vampirella/Jennifer Blood #3, talks with writer Brian Clevinger about KING: The Phantom #4, both on sale now. Cover art by Jonathan Lau.

NANCY COLLINS: You're obviously taking The Phantom into new territory. What inspired you to change the focus from jungle action-adventure to international espionage?

BRIAN CLEVINGER: My thinking was that due to the events of Kings Watch, all the imperialistic infrastructure that lets foreign interests profit from African resources would be shattered. And there's just too much money being left on the table for those foreign interests not to try to start them back up again.

So, why not tell a rip-roarin' adventure story that touches on the very real exploitation of African resources by corrupt corporate interests?

NC: Can you tell us who the main players are? Everyone is familiar with The Phantom and Lothar, but who are the other good guys, and what is their relationship to The Phantom?  

BC: We've got The Phantom's trusty sidekick Guran. And good thing too, because without him Lothar would just be a guy in some purple tights. He's a member of the Bandar, the tribe that helped the first Walker to create The Phantom and to shepherd its legacy.

And then we've got Jen Harris whom, as of the previous issue, we learned is the closest thing we have to the Walker family line. She's an intrepid ace reporter, so while she's used to getting herself into hot waters, she's even more of an outsider to The Phantom than Lothar.

NC: The Phantom's old nemesis Singh is also still around, but in a radically different form. What are the big differences between the old Singh and the new?

BC: The Singhs are as much a legacy as The Phantom. And both of them have found ways to adapt to modernity. Today, Sandal Singh is one of the richest women in the world. And you don't get that rich by playing by the rules. They don't need to risk their lives on the open seas to plunder treasure ships anymore. They've got vulture capitalism and an army of lawyers.

Is The Phantom equipped to take on a threat it can't punch?

For more on King: The Phantom #4, click here.

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