It goes without saying that if young girls and their grandfathers get picked on in the Phantom's realm, someone is going to get a walloping.
But this post is really about the conduct of Devil and The Ghost Who Walks...
In the first scene, Devil doesn't mind showing how interested he is in that sandwich, behaviour which is charming in a dog (or a wolf, as the case may be). Then this fierce jungle fighter lets the young girl cuddle him.
The Phantom is also in good form. Young Reema was frightened of him at first, but he has quickly put her at ease.
This adventure is quite late in the chronology of The Phantom comics I have, and there is something creeping in here, something slightly cruel in the way Mr Walker and his furry sidekick behave when searching for the real villains of the piece.
In contrast to his earlier demeanour, I have never seen Devil so incredibly bad tempered or snarly, almost like he has a jungle bur lodged in his nether regions.
And The Phantom seems to be in a whimsical mood, almost enjoying intimidating and manhandling the men of the barroom. The uncharacteristic grin is a dead giveaway.
You couldn't honestly say these guys are bad men, merely rough around the edges. And it's their domain after all.
The presentation of the revolver was a little out of order, but still... The Phantom started it.
WRITER: Lee Falk
ARTIST: Sy Barry
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