Sunday, February 24, 2019

The Phantom and the Shadow



As far as I am aware, there has never been a crossover between these two pulp heroes, which really surprises me.  Other than some commission pieces, two of the earliest costumed crimefighters have never shared an adventure.  that is something that should be rectified, we need to see these classic pulp heroes fighting side by side one of these days.

34 comments:

Alex Osias said...

That is surprising indeed!

Simreeve said...

i'm surprised as well, but it seems one that could happen -- bearing in mind some of the ones that we've already seen (Batman & TMNT, for example, or Wonder Woman & Conan) -- in recent years... especially if both licences are [or become] held by a single company.
The artwork here certainly meshes together nicely.

det_Tobor said...

It would be interesting to see what the Shadow could do in the jungle, especially since animals can be guided by scent. We have seen Kip in a lot of cities, so he can travel anywhere. Pirates & Khan could be the starting point, with guns blazing in any ports in the storms as they travel.
"Merely a Phantom in the Night" & "Lost in the Shadows" indseed!

DombÄsFantomet said...

Just do it!

Count Petofi said...

More pulp heroes! The Spider - The Whisperer - The Phantom Detective - Domino Lady - Black Bat - KA-Zar The Great - Captain Future.
(Also still waiting for the Professor X - Brain Boy team up).

emsley wyatt said...

Great pairing. If you ever do them again you should work Doc Savage into the mix.

Arthur said...

AWESOMENESS

jackel said...

hey Ross, this could have been one of your classic live-action covers with Billy Zane and Alec Baldwin...
consider this please for a follow up cover....
and, at the risk of sounding fanboyish and repeating myself ad nuasiem...
Awesome Cover, Dude....

Wolfhammer said...

So awesome! If only this was real.

Jay Johnson said...

The Phantom is a King Syndicates property, and King doesn't play well with others, so all of Phantom's cross-overs have been with other King folks: Mandrake, Flash Gordon, etc.

@Emsley Wyatt: Back when Dynamite had both licenses they did a "Justice Inc." mini-series featuring Doc Savage, Richard (the Avenger) Benson, and The Shadow.

Anonymous said...

@Simreeve:What about Xena and Conan; gender aside they are similar looking, esp. when Conan is in an ancient-style armor "dress".

Ken Roskos said...

Classic crossover! Both heroes have origins rooted in a distant mythical past. I can also see them getting on each other's nerves very quickly. Great Sunday morning post Ross!

Anonymous said...

Been waiting for a long time for this one. Could have used a Diana Palmer/Margo Lane tie-in.

Scottc33 said...

I’m gonna be picky: Phantom has hit the villain with his left hand who is falling back with the mark of the skull on his face. The skull ring is on his right hand

Cavillier1970 said...

Love this one, and last year when I took a whole weekend to go thru the images and 'see' stories I'd love to write, I thought this was a natural. But I'd add a few more to the mix, a pulp-heroes team; The Shadow, the Phantom, the Rocketeer, Doc Savage, the Green Hornet, Tarzan, the Spider, the Spirit, and since he'd fit due to the era Indiana Jones.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the fight lasted longer than one punch. Who knows? Other than the fellow behind the Ghost Who Walks; he knows.

Carycomic said...

I quite agree with you, Ross. The Shadow, as a pulp magazine hero, served as one of the two main inspirations for Kane and Finger's Batman. Whereas the Phantom, by Lee Falk, similarly bridged the gap between the Dark Knight and ERB's Tarzan! On top of which, both of the 1990's film adaptations (inspired by the Michael Keaton Bat-flicks) were seen by yours truly...and deeply appreciated by same.*


*Probably making me one of the few to regard them as admirable-but-horribly underrated-efforts. Thank you, Messrs. Baldwin and Zane!

Anonymous said...

Ross, for one of your 100 page giant covers, or possibly one of your team covers, would you consider matching up heroes with families. For example, and I'm sure there are lots more,

* the Phantom, Diana, Kit and Heloise
* the Incredibles
* the First Family
* Black Lightning, Thunder and Lightning
* Batman and whoever is currently in his family
* Green Lantern, Jade and Obsidian

Carycomic said...

@Jackel, Emsley, and Tobor: Shiwan Khan, teaming up with the Seng Brotherhood, would indeed be a great starting point for a sequel cover featuring these two. But, perhaps, only as pawns being manipulated by...John Sunlight!*

*Aimed at using them to go after Doc Savage, of course.

Carycomic said...

P.S.---Ross could call it something like "Two Against The Middle."

Anonymous said...

@Cary: I think that's pronounced "Both ends against the middle."

But, otherwise? Yeah, that could work.

Anonymous said...

Singh brotherhood? Or is there yet another evil empire out there?

Carycomic said...

Just a secret one...that might someday rear its ugly head in the Marvel Filmverse.

"Can you say 'Professor Power?' I knew you couldn't. Mr. Rodgers was just pulling your chains!"

Simreeve said...

Jay Johnson said...
"@Emsley Wyatt: Back when Dynamite had both licenses they did a "Justice Inc." mini-series featuring Doc Savage, Richard (the Avenger) Benson, and The Shadow."

And back when DC had both licences they did a Doc Savage/Shadow crossover as well.

Carycomic said...

Not to mention a Shadow/Avenger crossover during their licensing rights to both in the early 1970's.*

*The same time period when Marvel had the rights to Doc Savage.

BERT said...

not to be too pedantic, but the Phantom is a newspaper strip hero, not a pulp magazine character. And the Green Hornet originated as a radio character. Nevertheless, great team up idea, kudos!

Brother Kellymatthew said...

@Anonymous don't forget The Crossovers (CrossGen).

Simreeve said...

Jay Johnson said...
"@Emsley Wyatt: Back when Dynamite had both licenses they did a "Justice Inc." mini-series featuring Doc Savage, Richard (the Avenger) Benson, and The Shadow."

Oh, and much more recently they did a Doc Savage/Avenger/Spirit/Rima the Jungle Girl/Batman crossover (with an "early-style Batman, still carrying guns, effectively serving [in its creators' opinion] in lieu of the Shadow) as well. Look for it under the title of 'First Wave'.

___________________________________________________________________

The Phantom really should meet Fantomah: Not only is there the similarity in names, she's even based in a jungle...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantomah

Carycomic said...

I wonder how Diana Palmer would react to her hubby teaming up with AC Comics' Jun-Gals?

Anonymous said...

I didn't forget them. I'd never heard of them.

Carycomic said...

@Anon: it was a four-part mini-series half-seriously spoofing superheroes, female vampire hunters, D&D-style warrior-princesses, and alien-abducted-and-controlled kid psychics.

Brother Kellymatthew said...

@Anonymous Now you know: and Knowing is Half The Battle. YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JOE!!/Knowing Makes You A SuperStar Jem!

Anonymous said...

Now i know what Cary meant. I'm still trying to decipher Brother Barnes's comment. (smiley)

Carycomic said...

"...Knowing is Half The Bottle."

Then, use the Sauce, Anon. Use the Sauce!

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