Issue 1796 -Replica No 13, Signature Series, 2017

100 pages.

Mint condition.

"Collectors Replica Series #13" - story by Lee Falk and art by Wilson Mc Coy.

New Cover with the sculpture created by Eden Small.

Story :This is the 13th issue in Frew’s ‘Collectors Replica Series’ and reprints issues
163, 162 and 161 from 1960.

No. 163 contains the second publication of the 1949 daily story ‘Fathers
and Sons’ with art by Wilson McCoy. This story was first published in No.
76 back in 1954. ‘Fathers and Sons’ was the first of four consecutive daily
stories that also appeared simultaneously in the Sunday newspapers. The
Sunday story versions had minor variations of art and text. The other three
stories are ‘The Flirtatious Princess,’ ‘The Thuggees’ and ‘The Ape Idol of the
Durugu.’ Lee Falk also duplicated three more stories in the 1970s which are
‘The Wedding of The Phantom,’ ‘The Three Bandits’ and ‘The Heirs.’
Killer Styx “40 years ago – I first heard his voice ‘Styx, your camel raids are
over! You are going to jail.’” Uncle Dave returns from London having met
Styx on a boat and sees the skull mark. Dave “But The Phantom I know
couldn’t have been even born then! Yet – there’s that old legend about The
Phantom – that he’s immortal – centuries old – is Diana’s sweetheart – our
Phantom – really ageless – I’ve got to know.” In this story The Phantom
refers to Dave as ‘Sir.’ Dave can barely contain himself as he asks The
Phantom “How old are you?” as Dave believes he may be 60 to 70 years
old! After some discussion on the skull mark The Phantom replies “40 years!
He (Styx) got it before I was born.” But if you go to the Sunday version of
this story, last in the 2011 annual No. 1591, Dave asks “If the mark was
made 40 years ago ---“ Phantom “10 years before I was born” making The
Phantom 30 years old!
Finally this daily story published by Frew also contains parts of the Sunday
story version, in particular go to the very end of the story and see the added
in Sunday panels. A first in a Phantom story as The Phantom ponders the 40
year old skull mark “I’ve always known there’ve been Phantoms before me –
for four centuries! This is the first time I’ve run into evidence of it.” ‘Fathers
and Sons’ daily version was last published complete in No. 1068 back in
1994.
NB: (Recommendation is to read in correct order 161 before 162)
No. 162 and 161 features the second publication of the 1947/48 daily story
‘The Devil Road’ with art by Wilson McCoy. The story was first published in
three issues No. 71, 72 and 73 back in 1954. The Phantom’s costume colour
is described early in this story when The Phantom picks up Hero from an
unnamed ‘Toma’ and is riding through the jungle ‘Some hear the thundering
hoofs --- Some lucky ones see a flash of the gray form and white horse.’
The Devil Road was Bulls idea! A secret road through the jungle to smuggle
goods from Nepa to Morristown. A previous ‘Bull’ was the leader of ‘The
League of Lost Men’ the first 1939 coloured Sunday story. Bull’s second in
command is Shorty. A previous Shorty appears in the 1939/40 Sunday story
‘The Precious Cargo of Colonel Winn.’ In No. 161 when The Phantom frees
old man Dove and learns about the kidnapping of Connie a gang member is
about to shoot The Phantom in the back, but then a huge jump in panels,
in fact 14 and a double panel, are edited out of the story, before we see
the lion crossing the Devil Road at night! Eight of these missing panels can
be found on page 21 of No. 71. Connie Dove is the second Connie, the first
being Connie Moore from the 1946 daily story ‘Queen Asta of Trondelay.’
Entering the tunnel the guard has a split-second glimpse of the gray figure
– then – wham!! The arrogant Prince Kali runs the smuggling from the Nepa
end of the road. Another Kali appears in the 1949/50 daily and Sunday story
‘The Thuggee.’ Prince Kali intends making Connie his 501st wife but his aide
says 509th! The Phantom fights his 10th giant – the Amazon woman and is
saved by Connie! For the first time the skull mark emblem appears on Hero’s
bridle! And The Phantom places the skull ring mark on Connie’s hand and
uses it as a ‘Good Mark.’ Phantom “You won’t be molested. If you need food
or drink, go to any tribe. Show them that. You’ll get it.” The Phantom faces
his 11th giant, Luka, the strongest man in Nepa! But with one punch Luka
falls with a crash that shakes the arena! Finally The Phantom apologises
for using an uncivilized method to get a confession out of Kali but the Raj
responds “Quite all right. We’re not civilized in Nepa.” ‘The Devil Road’ was
last published complete in the 1997 annual No. 1156.

Collectible!