Friday, July 31, 2009

Day of Judgment #5 - Nov. 1999

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"Soul Search" by Geoff Johns, Matt Smith, Christopher Jones, and Steve Mitchell.

This is the issue where the evil Asmodel is defeated, and Jim Corrigan hands over the duties of the Spectre to Hal Jordan.

That means the spell the Spectre put on the Phantom Stranger is over, and he resumes his usual "watching from afar" perch:
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...that wraps up the Day of Judgment storyline, but there would be more mystical battles to come.

Also: nice to see the Stranger back in his traditional suit!


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Day of Judgment #4 - Nov. 1999

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"The End of the World As We Know It" by Geoff Johns, Matt Smith, Christopher Jones, and Steve Mitchell.

Sadly, the Stranger, having been zapped by The Spectre, is out of commission throughout this issue:
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...that's unfortunate, since this kind of battle is right up his mystical alley.

To be continued!


Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Day of Judgment #3 - Nov. 1999

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"Choosing Sides" by Geoff Johns, Matt Smith, Christopher Jones, and Steve Mitchell.

The Spectre (possessed by an even more powerful force) really starts delivering The Judgment, and he notices the Stranger getting involved. He decides he's had enough of the Stranger's prattling:
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...ouch! To be continued!


Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Day of Judgment #2 - Nov. 1999

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"Lost Souls" by Geoff Johns, Matt Smith, and Steve Mitchell.

The battle versus the Spectre intensifies, but the Phantom Stranger mostly just stand around, something even commented on by Batman:
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...in this issue, the Stranger is part of an informal group called The Sentinels of Magic, along with usual suspects Dr. Occult, Deadman, Zatanna, Madame Xanadu, with new additions Raven, Ragman(!), and Faust.

To be continued!


Monday, July 27, 2009

Day of Judgment #1 - Nov. 1999

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"The Summoning" by Geoff Johns, Matt Smith, and Steve Mitchell.

In a battle involving The Demon, Zatanna, and the Enchantress, versus The Spectre, the Phantom Stranger can't be far behind, right?
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...right! To be continued!


Sunday, July 26, 2009

Legion of Super-Heroes #119 - Sept. 1999

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"Eat The Poor" by Tom Peyer, Tom McCraw, Scott Kollins, and Ray Kryssing.

Sadly, the Phantom Stranger and the Legion really don't interact here--rather, he's shown as part of a group of heroes on a viewscreen:
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...oh well, missed opportunity!


Saturday, July 25, 2009

JLA #31 - July 1999

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"Gods & Monsters" by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter, and John Dell.

The Phantom Stranger and his mystical pals are still watching the events of the JLA/JSA team-up unfold, at the beginning and at the end:
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...one of the rare panels to feature Plastic Man and the Phantom Stranger. Now that's an issue of Brave and the Bold I'd like to see!


Friday, July 24, 2009

The Books of Magic (Vol.2) Annual #1 - 1999

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"A Thousand Deaths of Timothy Hunter" by Peter Gross, Kelley Jones, and more!

This story features many different versions of Tim Hunter, and in a sequence drawn by Phil Jimenez, we get a brief glimpse of that alternate-world Phantom Stranger, the one that appeared in Doom Patrol #53:
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I really like the look of this more Kirby-ish Phantom Stranger, too bad he didn't appear more!


Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Trenchcoat Brigade #4 - June 1999

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"Misery, Book 4: A Lingering Death" by John Ney Rieber and John Ridgeway.

The Trenchcoat Brigade encounters the headless cossack, who is still prattling on, and the Phantom Stranger--on edge ever since he assumed the dark thoughts that lie inside Dr. Occult--has had enough!:
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I'm reasonably comfortable in assuming that this is the only Phantom Stranger story where he tosses a severed head around, but I guess you never know.


Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Conjurors #3 - June 1999

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"Magic and Machine" by Chuck Dixon and Eduardo Barreto.

The Phantom Stranger finally stops walking around, jawboning with Deadman, and takes direct action against Arcane, one of the evil magicians causing trouble:
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...very action-oriented, jumping out of a plane without a chute! I really dig this version of the Stranger. Too bad it was "just" an Elseworlds story!


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

JLA #29 - May 1999

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"World Turned Upside Down" by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter, and John Dell.

As if appearing both the Conjurers and Trenchcoat Brigade mini-series weren't enough, The Phantom Stranger makes an appearance in this JLA/JSA team-up, in a setting that looks sorta familiar:
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The Stranger didn't have much of a presence in this version of the classic JLA; too bad, he was always a nice contrast to the regular members of the team.


Monday, July 20, 2009

The Trenchcoat Brigade #3 - May 1999

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"Misery, Book 3: Eyes of the Blind" by John Ney Rieber and John Ridgeway.

The Trenchcoat Brigade continue their trek through this strange dimension, and at one point all of the Brigade end up "exchanging" each other's deepest, darkest feelings, and the Stranger ends up with Dr. Occult's:
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...awk-ward.

The Brigade discovers the severed head of their cossack friend, and a young girl gets involved, and this issue ends with one of her hands possessed by a demon, with its little eyes popping out of her palm. It's that kind of story.

...to be concluded!


Sunday, July 19, 2009

Conjurors #2 - May 1999

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"The Death of Magic" by Chuck Dixon and Eduardo Barreto.

Amid all the other comings and goings with various characters in this Elsewords mini-series, we see Deadman hanging out with an old man who tells an amazing story about how he has lived on this Earth since the Stone Age.

After coming into contact with a magic talisman, he tells his companion about how he had to wander the Earth:
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Unlike the Stranger's more monk-ish look which he was sporting at the time, I really liked this alternate look, courtesy artist Barreto--the Stranger looks cooool.

...to be continued!


Saturday, July 18, 2009

The Trenchcoat Brigade #2 - April 1999

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"Misery, Book 2: The Kindness of the Wolf" by John Ney Rieber and John Ridgeway.

The Phantom Stranger and the rest of the Trenchcoat Brigade fight off the talkative wolves and, along with the cossack, enter another dimension.

While there, four dark shadows spill forth from their strange companion:
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...from there, the story gets even stranger (no pun intended), and the Stranger doesn't get much to do.

It ends with the cossack getting beheaded, yet he's still able to warn about the fate of the world. Needless to say
...to be continued!


Friday, July 17, 2009

Conjurors #1 - April 1999

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"The Birth of Magic" by Chuck Dixon and Eduardo Barreto.

This is another Elsewords mini-series, but this time The Phantom Stranger plays a major role (as you could guess from the cover).

This is an interesting series, featuring variations on some well-known DC characters, wonderfully drawn by the (I think) underrated Eduaro  Barreto. The Phantom Stranger doesn't appear in this issue--sort of--but he makes his presence known later on.


Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Trenchcoat Brigade #1 - March 1999

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"Misery, Book 1: Mercy Killer" by John Ney Rieber and John Ridgeway.

The Phantom Stranger and the rest of his "Trenchcoat Brigade" got their own mini-series, and this issue kicks off with some mysterious doings by Mister E, which is noticed by John Constantine.

Just as Constantine gets wind of something bad happening, the Stranger shows up:
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...they eventually reconnoiter with Mister E (who's acting pretty weird), and also meet up with their other member, Dr. Occult.

They then head off to face a mysterious, drunken cossack who seems to have mystical powers:

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...to be continued!

I always liked the idea of the Trenchcoat Brigade, and I had never read this series before, so its been fun enjoying these stories for the first time!


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Martian Manhunter #4 - March 1999

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"Blood Kin" by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake.

In what is in the running for the briefest, most cursory appearance by the Phantom Stranger in a comic, see if you can find him here, amid the other faces of the DCU:
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...brief as the appearance is (very!), this does bring up an interesting idea: can the Martian Manhunter peer into the Stranger's mind?

Sure, Manhunter is very, very powerful in that regard, but you'd think the Phantom Stranger's magical powers would trump whatever Manhunter can do.



Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Kingdom #1 - Feb. 1999

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"Never Ending Slaughter" by Mark Waid and Ariel Olivetti.

Nothing much to see here (what a way to begin a post, eh?), just a recap of events that took place in Gog #1:
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...the Stranger does appear later in the issue, with his regular Kingdom Come co-horts Highfather, Ganthet, Zeus, and Shazam. A better class of people than Deadman and Etrigan, I guess.


Monday, July 13, 2009

DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 - Feb. 1999

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Another collection of short stories, pin-ups, and other assorted features. Man, these books sure were popular at the time!

The Phantom Stranger doesn't appear in any of the stories; rather, he shows up in this pin-up by Dusty Abell:
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...I really dig Abell's take on the Phantom Stranger!


Sunday, July 12, 2009

Justice League: The Nail #3 - Nov. 1998

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"The Nail, Book Three" by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer.

Alan Davis' enormously fun Elseworlds story "The Nail" wraps up in this issue, opening with an appearance by The Phantom Stranger and his usual cohorts:
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Alan Davis draws everybody well, but I particularly like his regal, dignified take on The Phantom Stranger.


Saturday, July 11, 2009

JLA in Crisis Secret Files #1 - Nov. 1998

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This book is a grab-bag of stories and short features, by various writers and artists.

Sadly, the Phantom Stranger only appears in this pin-up section, and even then only as a background character, reflecting his role in "Legends":
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Resurrection Man #18 - Oct. 1998

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"Secrets & Lies" by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Jim Calfiore, Sal Velluto, Ken Branch, and Bob Almond.

The Resurrection Man finds himself dropped into the middle of a fierce battle between some nasty demons and...The Phantom Stranger!:
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Eventually both men manage to fight off the demons, and they are introduced. Or re-introduced:
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...you know, that could be a good drinking game. Every time the Stranger introduces himself with "I am The Phantom Stranger", take a swig.


Thursday, July 9, 2009

The Books of Magic (Vol.2) #52 - Sept. 1998

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"Homecoming" by Peter Gross and Temujin.

This issue opens up with a surprising and grim image: the Trenchcoat Brigade, nearly dead, including The Phantom Stranger!:
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The Stranger doesn't appear in the rest of the issue. I hope he's okay...


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