Phantom Volume 1 (Phantom (Tokyopop)) (v. 1) [Paperback]

Ki-Hoon Lee (Author), Seung-Yup Cho (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2007 | Series: Phantom (Tokyopop) (Book 1)

Kay fights terrorists using powerful his mechs (robots) and machines--but after he gets pulled into a covert plot to thwart a conspiracy, the plan backfires and Kay's partner is shot in the line of duty and has permanent brain damage. Kay is disillusioned by his counter-terrorist organization's lack of support--he has given everything to the cause, but decides to finally withdraw from the perpetual fight. But once Kay meets a private group committed to stopping at nothing to confront true evil wherever it lurks, he returns to fighting the good fight!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

K is a hot-headed and determined pilot of a mech, a large robot commonly referred to as a mobile unit, in the Neo Seoul police. Fighting against terrorism with unfaltering dedication, K never questions the megacorporations in control of his world—until he finds himself engaged in battle against the beautiful terrorist Sara, and a nightmarish confrontation explodes his sense of justice. Unfortunately, despite Cho's standout art (the character designs are sharp, smart and uniquely futuristic; the mechs are impeccably drawn; the battle sequences are clean and easy to follow), Phantom is a very bland story. The dark and totalitarian vision of the future has been more effectively imagined many times before, across many different mediums, and the characters are flat and predictable. Lee's vision is intriguing but falls dramatically short of its potential, relying too much on its Japanese anime inspirations (Gundam Wing) to produce interest among readers. No matter how compelling Cho's artwork is, it cannot propel the plot of Phantom into being anything other than a mildly amusing, albeit forgettable, read in the mecha genre. (Jan.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598167707
• ISBN-13: 978-1598167702
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,696,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phantom takes flight!, July 6, 2007

By 

M. Hard (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Phantom Volume 1 (Phantom (Tokyopop)) (v. 1) (Paperback)

Dark, grit, intrigue, humor, spite, ACTION! My young son picked this up while visiting the bookstore. Flipping through the pages revealed great artwork of mecha and emotion yet nothing seemed to grab me at first. After leaving it to him for a while, I decided I was in need of a quick read and thus borrowed it. I was HOOKED! The story and artwork combine to give you an enjoyable and addictive manga. The first few words above sum up what struck me about this new series. I definately recommend this if you look for those things in a story. Frankly, I think it would make a fantastic anime.

I also enjoyed how the creator came up with the name... He based it on his favorite airplane when he was a kid, the F4 Phantom. Funnny thing... That was mine too! Funny how a random choice by a child (or anyone for that matter) can result in an enjoyable experience.