Taken from my review on ComicBookClique.com:

The idea of mixing science and sorcery is not a new one. The roleplaying game Shadowrun has done it for over thirty years, mixing a cyberpunk future with magic and fantasy creatures such as elves, orcs, and dwarves. The Acts of Caine novels by Matthew Stover are about a medieval fantasy world where "actors" from the technological future are sent to participate in a sort of reality show survival competition. The manga Fullmetal Alchemist features a world where magic based on the principles of alchemy is an integral part of society, alongside steampunk-level technology. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, and now we can add The New Space Age by Mad Cave Studios to the list.

Brother’s Keeper

When they were kids, Mark and Joey Mitchell wanted nothing more than to escape their abusive father and to see the stars. They both would get their wish, but in very different ways. One night, the boys found a glowing crop circle in a field. While investigating, Joey altered part of its design, which led to him disappearing in a beam of light. While everyone else wrote his brother off as dead, Mark knew that Joey was out there somewhere, waiting for his big brother to find him.

As a result, Mark became an astronaut. Driven by his quest and a need to never leave anyone behind ever again, Mark was a bit of a handful for the Space Program. He was such a handful, in fact, that he inadvertently helped lead to the program being shut down. Being grounded did not deter Mark from his quest, but it did slow him down. Frustrated and needing a change of scenery, Mark paid a visit to a childhood friend, Stacy “Padlock” Pulkowski, who is now a stage magician of some renown. While he and Stacy were catching up, Mark learned of a book of "old magic" that Stacy possessed. That led him down a path to a shocking discovery: the secret of space travel is that it does not just require technology, but rather a combination of technology and magic. Emboldened by this discovery, Mark is rejuvenated and ready to resume his quest to find Joey, wherever he is out there.

Of Two Worlds

This was an enjoyable read. Again, the mixture of science and sorcery is not a new concept, but the way it is presented here is an interesting new variation on the theme. The pacing is a little slow, and the fact that the whole issue leads to the "big reveal" of space travel being the combination of both magic and technology is a bit questionable, given that the solicitation gave that away from the start. However, the characters are good, and there is a strong emotional core at the center of it all. Everyone has lost someone at some point in their life and would do almost anything to get them back, so the drive of Mark to find Joey is very relatable.

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Taken from my review on ComicBookClique.com:

Man or Myth

When you get right down to it, the Phantom is almost like the poster child for old-school pulp adventure heroes. He never dies, but he is forever changing with the times. The difference between him and someone like the Rocketeer or the Shadow is that while those two always remain the same man in each new incarnation, the Phantom is a mantle that is passed from father to son endlessly.

This means that each new take on the character is a different person, with a different personality, strengths, and weaknesses from the last. It is a built-in mechanism to keep the character in line with the times and to keep things fresh and exciting.

The Shot Heard Around the Jungle

This story arc, up until this point, has very much been like the movie Die Hard set in the jungle, with the Phantom in the role of John McClane. In this issue, we turn that concept on its head. The Phantom is potentially fatally wounded by a gunshot very early in the issue, so he is out of commission from literally page two of the book.

This change means two things. First, up to this point, the narration has consisted of the internal thoughts of the Phantom, but that is no longer the case. Second, his trusted friend and ally Guran must step up to help both his friend and his captive village. Moving Guran into the spotlight gives the whole story a very different feel. Now it is like a scenario where John McClane was taken out by injuries sustained and his sidekick character has to pick up where he left off.

The sidekick, in this case Guran, is trained and determined, but he has not literally been born for this like the Phantom has been. Therefore, it is a very different struggle for him. While Guran tries to deal with the Singh soldiers who are trying to find and finish off the Ghost Who Walks, the partner of the Phantom, Diana, is doing her best to save his life. Hopefully they are both successful, for Asif Singh, leader of the Singh Brotherhood, has given the Phantom an hour to surrender himself, or else the lives of the children of the village will be forfeit.

See the rest at https://comicbookclique.com/majorreviews/phantom5review

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