Art by Jack KirbyAnyone who picked up the recently released
Jack Kirby Omnibus Vol. 1 would have seen the above cover by Kirby reproduced inside, and as an inset on the cover. The story features wonderful art by the great Nick Cardy, but, unfortunately, the resolution is pretty pedestrian. With a strong design (presumably) by Kirby, DC let a character with the potential of
The Phantom Stranger slip away into footnote history.
The Lady in Black bears a striking resemblance to Natasha Romanoff,
The Black Widow, who first appeared in
Tales of Suspense # 52 (1964) as a Soviet villain for
Iron Man. Kirby delineated her all of her initial cover appearances, although Don Heck drew her first appearance (above).
