Night of the Phantom

High school can be hard enough when you don’t fit in. It becomes even harder when home isn’t the safe haven it should be. In Night of the Phantom, Nick Solitario suffers through life on a daily basis – both at home and at school. Nick was raised by a single mother who loves and, at times, seems to loathe him. She takes to labeling him as the weird troublemaker at school who everyone tries to avoid or targets for daily beatings. Nick wants nothing more than for his life to get better. However, Nick has no idea that Ice, his nemesis at school and the boyfriend of his crush, are the least of his worries.

Changes begin to take place in Nick which stand to affect his entire existence. After he is lured into yet another beating by Ice and his gang, he returns home and witnesses his mother’s murder – beginning a chain reaction of events that will change Nick’s life forever. The Phantom is born that fateful night and the power Nick wields under this new disguise takes him into a world darker than he ever imagined. With revenge on his mind, Nick becomes the Phantom to find those responsible for his mother’s death. Will the red eyes of the Phantom see more evil than he expected or is able to handle? What price is too high to pay for revenge?

Carlos Manuel Reynosa has written a novel that will appeal to comic and graphic novel audiences. Complete with heroes, villains, and people in peril who need rescuing, Night of the Phantom tells a fast paced story of dormant powers and revenge paired with an ending that tells you there is more to come. The violence and horrific treatment of women throughout the book are extremely graphic which definitely lends this novel to an older audience. The title may seem like it would be a good option for young adult readers, but it is, in my opinion, more appropriate for adults. If this genre appeals to you, this is one book you may want to check out.