Mikael Lyck from Chronicle Chamber reviews the latest Fantomen issue - 2022/14-15 which features the following stories:
"The Phantom in Almedalen" by Mikael Sol and Kim W Andersson
"King of Chicago Pt1 & 2" by Lennart Moberg and Hans Lindahl
"Phantom World" by Lee Falk, Sy Barry, George Olesen and Eric Doescher
Kim W Andersson is not only doing his first full length Phantom story but also his first Fantomen cover, I like it, it has an action shot and feels a bit different to most covers. I have read some comments on social media and after I read it I might agree that the head looks a bit weird.
In the main story written by the old editor Mikael Sol and art by Kim W Andersson Phantom comes back to Sweden! To Almedalen on Gotland, the biggest Swedish island, every election year all the politicians gather there and talk to the public, The Phantom and Dar from the Eastern Dark are there.
I must say that the story is very heavy on humour. Dar is a comic relief more than an actual threat, I think this might divide the opinion of many phans, myself? I enjoy it but would not want every issue to be this lighthearted. Again from what I have read online it seems that a lot of phans did not enjoy this at all, a lot of negativity about this story. The real life Almedals week ended in a murder, very tragic.
We will also get a reprint of Team Fantomen's "King of Chicago", a two parter about Al Capone and the 19th Phantom written by Lennart Moberg and art by Hans Lindahl. This one is so great, and the recoloring makes it even better.
Rounding off this issue is Sy Barry's last Sunday story "Phantom World", this one starts off quite fun, but it makes little sense to me that the pilots would be staying several months while the Phantom is sleeping. Comes back home and Diana and the kids are not very worried, I guess the Phantom often is away for several months without a word but still.
Next Fantomen issue will be a new first with Jacob Habincs first full length Phantom story "The Valley of a Thousand Graves" with art by returning phan phav artists Alex Saviuk plus an old Eralp reprint story "Drama in the Desert".
Until then, Happy Phantoming!
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