Mikael Lyck from Chronicle Chamber reviews the latest Fantomen issue - 2022/25-26 which features the following stories:
"Spökkanoten" ("The Ghost Canoe") by David Bishop and Kari Leppänen
"Diana gift" ("Diana Married") by Janne Lundström and Özcan Eralp
"Djungelns herre" ("Lord of the Jungle") by Kjell T. Johnsen, Claes Reimerthi, and Heiner Bade
Cover depicting Julie, created by Henrik Sahlström.
This cover actually got a bit of publicity here in Sweden when a politician wrote a tweet where she had mistaken Julie for the Phantom being a transvestite. Obviously did not read the comic knowing it was Julie and not the 21st Phantom...
On the editorial page Andreas Eriksson goes through the fact that Fantomen published a new (for Fantomen readers) story in each issue as the plan for the year originally was. There is also some information about the Achilles Wiggen Kickstarter campaign that ended some weeks ago and was successful.
The main story, that the cover is from "The Ghost Canoe", art by Kari Leppänen and story by David Bishop which takes place in New Zealand, Julie is on a trip to the white terraces as a part of her medical studies. There are some bad men there and a volcanic eruption.
This story is based on real circumstances which David Bishop covered in our X-Band: The Phantom Podcast Episode #117 - you can read more about this story here.
Back up Phantom stories in this comic are two Team Fantomen reprints.
"Lord of the Jungle" by Kjell T Johnsen, Claes Reimerthi and art by Heiner Bade published originally in Frew #1225 and Fantomen 4/1999. A modern classic for me, Phantom and Tarzan often gets “lumped together”, it is a really fun twist that according to this The Phantom is the inspiration for Tarzan.
"Diana Married" by Janne Lundström and Özcan Eralp which is one of these early Team Fantomen stories that are not that deep, The Phantom gets a note that Diana has married someone else, travels to America to track her down, and gets fooled that an imposter is Diana, I am quite certain Lee Falk has done a very similar story.
We also get another Karl Kämpe adventure, "The Price of Innocence", I love these Karl Kämpe stories and this is a really good adventure about a princess that makes a deal with a witch and Karl needs to save the innocent.
In the preview we see that the first issue of 2023 which is out before next year (again), it features the story where the Phantom first met Savarna in "Crocco Island West" along with a Team Fantomen classic "The Slavers" by Janne Lundström and Özcan Eralp. As per tradition we will also get a schedule poster.
We also get more previews, during 2023 we will see more Thorgal, Karl Kämpe, Undertaker and Libertalia. La Venin seems to be a new side comic we have not seen before.
Until next time, Happy Phantoming!
All Fantomen reviews will be included in our monthly X-Band: The Phantom Podcasts. You can find out more at our website and or subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos.
