Mikael Lyck from Chronicle Chamber reviews the latest Fantomen issue - 2022/6-7 which features the following stories:
"Rök över Bengali" ("Smoke over Bengali") by Bernd Frenz and Heiner Bade
"Hamnråttorna" ("The Wharf Rats") by Lee Falk, George Olesen & Fred Fredericks
The third cover this year with art from Luca Erbatta, this gives him a lead in the amount of Fantomen covers so far for year 2022. Lots of movement in the cover and the buggy is almost photorealistic but there is something in this cover that makes me like it less then his regular ones. Last time I felt so many others thought the exact opposite so it is most likely that this is an art style that is not a fit for me but great for others.
The main story “Smoke over Bengali” is written by a new Phantom creator, Bernd Frenz and art is done by Team Fantomen veteran Heiner Bade. You can learn more about Bernd Frenz in this interview were Jermayn chatted with him.
Bade does great landscape, background and items. But I am not super fond of the way he draws humans. The story has a base in reality where logging corporations cut down trees illegally and turn them into coal since it is not checked the same way as planks.
The story holds up but in my opinion not something that will win story of the year.
There is a French side comic called "The Red Pirate" that covers more than half the pages of the comic book and then we finish up with another Phantom story.
"The Wharf Rats", not the Falk, Barry one from 1962 but the remake done in 1999 by George Olesen and Fred Fredericks. The art is uneven, some panels look as good as Barry, almost as they were traced and others do not look as good.
Preview of the next issue promises the next part of the 22nd Phantom saga and a side comic.
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
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