I review Regal's TPB which features 6 daily newspaper stories featuring the Phantom fighting perhaps his greatest foe in Chatu - The Python!
The Trade paperback titled 'The Phantom: Terror of The Python - The Chatu Saga' is a 256 page, full colour, English release with glossy inside pages. The TPB collects the bulk of The Chatu stories in chronological order along with bonus material.
The book is dedicated to Paul Ryan, fitting as most of it contains his art. Some of the bonuses include an in depth interview with Tony DePaul, the writer of these stories and a touching tribute to the late Paul Ryan by Duncan Munro. One last bonus is that the book also comes with collector cards as freebies.
The book comes with cover art for both the front and the back, both done by Ankit Mitra. The back cover art is his take on the iconic Paul Ryan panel from the "Death of Diana Palmer Walker" storyline.
The stories in the PTB are:
"Terror in Mawitaan" by Tony DePaul and Graham Nolan
"The Return of Chatu" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"Justice for the Python" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"The Death of Diana Palmer Walker" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"The Phantom at Sea" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"Terror Cells of New York" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"The Trail to Gravelines Prison" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"Chatu's Fate" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
"Terror's Mutiny" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
You can buy the TPB on Regal Publishers website. The Price is INR 2,250/- ($45 AUD, 300 Swedish Kr, 30 USD and 28 Euros). As per normal due to licensing limitations, Regal Publishers can only sell & ship to addresses within India. The comic is sold out on the Frew website, word is they may get more in but I would suggest connecting with an Indian phan and get a copy that way.
All Regal and Shatki comic 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.
Normally Ankit Mitra reviews the comics from these publishers but with Ankit so involved in this amazing publication, we decided to do an independent review. Ankit Mitra will be back with the next comic review from India.
