When one media is adapted into another it is not uncommon for something to be lost in translation. Obviously, each media has its strengths, something it does better than any other, and for comics their greatest strength is the visuals with which the reader is presented. When drawn by a talented artist there is no limit on what can be shown in the pages of a comic book and thus readers can be treated to some absolutely amazing imagery. So then, it might seem strange that in 1972 Avon Publications decided to commission a series of fifteen Phantom novels. However, those that have read the novels which make up the Avon series have often remarked on their quality. While the books may not contain the powerful imagery of a Phantom comic (with the exception of the beautifully painted cover art by George Wilson) they still perfectly capture the spirit of the classic comic strips and books, in some cases even surpassing them. Happily for those of us who may have missed the Avon novels in the 70’s or haven’t been able to track them all down on the secondary market Hermes Press has begun to release facsimile editions of the novels with the first two already in stores. While I’ve the second volume - The Slave Market of Mucar - sitting on my shelf ready to go, I thought I might take a moment to share a few thoughts on the first volume entitled The Childhood of The Phantom. As the title of the book suggests, Childhood chronicles the life of the 21st Phantom from the moment of his birth all the way through to the day he took up the mantle of his father. We learn about his development in the Deep Woods, his adventures with Guran and the Pygmies, his hunting expeditions with his father and his impressions of the mighty Skull Cave. I’m sure that a lot of these are what inspired the events we saw in Kid Phantom recently. Of particular note is young Kit’s education while living with his parents which often comes from stories told to him by his father about the adventures of past Phantoms. These are quite interesting points in the book as they act as stories within the story that give more weight to what Kit is experiencing. The early chapters feel almost like an anthology contained within the framework of a story about the young Phantom. This works rather well as each story is interesting and it is fun to read Kit’s reaction to them, but introduces a problem which I’ll come to later. The book comes in at only 160 pages so most will be able to power through it in a week or so. Even with its relatively short length Falk is able to pack a lot of story in there. The book flies along at a nice pace with never too much of a break from the action (or the action of a child growing up at any rate). However, this short length and speedy narrative creates a problem in which many of the characters, even Kit himself, feel less than fleshed out. While Kit’s mother perhaps suffers the worst from this - we don’t learn much more about her than that she is beautiful - all feel very much like a 2D version of their fully fleshed out comic strip counterparts. This is a shame as the prose format would have allowed for some more in depth development of character than is often able in a comic strip. Still, the situations the characters find themselves in - from Kit and Guran traveling to the US to the celebration of Kit Walker Day, something I found incredibly interesting - are a lot of fun. The novel may be an adaptation of the strip of the same name but (as far as I can remember, it’s been awhile since I read the strip) it is not an exact adaptation so there will be something new here if you’ve only ever read the strip. While Childhood of The Phantom is an enjoyable read, I do not feel it is the best of the Avon novels. Due to the nature of the book’s subject there is not a heap of “traditional” Phantom action in there and people expecting an exciting, pulpy adventure might be left wanting a little bit. I think if this story had have been left for volume 3 or 4 it could arguably have gone over better as something of a refreshing change. However, I feel that it lacks the punch that the first entry in a series needs. But then, if you’re reading this article there’s a good chance you’ll be picking up Childhood of The Phantom regardless of what I say, if you haven’t done so already. #AvonBooks #HermesPress

If so, news that USA artist Jim Calafiore who was the main artist for the Defenders of the Earth comic You can learn more about the Mad Cave Studios Defenders of the Earth  comic book series including the

Attached is my review of the three comics.

As mentioned in our interview with Peter Mennigen, there is a new magazine now out that celebrates the Phantom and the publisher Bastei. We shared the news on our Facebook account and now we can share the details and contents of the magazine which includes a never before seen Phantom story and artwork. Bastei Freunde (translated to 'Friends') is a magazine dedicated to comics published by Bastei-Verlag in Germany. The magazine is produced by fans and contains articles and interviews related to Bastei's comics. Previous issues (#26, #27, #31, #39, #41, #42 & #45) have Phantom related articles, illustrations and or covers. However this magazine is pretty much all about the Phantom and its relationship with the publisher. The magazine is 52 pages, in colour besides the comic page art and measures 29.7cm x 21cm. Included with the magazine is a new story by Peter Mennigen, which is based off a Phantom script that was never published with the cancellation of the "Phantom" magazine. The title is "The Slaves" and has been rewritten into a prose adventure. Included in the magazine are examples of the script and two pages of the original never before seen artwork from this story that was started 35 plus years ago. The two pages will be completed with text in the speech bubbles as it was originally intended. Issue #238 is where the original Bastei comic series stopped and "The Slaves" as intended here was originally intended to be issue #242. Makes you wonder how many other complete stories and covers were created and maybe also awaiting to be discovered. Also included is a short biography on Phantom artist Ortiz Tafalla, information about writer Peter Mennigen, an article on the elements with the Phantom, an interview with the founder of the magazine Martin Hilland and a memorial piece on the former editor-in-chief of the youth department at Bastei publishing house Werner Geismar who passed away in 2018. If you are interested in getting yourself a copy, I would recommend contacting Ulrich Wick at www.wick-comics.de.

Review Upon entering the theatre my heart was warmed as we were greeted with the Good Mark of the Phantom

We review the long awaited Phantom 4 inch figurines from Boss Fight Studio's featuring the 21st Phantom

I haven't read and do not own all the DC Phantom comics from the late 1980's so enjoyed sitting down and reading the stories for the first time in the Hermes Press' most recent publication, a magnificent hard cover with bright glossy colour pages. Overall I was certainly not disappointed and recommend any phan to add this book to your Phantom library. This quality reproduction contains 224 pages of action packed stories, starting with the complete 1988 mini-series by Peter David with art by Joe Orlando and cover art by David Gibbons. Following that is the first two stories from the 1989 series with script by Mark Verheiden and pencils and inks by Luke McDonnell Both series are coloured by Anthony Tollin. As with any good Hermes Press books it includes information about the creators, in this case an interview by Peter David and an essay on Joe Orlando, who was a giant in the comics field and passed in 1998. This is the first of three volumes and a highly recommended purchase. If you would like to learn more about the DC Phantom series, we would recommend watching/listening to X-Band: The Phantom Podcast interviews with both Mark Verheiden and Luke McDonnell. You can buy this and the next two volumes at local comic books shops, the Hermes Press website and other online stores.

Chronicle Chamber has examined these books to share a video review with you (see above), but to summarise

(Editors Note: This review was originally published in the Sydvesten newspaper - shown right on 21 October

Attached is my review of the three comics.

Monogram International has made available for pre order a Defenders of the Earth themed set of 2 inch These are sold in blind bags, much like the King Comic PVC Figurines released by Boss Fight Studio (Our review More and more Defenders of the Earth licenses are being granted by King Features Syndicate. store stock current Monogram International products on their stores and we expect them to stock these Defenders

Jungle Patrol hat and beanie and have washed, worn and fully tested them to bring to you a detailed review

Today I review the 2020 Fantomen Christmas album and the latest Softcover Album which is the sixth in Mysterious Ambassador") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry "Bergsfärden" by Jacob Habinc and Janusz Ordon These reviews

A full video review of the TPB is below. The Chronicle Chamber team will review the stories in our upcoming May Comics and News Podcast.

Protagonist Le marquis de Fabras from The Cathedral Mystery biography Thank you to Ohm for his indepth review All reviews are included in our monthly X-Band: The Phantom Podcast's. We are still chasing a reviewer from Brazil who can review the new O Fantasma comics for us, please contact