Henrik Salhstrom is a very popular artist and has five best Fantomen covers of the year awards. Coming out from Vice-Press.com and BottleNeckGallery.com are four posters with two different new and unique designs. Vice-Press.com and BreakNeckGallery.com are based in the U.K and U.S.A respectfully. The logo branded poster is limited to 125 and the virgin posters are limited to 100. Each is hand numbered. The size of the posters are 16 x 20 inches and printed on Fine Art Pigment Print On 270gsm Mohawk Paper. The prints are £24.99 / $30US for the logo branded poster and £29.99 / $35US for the virgin design. Henrik Sahlstrom has worked with Vice-Press.com before on other fine art prints and has nothing but praise for their work. He told Chronicle Chamber that phans will not be disappointed with their work. Both ship internationally for the Swedish and Australian phans.

Some say that mysterious are best left unsolved - Not me. For example, I want to know what happened to the New York gangster Fats Morgan? What is the Sunda Trough that the Phantom and Achmed Singh talk about before he is skull marked? These are two questions I have always had since reading the first ever Phantom newspaper story "The Singh Brotherhood". Lee Falk obviously had Sunda Trough mentioned for a reason and Fats was built up as a mainstay character before suddenly disappearing for good. Achmed Singh is the same. These two bad guys with so much time spent on them, were never seen and or mentioned again after the focus was turned to the next bad guy - Kabai Singh. It seams I was not the only one who wondered similar questions. Thanks to some sneak peaks posted on his instagram page, phan phav creator Matt Kyme has strongly hinted that the story he is working on at the moment could well answer these questions that have been asked for the past 80+ years. Matt Kyme would not tell us everything as we do have to buy the comic but he did have this to say: Attempting to keep things strictly canonical is near impossible because Lee Falk himself made numerous revisions to the Phantom's early years. I've tried to construct a story that is faithful to Phantom lore and to popular Falk stories. I present to you the first time in my life I have ever drawn Fats Horgan, Lucy Walker, Dave and Lily Palmer and Rama Singh.... all on one page! I will add a Sunda Trough scene which shows Prince Ahmed’s first encounter with the 20th Phantom. This can tie into a scene in the Childhood of the Phantom where a young Kit sees his ‘seldom seen’ father brought to the deep woods on a stretcher. For Those Who Have Come In Late. Fats Morgan is the first villain introduced in the Phantom universe, on the same day as Diana and even features before the Phantom himself. After Diana leaves the ship SS Trotter, we never seen him again. However we know Fats knows of the Phantom as one wise guy cracks a joke about being scared of ghosts and is almost killed for his joke. On the 10 March 1936, we see the last of Fats as he and his henchmen disappear for good and are never seen again - until now! The other piece that Matt Kyme is exploring is the story of Sunda Trough which featured in the conversation between the Phantom and Achmed Singh after the Phantom parachutes from a plane onto a speed boat. Now it is very likely Lee Falk was making up Phantom Lore as he was going. The Ghost Who Walks and Oath of the Skull first mentioned here fast becomes lore but the Sunda Trough is never mentioned again. When Diana asks Dr Dodd about The Phantom, she mentions The Ghost Who Walks and Oath of the Skull but not Sunda Trough. It has never been mentioned again until now... The obvious question most will ask is what is a Sunda Trough. Glad you asked. A trough (or trench) is a geology term for a long, narrow depressions on the seafloor. These chasms are the deepest parts of the ocean—and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth (wiki link). What is interesting is there is actually a Sunda Trench off the coast of Java & Sumatra (Indonesia) which is where the fiction place of Luntok is described as being located (wiki link). This trench is the deepest part of the Indian Ocean and experiences many earthquakes including the 2004 earthquake that saw 300+ deaths and many left homeless. There was also a 1935 7.7 magnitude earthquake (wiki link) which has me asking, was this caused by the Phantom and the reference to the incident between Achmed and the Phantom? Guess we will wait and see. Are you looking forward to seeing how Matt Kyme explores these forgotten pieces of Phantom history in his new story? Below is a gallery of some of the snippets that have been posted previously on Matt's Instagram along with the page featuring Fats Horgan, Lucy Walker, Dave and Lily Palmer and Rama Singh.... all on one page and shared for the first time here.

Did you originally miss out on your Games by Lyck Phantom Card Game? Thanks to Mikael Lyck who has some Australian stock he wants to move, we have a Chronicle Chamber exclusive with FREE SHIPPING for Australian postage orders. There is limited stock available and this sale is only around for a short period of time so do not delay! It is also worth noting that this free shipping exclusive does not include the "Terror in Mawitaan" and "Stamus Contra Malum" extension card packs. It is for the Deluxe and regular game packs. CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE SHIPPING ON AUSTRALIAN ORDERS “It’s incredible how well he’s knocked it out of the park and made a game that stands toe to toe with the best card adventure game that Fantasy Flight has ever put out” -Richard Ham of Rahdo Runs Through If you are unsure whether or not you'll like the game, or can’t wait for the game to end up in your hands, they offer ways of playing through the first adventure. Print and play for the handy person who likes to cut out cards and tokens, more info can be found here If you are more of a tech savvy person and you own a copy of Tabletop simulator, this is the option for you If reading rule books is your passion you can access it directly here

After the success of the 2022 Perth Mint Phantom coin that was released in late 2022, they have released a new Phantom coin for 2023. The 2022 Perth Mint was originally limited to 1,000 pieces and they completely sold out of them. You can buy the coin from Perth Mint here for $88.98AU plus postage ($60US, €55, £50, 630 nok/sek & 4,800 INR). Eventually resellers will also list the coin on their websites as well. This is also limited to 1,000 pieces. At first glance most would think it features the exact same design and it may turn off some from buying the 2023 coin release. However, it features a few small changes that may cause most phans to also buy this coin. We will complete a video review of the two comparing them soon but for now, we can list the following differences between the 2022 and 2023 design. The coin design is the same except the Phantom is coloured which in my opinion makes the new design much more presentable. The front design of the card is also different without the punching Phantom but a background image of a classic Sy Barry design of the Skull Cave. Features the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Obverse Can you spot any other design changes? Will you be buying a coin for your collection? What do you think of the new Phantom style guide designed by artist Amelia Vidal that was designed in 2020?

While listening to the X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, have you ever started talking back and agreeing or disagreeing? Have you ever wanted the world to hear your input on the Phantom? Well now is your chance. On Sunday 12th March the Chronicle Chamber team will be having an open mic for phans to join us on a Phantom discussion. This podcast participation is however only open to 20 phans plus the Chronicle Chamber team. If you would like to join, please email us at chroniclechamber@gmail.com. First in, first served! We are aware the time wont suit everyone but with a large phan community on 5 continents, dozens of countries it is hard to try and find a time that suits all. Fear not, we will be planning on doing more during 2023. If you would like to figure out your timezone that is not attached below, visit here. The open mic session will be recorded and then released as our next X-Band: The Phantom Podcast. Please note, that our patreons are first invited and as patreons who support the running of the website and everything we do, they do get first dibs on participation podcasts plus much more. If you would like to know how to become a patreon, please visit here.

Like all elections it is important to vote! It is once again a really tough year. The covers for 2022 were all an amazing high quality. If you want to hear what me and the guys in the X-Band: The Phantom Podcast thought was the best covers you can listen to Our best of 2022. The prize is for a limited print featuring art of the winning cover. This is open for international phans with the winning prize sent free of charge to your address. You can vote until 7th of April and the result will be announced in Fantomen 16/2023 with a poster of the winning cover as a supplement. GO AND VOTE NOW!!

Kelby Wooldrige from Reapers Quest (Wulfric Media) has posted on social media that they are selling their jewellery boxes singularly without the jewellery for only $2.50 plus postage. Many have admired the quality of their work and maybe have not had the money to purchase them for their collection, so this is your chance to add something from this company to your collection. If you are interested in buying one or more of the boxes, please contact them directly at their website here. If you would like to learn more about the company and the top quality jewellery we would recommend watching our X-Band: The Phantom Podcast #174 with Kelby Wooldrige.

Mikael Lyck from Chronicle Chamber reviews two issues of the Fantomen comics featuring the following stories: Contents from Fantomen 4/2023: "Kit & Katya" by Philip Madden and Janusz Ordon Contents from Fantomen 5/2023: "De vandödas näste" ("Nest of the Undead") by Pidde Andersson and Joan Boix Cover by Janusz Ordon. Have you noticed that there seems to be a larger range of cover artists for Fantomen 2023? In this story Kit has a romance in the Himalaya's with Katya, a daughter to a Russian criminal. As mentioned in the editorial part of this issue the editorial team have been in contact with Tony DePaul during the creation of this story to make sure it does not create any inconsistencies with Tony's plans for the future. It is another situation of the two creative teams working together to bring some unity. Fantomen 5/2023 features an amazing cover by Luca Erbetta. "De vandödas näste" ("Nest of the Undead") by Pidde Andersson and Joan Boix was first published in Frew 1902 in 2021. It feels very much like a Fantomen created story. Presented in black and white we learn how a small village gets terrorised by none other than Dracula. The Phantom gets there and starts to investigate the mysterious circumstances. Do you like the story presented in black and white? Side comic is Kriss of Valnor which seems like a Thorgal spin off. Did the Fantomen readers like it? Preview of the next issue includes the second part of the Belle Epoque suite. A late Lee Falk, George Olesen and Keith Williams strip and a new side comic. 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.

In episode #242 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, released February 2023, the Chronicle Chamber team interviewed Ash Nicholls, owner and director of Art of Play, about some of the most thrilling news in the Phantom world this year - their new project The Phantom Game. In this post, we look to summarise the key takeaways from that conversation for you to read through, remind yourself of, and get excited about! If you haven't watched or listened to the podcast yet, do yourself a favour and check it out at the bottom of the page - it's worth hearing the passion! Background Art of Play is an award-winning game development studio specialising in online and app-based games. The company has created games for well-known franchises such as Clone Wars, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spider-man, Spongebob Squarepants, and Paw Patrol, producing 70 games across 7 years immediately prior to the pandemic. This means they have worked with major players in the industry such as Nickelodeon, Hasbro, Viacom, Sony Pictures, and Paramount, and have produced a range of styles of 2D and 3D games, typically employing designs from the original shows. In the interview, Ash revealed that The Phantom Game will be Art of Play's first console game, marking a new chapter in the company's journey. Of course the game is based on our beloved comic book character, and the team is eager to bring the iconic hero to life in a new and exciting way for phans of the franchise, but in a way that respects the history and traditions of the existing universe - and satisfies existing phans! According to Ash, the team is using traditional methods combined with the latest technology and design techniques to create a high-quality gaming experience for players. Basics Ash shared the following details about the game and its development: Inspired by the release of the NECA figurines, he reached out to King Features Syndicate (KFS) in early 2022 and had positive conversations with them over the course of the next six months to explore the concept and planning approach of the game. In December 2022, Ash signed the necessary contracts with KFS after visiting their offices in New York. The game will be created using the Unity 3D engine, with a mix of traditional animation and modern lighting effects. The environment is 3D, while the characters will be 2D. Art of Play aims to sell at least 20,000 units of the game, starting with digital downloads and later offering physical collector’s copies. The game will be playable on popular gaming consoles Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and xBox as well as on desktops/laptops via Steam. A mobile app version is also in the works. Ash estimates that the digital version will be priced at $39 AUD, while the physical copy will be sold for $60 AUD, and the collector’s box will be around $80 AUD (all prices very preliminary only). The development of the game will cost over $500,000 AUD, which will be entirely funded by Art of Play. Playing the game The game play will be a classic action 2D side-scrolling 'beat em up' with an added layer of depth provided by the Phantom's unique morality. There will be two playable characters, the 21st Phantom and Diana, with Devil accompanying the player throughout the entire game. One level will even feature Hero as a rideable option. The game is divided into 5 chapters with 3 levels each, so 15 levels total. While the main objective is to work through the storyline chapter by chapter, some levels will be able to be extracted and played as a separate game mode, such as the Phantom in a boxing ring which can be used as a training ground for combat skills. There will be a couple of cooperative levels when you play as both Diana and Phantom, or take on the action together if in 2-player mode. It is expected that the main storyline could be completed in 2-3 hours, with high replayability due to alternate endings, multiple game modes, and collectible elements. In terms of combat skills, players will have access to grappling, strangle-holding, a huge range of punches and kicks, and of course the Phantom's sidearms. There will also be stealth modes for sneaking up on enemies. The Phantom's morals are a key aspect of the game and will impact the way it ends. Players will have the freedom to play as they choose, but the ending of the game will be affected by their actions. This morality clause has led to a lot of planning. “The use of his guns, specifically, and how to integrate that into the game play so that we’re not restricting the player but keeping in line with the fact that the Phantom uses his guns pretty much as a last defence … killing too many people on one level will require the player to go back and replay it," Ash explains. "Finding the balance between action and morality is important in defining who we want the Phantom to be and staying true to the rich history of the comics." A potential collecting aspect of the game (pending approval from KFS) would be finding images of classic comic book covers to add to a personal gallery. Art of Play will work with the Chronicle Chamber team to ask phans to suggest and vote for their favorite covers, with the suggestion of including a top 50 in the game. Ash wants the game to be accessible to all ages, both long-time phans and new gamers, young and old. Repeat plays will yield different results and add to the replayability of the game. The Story The plot for the game is being written by Ash in collaboration with Australian phan-favourite author Matt Kyme. KFS has approved the structure of the story, with dialogue still awaiting approval. The story is a key part of the game and will be influenced by the player's choices, with multiple endings possible depending on how the game is played. Ash was understandably reluctant to give too much away about the plot, but did confirm that the main storyline is set in the 1930s and takes the Phantom on a journey around the world, starting in Bangalla and traveling to “the main areas of the world where The Phantom is popular.” Under duress from the CC team, Ash confirmed that Australia would be one of those (specifically, the docks of Sydney Harbour). You don’t have to read between the lines too much to see it likely that India, Sweden, USA, and Brazil will also be on the itinerary. The main foes will be the Singh Brotherhood, with each level featuring a set of Singh members to fight against. However, each area will also have a unique group of geographically specific mercenaries. As the Phantom, players will try to resolve conflicts through diplomacy, but the roughnecks won't be inclined to listen. “This game will require some strategy, but it's not a mindless brawler … It will be fun, and that's the most important thing," says Ash. Ash explains, “The morality clause to the whole game means that if you play the game a certain way you’re going to see an ending. If you play a different way you’re going to see a different ending. We want players to think about how they tackle combat and how they tackle the game as they play through. This is a key part that King Features are digging as well. What a player does has an effect on the outcome of the game.” The plot has a strong emphasis on the innocence and traditions of The Phantom, which comes across as being vitally important to Ash. “The story has a lot to do with lineage and family … that sort of stuff hits home. That’s a very strong narrative point throughout the game. Family, lineage, generations, it all comes into play and then the ending is gangbusters. It gave me chills. I’m hoping that phans will get as much out of it as we have just in writing it … It’s a corker, it really is.” The complete story will be shared a few days after the game's digital launch, and there will also be a tie-in comic book. The Art As for the art style of the game, this has been inspired by the dynamism of comic book covers and will feature frame-by-frame animation. Ash and the lead artist on the project, Anthony Spay, have already spent months on character design with Anthony overseeing the artistic style and supplying concept art. Art of Play’s internal artists and colorists are working on traditional hand-drawn animations, and will maintain the balance between realism and comic book style. The game will feature agile and athletic movements for the Phantom to suit the brand and the character; this process has already taken over a month to develop . Ash sees it as important to get the Phantom’s agility and movement just right. "He will not cumbersome and lumbering like The Punisher, or too nimble and agile like Spider-Man." Ash and Anthony are working to find the balance of a perfectly muscular character in a completely skin-tight costume who moves athletically. “The Phantom needs to feel legit.” The game will also include cut scenes and comic panels that pop up in the corner of the screen during the action. The aim is to make the game feel like a comic book and, while time-consuming to produce, the traditional hand-drawn animation will allow for ease of playability on a range of platforms without drawing high levels of computing power. The game will even include small easter eggs and maybe a cameo from Mandrake or other Defenders of the Earth characters, with the hope that after this game, Art of Play might shift into the DotE universe for the sequel. Audio The soundtrack for The Phantom Game will be created by Clark Aboud, with plans to include geographically distinct music for the various countries that the Phantom visits. Excitingly, Ash is hoping to get Billy Zane to narrate the “For Those Who Came In Late” opening of the game and potentially even voice the Phantom character. The quality of the animation, game screens and story will soon be shown to Billy as part of the pitch to get him on board for the voiceover. Promotion Promotion plans for the game includes a Kickstarter event in July 2023 to help fund the collector's box set version of the game. High-level rewards may include original art and wrapped arcade games. In October 2023, the game will be showcased at the New York Comic Con. The team also hopes to organize events in Sweden and India and plans to engage in guerrilla and grass-roots marketing initiatives. Cosplayers may also be utilised to promote the game. Ash is eager to involve phans in the process and wants to keep them updated on the development of the game by releasing information and images over time. In the next few weeks, preview images of the Phantom character and his moves will be released, followed by in-game teaser images at the end of February. The core parts of the story will be revealed around the middle of 2023 and concept and finished art will be shared, along with videos from the creator discussing the progress of production. All of these will be available to Chronicle Chamber patreons a few days before they appear on the official game website ThePhantomGame.com and Art of Play’s social media platforms. Make sure you've visited the website and signed up for all future updates. Release The first release of the game will be digital-only. Pending technicalities like approvals and the ratings process, this should be in the middle of 2024. By the end of 2024, a mobile app version will be available, as a cut-back version at a lower resolution and missing some features, but still including all 15 levels. A second Kickstarter may be employed to assist with this, but Ash is hopeful that the game will be self-funding. The physical boxed version will be published and distributed globally, with a strong presence in the US market through Limited Run Games. Pre-orders for the boxed version will open when the digital game is released, with discounts for those who have already bought the digital version. There are also plans for limited edition collectible box sets with special art, likely signed and limited to 500-1000 copies. A comic book version of the game is also being considered, which will be available as part of the box set. There will be YouTube playthroughs posted a few days after the digital game is released, with the creator discussing their decisions throughout the game. DLC (downloadable content) expansion packs are being considered, depending on the success of the game, and the possibility of merchandise such as t-shirts and statues is being discussed. As you can see, Ash did not hold back and is being entirely transparent with the phans as to the process behind the game. We hope that you are as excited as we are. Bring on mid-2024!

Håkon Aasnes may not be an artist many outside of Norway know but in the last 50 odd years he has drawn over 440 different comic stories including Disney, Egmont and his own creations including Seidel og Tobram, Vi på Eiketun, Annika, Gråtass and Olsenbanden. We are led to believe Håkon was the very first Norwegian to work for Disney with his Donald Duck stories. 13 February 2023, he turns 80 and to celebrate his legacy on comics this book is released published by Egmont Norway. The book is 80 pages and includes much of his work. You can purchase via this website for 249nok ($35Au, $25US / EU and 260sek). His only official Phantom work, "Revealed" written by Idi Kharelli was originally published in Fantomen 1/1982 (Bastei #207, Fantomet 10/1982 and Mustanaamio 10/1982). He also wrote an unlicenced story in a Norwegian fanzine Bobbla 1/1978. A scanned copy can be found on our Phantom Preservation Project. According to rumours and traditions, it is told that due to Aasnes wanted to draw the Phantom in a style closer to Wilson McCoy, rather than to Sy Barry, he never came to do another story. In the last decade or so, he has produced some amazing commissions for phans from around the world celebrating his favourite era of the Phantom universe. You can see two such examples below.

Better late than never! It's taken longer to upload than it should have, but here is Chronicle Chamber's review of the 2023 Diary, Wall Calendar & Limited Edition Print produced by Mallon, featuring beautiful art by Australian artist Jeremy MacPherson. As you can see in the above video, the set is themed around "Mr Walker" scenes. Mallon have commissioned Jeremy for a pair of linked images to front the cover of each item. He has brilliantly captured a pair of stills of the Phantom, captured surveying the streets in his Mr Walker garb with Devil at his heels. Internally, the calendar is a high-quality, stylish and functional stationery item that is perfect for hanging on your office wall or near the breakfast station to keep your family organised. The monthly images are Mr Walker covers from around the world over time. The spiral-bound diary features week-to-an-opening pages with ample space for brief note-taking and scheduling, if you're going to use it! In that case, you'll be pleased to know that the cover is made of durable materials and will survive knocking around in your briefcase or backpack. Collectors will also love the Limited Edition print. It is a beautiful rendition of Jeremy's artwork that can make a point of difference among all the purple (or blue, or red, or grey...) already hanging on the wall. Mallon have continued their annual tradition of producing a functional and collectible Phantom item. They are a little pricey, and it is certainly a shame that they were not more widely available in brick-and-mortar stores in the lead up to Christmas. However for devoted phans, completist collectors, or as a gift for a loved one, you cannot look past one or more of these items. They remain available by emailing info@mallon.net.au Until next time, Happy Phantoming! All reviews will be included on our YouTube channel.

Lion - Muthu Comics produced an excellent series of Hardcover books containing stories of characters like The Phantom, Mandrake The Magician, Rip Kirby etc last year. This year they are back with volume two of their hardcover books. This Phantom book like the previous one, is hardbound and has a cover done by Turkish artist Ertuğrul Edirne with the cover taken from the book 'Kizilmaske 7'. It is also kept in the original colours like the last cover. The first and last pages of the book features artworks by Ertuğrul Edirne, Norm Breyfogle, Eugenio Mattozzi, Antonio Lemos and of course Sy Barry with a picture of him. The book features a total number of ten Lee Falk and Sy Barry Sunday and Daily stories. Eight stories are Sundays, while two are Dailies. The stories featured in the book are as follows: "எல்லாம் கேளிக்கையே" (romanized as "Ellam Kelikkaiye"; The Lions of Kukhan") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "விண்ணில் ஒரு எத்தர் கும்பல்" (romanized as "Vinnil Oru Eththar Kumbal"; The Super-Jet Gang") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "காதலுக்கு உயரமில்லை" (romanized as "Kathalukku Uyaramillai"; The Little Ones") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "கறுப்புத் தங்கக் கொள்ளை" (romanized as "Karupputh thangak kollai"; The Black Gold Pirates") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "ஹைட்ரா படலம்" (romanized as "Haitra padalam"; The Hydra") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "முன்னோரின் கதை" (romanized as "Munnorin kathai"; Walker's Table") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "கடத்தல் படலம்" (romanized as "Kataththal padalam"; The Hijackers") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "மலையில் ஒரு மர்மம்" (romanized as "Malaiyil oru marmam"; The Missing Link") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "வெறியர் நகரம்" (romanized as "Veriyar Nagaram"; Luaga's Undercover Tour") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "மோசடி மன்னன்" (romanized as "Mosadi Mannan"; The Mission") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. The book is a great production as the first one. It is good for any Phantom collectors especially the Tamil readers. The book can be purchased by contacting Lion-Muthu Comics on their Facebook page or WhatsApp. I also recommend to get in touch with a Tamil Phantom fan to obtain it.

On Friday 27th January, Art of Play Games dropped some game-changing news, announcing the development of a new The Phantom video game to be released in 2024. The game will be playable on popular gaming platforms Nintendo Switch, Playstation, xBox and Steam. For those who listened to our X-Band: The Phantom Podcast Episode #240 we said there was something brewing that would be a "game changer"! Did anyone guess the clue? Launched today, the website www.ThePhantomGame.com features a heroic Anthony Spay drawn Phantom on the famous Skull Throne with some epic lighting effects. This website links to a form for you to register your interest and be notified of upcoming announcements and teasers. Of course, we will continue to share all announcements via our social platforms and this website. Building on the exciting news, next week we have a unique opportunity to record an exclusive podcast with the director of the project. We can't wait for the chat - he's a self-declared massive phan! We will chat all things about the video game, and try to ask all the relevant questions. We absolutely encourage your input, so please get in contact via our social media channels or email chroniclechamber@gmail.com with any questions. You can find out all about Art of Play Games at their website. All of their future announcements will be on the video game website as well as via their social profiles: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The official hashtag is #PhantomGame. Will this be a game changer? Who else is excited? We certainly are!

Lion Muthu comics is a comic book publisher from the South Indian State Tamil Nadu. Since 2022 they have released two hardcover comic collections of The Phantom. In this review we're going to review the first one of the collections, released in 2022. The second book will be reviewed soon. The state Tamil Nadu have had many Phantom publications in the Tamil language. The first one being the Indrajal Comics and after Indrajal ended it's publication Muthu Comics published the phantom from 1972 to 1980. If we follow the publishing chronology this hardcover book is actually the 459th book in the Muthu comics series. There was also Rani comics which published the phantom from 1990 to 2005. 17 years after Rani Comics ceased publication, The Phantom has returned in the Lion - Muthu Comics hardcover books. The book has a cover by Turkish artist Ertuğrul Edirne. It is taken from the 'Kizilmaske 16' book from 2014. It is worth noting that they kept the phantom's costume red as it was in the original cover, unlike Wick comics from Germany who changed the colour to the traditional purple. A maxi poster based on the cover artwork is given for free with the book as well. In the first and last pages of the book, a few illustrations of The Phantom by Sy Barry, Bob McLeod and Sal Valluto are also featured. The book prints nine Lee Falk and Sy Barry daily stories in black and white. The stories are printed very nicely and it really makes you appreciate the Black and white artwork. There are also title pages for each story with the publishing information, some cool trivia about the character are also mentioned in each title page. Overall, it's a very nice production. It collects and presents the stories really well in a great format. Only disadvantage being is that the book is only published in Tamil. But that is also an advantage as it can attract new Tamil readers and bring old Tamil readers back to the Phantom. The book can be purchased by contacting Lion- Muthu comics. They also have a website but the book is nowhere to be seen there. The stories are: "வாரிசைத் தேடி" (romanized as "Vaarisaith Thedi"; Rex, the Missing Heir") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "ஜும்போவைக் கொல்" (romanized as "Jumbovaik Kol"; The Rogue Elephant") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "ஒரு முகமூடித் திருவிழா" (romanized as "Oru Mugamooti thiruvizha"; The Masked Ball") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "கானக ஒலிம்பிக்ஸ்" (romanized as "Kanaga Olimpiks"; Jungle Olympics") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "வாரிசுக்கு வலை" (romanized as "Vaarisukku Valai"; The Frame-Up") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "வேதாளரின் மேடை" (romanized as "Vethalarin Medai"; The Art Thieves") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "க்ரைம் ஸ்கூல்" (romanized as "Crime School"; The Crime School") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "காற்றில் கரைந்த Daddy" (romanized as "Kaatril Karaintha Daddy"; The Missing Daddy") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "ஆழ்கடலில் மயானம்" (romanized as "Aazhkatalil Mayaanam"; Deadman's Point") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry.

Mikael Lyck from Chronicle Chamber reviews the first two issues of the 2023 Fantomen comics which features the following stories: Contents from Fantomen 1/2023: "Crocco-migrationen" ("Crocco Island West") by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan "Slavhandlarna" ("The Slavers") by Janne Lundström and Özcan Eralp Publishing schedule poster 2023 by Luca Erbetta Contents from Fantomen 2-3/2023: "Belle époque, del 1: På besök i helvetet" ("The Phantom Goes to Hell") by Pidde Andersson and Percy Ochoa "Polymos hemlighet" ("The Secret of Polymos") by Donne Avenell and César Spadari Cover in a painted style made by Rafael Ruiz which is very effective. Good to have him back doing artwork for Fantomen. We get some information about what to expect in 2023, just as last year there will be a new Fantomen story in each issue, we got information about some of the side comics in the last issue, Team Fantomen celebrates 60 years this year. Another softcover book, Christmas Album and the reprinted hardcover yearbooks. Some uncertainties on if there will be a new big book as the "Heart of Darkness" book of 2022. Good to hear that Fantomen will continue what in my mind is a good strategy, not any real news though. In the "Crocco Island West" story, Tony DePaul revisits the Crocco creatures, Paul Ryan is the artist with previous stories drawn by César Spadari. I found it weird that it has not been published earlier in Sweden since we have had published many other stories featuring Savarna and the Crocco creatures. The bonus is the cool poster with the year's issues schedule and a lot of the treasures of the Major Treasure Room in the Skull Cave. We have a reprint story titled "Slavers", I wonder if this story is reprinted because of the peak of interest from Robert Aman's book? (X-Band: The Phantom Podcast Episode #235) The comic also features an article titled "Phantom phact" which is a very interesting article by Andreas Eriksson about Özkan Eralp also sending Phantom scripts to Turkey. Some of them were the same as published in Sweden and some others were different and stand alone. Some phans will find this very interesting indeed and they may find their way into future Fantomen comics! The Cover artist for Fantomen 2-3/2023 is by Sal Velluto & Eugenio Mattozzi based on the main story, the first part of 6 of the Frew created "Belle Epoque" stories by Pidde Andersson and Percy Ochoa. Note: these stories published by Fantomen are coloured. I really enjoy Pidde Andersson's humour and the story is also good, looking forward to the next parts. "Libertalia" by Fabienne Pigière, Rudi Miel, and Paolo Grella is a non-Phantom story and the second part of three. Maybe to be published together in a full album it will make it less confusing as there are a bit too many names in this story for me to keep track of everyone. Will be interesting how it ends, pretty nice that it is a three parter and then done. "Polymos hemlighet" ("The Secret of Polymos") by Donne Avenell and César Spadari has not yet been published by Frew. This is a reprint in Black and White. The story is heavy on supernatural elements, but it works for me this time, not sure why I think this supernatural story is good when I usually do not like them. It is also the first time we see the Jungle Patrol Monument, which is cool. As per tradition the voting for best story comes in the second issue of the year. 2022 had a great variety of stories, new Team Fantomen stories, unpublished newspaper stories, Frew stories and reprints. For me I had a handful of stories that were better but no 1 clear winner. You can vote yourself here. Next issue will contain a new Team Fantomen story called "Kit and Katya" by Philip Madden and Janusz Ordon. Madden's last story got a lot of publicity in Sweden with the Phantom hitting a bad guy with a rainbow flag, let's see if this also makes a splash. We will also get the last Thorgal Kriss from Valnor album, a long time favourite side comic of Fantomen. 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.