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Phantom Road #1-5
Phantom Road Volume 1
Mad Max: Fury Road meets The Sandman in this high-octane adventure wrapped in a dark fantasy aesthetic.
Dom is a long-haul truck driver attempting to stay ahead of his tragic past. When he stops one night to assist Birdie, who has been in a massive car crash, they pull an artifact from the wreckage that throws their lives into fifth gear. Suddenly, a typical midnight run has become a frantic journey through a surreal world where Dom and Birdie find themselves the quarry of strange and impossible monsters.
It's grindhouse horror meets high-concept supernatural fantasy in the first volume of a bold new series from JEFF LEMIRE (THE BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS, LITTLE MONSTERS) and GABRIEL HERNÁNDEZ WALTA (The Vision, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D: Old Man Whittier/I>), the Eisner Award-nominated creative team behind the bestselling Sentient series.
Dom is a long-haul truck driver attempting to stay ahead of his tragic past. When he stops one night to assist Birdie, who has been in a massive car crash, they pull an artifact from the wreckage that throws their lives into fifth gear. Suddenly, a typical midnight run has become a frantic journey through a surreal world where Dom and Birdie find themselves the quarry of strange and impossible monsters.
It's grindhouse horror meets high-concept supernatural fantasy in the first volume of a bold new series from JEFF LEMIRE (THE BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS, LITTLE MONSTERS) and GABRIEL HERNÁNDEZ WALTA (The Vision, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D: Old Man Whittier/I>), the Eisner Award-nominated creative team behind the bestselling Sentient series.
132 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2023
20 people are currently reading
5728 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,393 books3,871 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
December 1, 2025
PT Jeff Lemire apresenta nesta obra uma verdadeira homenagem aos clássicos filmes de terror em que alguém segue por uma estrada apenas para, independentemente do quanto avance, regressar sempre ao mesmo sítio.
É precisamente isso que acontece aqui. Os nossos dois protagonistas, sem qualquer ligação prévia entre si, são apanhados num ciclo sobrenatural do qual não conseguem escapar.
Uma leitura extremamente divertida, que devorei num instante. Agora resta-me esperar que Lemire consiga concluir esta mini-série com sucesso no próximo — e último — volume.
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EN Jeff Lemire delivers with this work a true homage to those classic horror films where someone drives down a road only to find that, no matter how far they go, they always end up back in the same place.
That’s exactly what happens here. Our two protagonists, with no prior connection to each other, are caught in a supernatural loop from which they cannot escape.
An extremely enjoyable read that I devoured in no time. Now I just hope Lemire manages to wrap up this mini-series successfully in the next — and final — volume.
É precisamente isso que acontece aqui. Os nossos dois protagonistas, sem qualquer ligação prévia entre si, são apanhados num ciclo sobrenatural do qual não conseguem escapar.
Uma leitura extremamente divertida, que devorei num instante. Agora resta-me esperar que Lemire consiga concluir esta mini-série com sucesso no próximo — e último — volume.
--
EN Jeff Lemire delivers with this work a true homage to those classic horror films where someone drives down a road only to find that, no matter how far they go, they always end up back in the same place.
That’s exactly what happens here. Our two protagonists, with no prior connection to each other, are caught in a supernatural loop from which they cannot escape.
An extremely enjoyable read that I devoured in no time. Now I just hope Lemire manages to wrap up this mini-series successfully in the next — and final — volume.
July 9, 2023
Alright, what have we got here? A horror comic from Jeff Lemire and an excellent artist, dropping us into a weird world and creating a dozen questions without answering any of them initially, but promising a big payoff later on... Wait, I've talked about Gideon Falls before, what is going on here?
Oh, this is a different book? And there's also that Bone Orchard series?
Uhhhh... what can I say, I'm falling into the patented Lemire trap again, but perhaps this one will actually work out, I'm cautiously neutral.
Oh, this is a different book? And there's also that Bone Orchard series?
Uhhhh... what can I say, I'm falling into the patented Lemire trap again, but perhaps this one will actually work out, I'm cautiously neutral.
March 13, 2025
Driving trucks is a tough, thankless job. My late father-in-law drove for years, and he often said that it wore him down, physically and spiritually, especially those long cross-country trips at night on desolate stretches of road where the nearest sign of civilization was another hundred miles ahead.
Dom, the protagonist of Jeff Lemire's graphic novel series "Phantom Road" is a long-haul trucker. He's a born-again Christian with a past that he's trying to run from. One night, he comes across an accident. A young woman named Birdie is alive, but her fiance didn't make it. They find something weird in the road. They also find that the road is full of dead things that move around and shuffle toward them like zombies. They run to a deserted truck stop to find shelter, only to discover that they aren't in Kansas anymore. Or their own world.
Lemire pens another winner with this long-haul series. Great artwork by Gabriel Hernández Walta accompanies the fantastic story, one that involves a top-secret government experiment from the '90s called Operation Jacknife, a possible alien egg, zombies, and a biblical quest for a place called Golgotha...
Dom, the protagonist of Jeff Lemire's graphic novel series "Phantom Road" is a long-haul trucker. He's a born-again Christian with a past that he's trying to run from. One night, he comes across an accident. A young woman named Birdie is alive, but her fiance didn't make it. They find something weird in the road. They also find that the road is full of dead things that move around and shuffle toward them like zombies. They run to a deserted truck stop to find shelter, only to discover that they aren't in Kansas anymore. Or their own world.
Lemire pens another winner with this long-haul series. Great artwork by Gabriel Hernández Walta accompanies the fantastic story, one that involves a top-secret government experiment from the '90s called Operation Jacknife, a possible alien egg, zombies, and a biblical quest for a place called Golgotha...
September 1, 2025
Estrada Fantasma, escrita por Jeff Lemire, desenhada por Gabriel H. Walta e lançada no Brasil pela editora Alta Geek, é uma história de suspense, fantasia sobrenatural e investigação que prende o leitor do começo ao fim, que busca decifrar o que está acontecendo na trama e o que são os elementos sobrenaturais que permeiam a narrativa.
Na história, acompanhamos Dom, um caminhoneiro com problemas familiares – tanto com seu pai, e ao que tudo indica, com seu filho também – que certa noite se depara com um acidente na estrada. Ao parar para ajudar, Dom encontra uma mulher em choque, junto de um corpo estranho e um artefato misterioso. Tal artefato reage a Dom e a mulher (Birdie), levando-os para outra dimensão (ou mundo), em que a paisagem é deserta e existem seres humanoides com a pele deformada, que não falam, mas atacam Dom e Birdie.
Tudo isso ocorre em menos de um capitulo e somos jogados de maneira repentina a toda essa bizarrice, e assim como os personagens, não sabemos o que está acontecendo e vamos aprendendo mais sobre esse universo de acordo com a jornada dos personagens principais.
Em certo ponto da história, uma subtrama surge envolvendo a investigação do acidente que Birdie se envolveu no começo do capitulo 1. Assim, em paralelo a trama de Dom no mundo estranho, acompanhamos a investigação da polícia no mundo real, e vemos que os corpos dos seres humanoides do outro mundo já foram encontrados em outras épocas, sendo até atribuído a um caso de serial killer. Porém, a agente do FBI que está à frente do caso, Theresa, possui mais informações do que é apresentado nesse volume 1, dando a entender que ela sabe sobre esse mundo bizarro.
Além disso, outras questões envolvendo a FBI, restaurantes e um personagem que não conhecemos direito, sugerem uma conspiração muito maior do que é apresentado ao leitor nesse encadernado, deixando muitas perguntas sem respostas e instigando ainda mais a curiosidade para ler os demais volumes.
Ademais, esse primeiro volume é bom, bem desenhado e deixa muitas lacunas a serem exploradas, que se bem desenvolvidas, possuem um potencial interessante para explorar esse universo criado por Lemire. E como referência, senti que a HQ possui influência de Black Hammer, Mad Max e Twisted Metal.
Na história, acompanhamos Dom, um caminhoneiro com problemas familiares – tanto com seu pai, e ao que tudo indica, com seu filho também – que certa noite se depara com um acidente na estrada. Ao parar para ajudar, Dom encontra uma mulher em choque, junto de um corpo estranho e um artefato misterioso. Tal artefato reage a Dom e a mulher (Birdie), levando-os para outra dimensão (ou mundo), em que a paisagem é deserta e existem seres humanoides com a pele deformada, que não falam, mas atacam Dom e Birdie.
Tudo isso ocorre em menos de um capitulo e somos jogados de maneira repentina a toda essa bizarrice, e assim como os personagens, não sabemos o que está acontecendo e vamos aprendendo mais sobre esse universo de acordo com a jornada dos personagens principais.
Em certo ponto da história, uma subtrama surge envolvendo a investigação do acidente que Birdie se envolveu no começo do capitulo 1. Assim, em paralelo a trama de Dom no mundo estranho, acompanhamos a investigação da polícia no mundo real, e vemos que os corpos dos seres humanoides do outro mundo já foram encontrados em outras épocas, sendo até atribuído a um caso de serial killer. Porém, a agente do FBI que está à frente do caso, Theresa, possui mais informações do que é apresentado nesse volume 1, dando a entender que ela sabe sobre esse mundo bizarro.
Além disso, outras questões envolvendo a FBI, restaurantes e um personagem que não conhecemos direito, sugerem uma conspiração muito maior do que é apresentado ao leitor nesse encadernado, deixando muitas perguntas sem respostas e instigando ainda mais a curiosidade para ler os demais volumes.
Ademais, esse primeiro volume é bom, bem desenhado e deixa muitas lacunas a serem exploradas, que se bem desenvolvidas, possuem um potencial interessante para explorar esse universo criado por Lemire. E como referência, senti que a HQ possui influência de Black Hammer, Mad Max e Twisted Metal.
November 16, 2023
hooooh boy this series is extremely for me™️
like twin peaks: the return meets fx’s legion. i’m so excited to see where this one goes. i kinda wish i held off on reading it bc now i’ll be very impatiently awaiting the second volume.
great mystery and suspense. good characters. love the structure. jeff lemire is a master storyteller. we’re given just enough info at every turn. i love that there’s a bigger government conspiracy being set up. love love love. magnifique!!!
like twin peaks: the return meets fx’s legion. i’m so excited to see where this one goes. i kinda wish i held off on reading it bc now i’ll be very impatiently awaiting the second volume.
great mystery and suspense. good characters. love the structure. jeff lemire is a master storyteller. we’re given just enough info at every turn. i love that there’s a bigger government conspiracy being set up. love love love. magnifique!!!
January 8, 2024
I'm glad i didn't sleep on this one. I would have to cross check the artists, but this looks very much like Robert Kirkmans Outcast series which I came to really enjoy the visual style. Instead of Kirkmans unending dialogue Lemire is much more cut and dry and forgets the piles of dialogue that would just get in the way of this action packed mystery suspense storyline. This should be a unique book when it's all said and done. Lemire has written so many short runs lately I'm hoping for something like a continuing survival horror story from the guy maybe no 26 volume epic, but would like to know what I'm investing my time into will have a payoff
September 19, 2025
This was interesting and I need to read the other books because this one ended on a cliff hanger.
December 15, 2023
It's really 50/50 whether this series will be good or not. Have to wait for an Omnibus or at least another volume to get a sense for it. Jeff Lemire usually knows what he's doing. Time will tell.
October 8, 2023
Already really intrigued to see where this story will go. Lemire has said this is designed to be a longer form story and the mysteries and characters we’ve been introduced to already has me looking forward very much to seeing what is going on and who these characters really are. I think the art fits this story beautifully, as well.
November 3, 2024
Перший том коміксу «Примарна дорога», написана Джеффом Леміром та намальована Ґабріелем Вальтою, є ще одним хорошим доповненням до творчого доробку обидвох коміксистів. Автори не вперше працюють разом, адже створили досить хороші науково-фантастичний комікс «Відчуття» і супергеройський «Варбулець: Червона планета». Цей комікс не ловить дифірамб, але добре поєднує в собі таємничу історію з надприродними елементами, створюючи ефект занурення та проникливу атмосферу.
Історія знайомить нас із Берді, жінкою, яка врятувалася після небезпечної для життя аварії, та Дома, далекобійника, який прагне залишити своє минуле позаду. Їхня подорож набуває несподіваного повороту, коли вони втягуються в паранормальну пригоду, пов’язану з таємничим об’єктом, який потрібно доставити в невідоме місце. Подорожуючи дорогою, заповненою гротескними трупами й незвичайними персонажами, їх переслідують місцеві правоохоронці та агентка ФБР, що спеціалізується на надприродному.
Оповідь Леміра зацікавлює своєю особливою структурою, де він жонглюючи часовими рамками та долями персонажів, створює досить гарний баланс, щоб постійно тримати читача у напрузі. Також автор зберігає оповідь цікавою водночас ставлячи більше запитань, ніж дає відповідей.
Берді та Дом — головні герої цієї моторошної подорожі, проте їхній розвиток затьмарюється сюжетом та потойбічними елементами. Хоча вони стикаються з багатьма викликами, їхня взаємодія могла б виграти від глибшого розкриття їхніх життів. Тому відчувається, що персонажі часом слугують радше сюжетними засобами, аніж повноцінними особистостями.
Атмосфера визначається відчуттям спустошеності та невизначеності. Робота Вальти влучно передає моторошну та швидкоплинну природу дороги, використовуючи тіні та приглушену кольорову палітру в руках Джорді Беллер. Фарби колористки підсилюють тональність, надаючи «запилений», схожий на сепію фільтр, який підкреслює надприродні риси коміксу, зберігаючи при цьому відчуття реалістичності. Оце поєднання звичайних придорожніх зображень із надприродними образами створює моторошне тло, яке не залишає байдужими.
Підсумовуючи, скажу, що це була досить захоплива історія, де сплітається загадкова подорож із надприродними елементами. Джефф Лемір й Ґабріель Вальта, справді, гарна команда, яка знову створила атмосферний та цікавий комікс. Тому хочеться дізнатися, що буде далі в наступній сюжетній арці.
Історія знайомить нас із Берді, жінкою, яка врятувалася після небезпечної для життя аварії, та Дома, далекобійника, який прагне залишити своє минуле позаду. Їхня подорож набуває несподіваного повороту, коли вони втягуються в паранормальну пригоду, пов’язану з таємничим об’єктом, який потрібно доставити в невідоме місце. Подорожуючи дорогою, заповненою гротескними трупами й незвичайними персонажами, їх переслідують місцеві правоохоронці та агентка ФБР, що спеціалізується на надприродному.
Оповідь Леміра зацікавлює своєю особливою структурою, де він жонглюючи часовими рамками та долями персонажів, створює досить гарний баланс, щоб постійно тримати читача у напрузі. Також автор зберігає оповідь цікавою водночас ставлячи більше запитань, ніж дає відповідей.
Берді та Дом — головні герої цієї моторошної подорожі, проте їхній розвиток затьмарюється сюжетом та потойбічними елементами. Хоча вони стикаються з багатьма викликами, їхня взаємодія могла б виграти від глибшого розкриття їхніх життів. Тому відчувається, що персонажі часом слугують радше сюжетними засобами, аніж повноцінними особистостями.
Атмосфера визначається відчуттям спустошеності та невизначеності. Робота Вальти влучно передає моторошну та швидкоплинну природу дороги, використовуючи тіні та приглушену кольорову палітру в руках Джорді Беллер. Фарби колористки підсилюють тональність, надаючи «запилений», схожий на сепію фільтр, який підкреслює надприродні риси коміксу, зберігаючи при цьому відчуття реалістичності. Оце поєднання звичайних придорожніх зображень із надприродними образами створює моторошне тло, яке не залишає байдужими.
Підсумовуючи, скажу, що це була досить захоплива історія, де сплітається загадкова подорож із надприродними елементами. Джефф Лемір й Ґабріель Вальта, справді, гарна команда, яка знову створила атмосферний та цікавий комікс. Тому хочеться дізнатися, що буде далі в наступній сюжетній арці.
July 21, 2025
PHANTOM ROAD might have been just another spooky book, but Lemire’s story and Walta’s expressive art elevate it to another level. Lemire builds on the foundation of the first issue and layers on additional quirky and strange elements to keep readers guessing. This is the kind of weirdness that gets my attention and engages me. I have to know more. I get the feeling this first story arc is just the tip of the iceberg.
This is just as much about the loneliness and isolation of long haul truck drivers and the effect on their personalities and family relationships as it is about some weird alien beings messing with any travelers who find themselves on a strange weather-beaten and ravaged desert highway. Symbolic? Perhaps. The truck driver’s resolution at the end of the debut issue is a bit disturbing.
Before the first book concludes we've seen roadside diners that serve as gateways to other desolate worlds (highways and desert mostly), a weird artifact that looks like driftwood but conceals something vitally important and sought after, those weird alien beings (just begging to get their faces smashed in), an FBI agent in over her head, a government conspiracy, and a strange man in a Hawaiian shirt playing both sides against each other. There's a lot to hold your attention here. Plus the art is revealing and makes maximum use of panel size and point-of-view.
I have to know what comes next. It won't be long before I crack open Volume Two.
This is just as much about the loneliness and isolation of long haul truck drivers and the effect on their personalities and family relationships as it is about some weird alien beings messing with any travelers who find themselves on a strange weather-beaten and ravaged desert highway. Symbolic? Perhaps. The truck driver’s resolution at the end of the debut issue is a bit disturbing.
Before the first book concludes we've seen roadside diners that serve as gateways to other desolate worlds (highways and desert mostly), a weird artifact that looks like driftwood but conceals something vitally important and sought after, those weird alien beings (just begging to get their faces smashed in), an FBI agent in over her head, a government conspiracy, and a strange man in a Hawaiian shirt playing both sides against each other. There's a lot to hold your attention here. Plus the art is revealing and makes maximum use of panel size and point-of-view.
I have to know what comes next. It won't be long before I crack open Volume Two.
October 30, 2025
More compelling grit from Lemire.
Phantom Road: Volume 1 is a very unsettling road trip. When truck driver Dom discovers Birdie near a crash site, he stops like a Good Samaritan. However, when they touch the glowing green obstacle, this unlikely duo slip into a mysterious desert populated by zombie-like figures. It's only when they step inside a Billy Bear truck stop and interact with an overfamiliar and off-putting stranger that they discover they've been sworn to a mission. They must take the obstacle and deliver it to a certain destination and only then will they be free of this nightmarish parallel world.
Though the plot borders on genre cliche, what retained my interest was the character revelations. Aspects of Dom and Birdie's back story are unfurled gradually, hinting at complex darkness within these reluctant protagonists. Also there is the subplot featuring FBI agent Theresa Walker who finds her investigations scuppered by conspiracy.
While I'm not usually one for zombie stories, I trust in Lemire's ability to tell it with astute observations of human nature. Also I'm suitably impressed with the artwork of Hernandez Walta.
I believe there is a Volume 2 and nothing more until further notice, which means I might be inclined to keep up with this series. The main hook hasn't got into me yet but I'm certainly intrigued enough to see what happens when Dom and Birdie learn more about each other. What happened to Dom's family? Why was Birdie a passenger in that car? These mysteries compel me more than what lies at the end of this dystopian journey.
If you like your paranormal adventures beset by human frailty and grim secrets, I recommend The Phantom Road: Volume 1.
Phantom Road: Volume 1 is a very unsettling road trip. When truck driver Dom discovers Birdie near a crash site, he stops like a Good Samaritan. However, when they touch the glowing green obstacle, this unlikely duo slip into a mysterious desert populated by zombie-like figures. It's only when they step inside a Billy Bear truck stop and interact with an overfamiliar and off-putting stranger that they discover they've been sworn to a mission. They must take the obstacle and deliver it to a certain destination and only then will they be free of this nightmarish parallel world.
Though the plot borders on genre cliche, what retained my interest was the character revelations. Aspects of Dom and Birdie's back story are unfurled gradually, hinting at complex darkness within these reluctant protagonists. Also there is the subplot featuring FBI agent Theresa Walker who finds her investigations scuppered by conspiracy.
While I'm not usually one for zombie stories, I trust in Lemire's ability to tell it with astute observations of human nature. Also I'm suitably impressed with the artwork of Hernandez Walta.
I believe there is a Volume 2 and nothing more until further notice, which means I might be inclined to keep up with this series. The main hook hasn't got into me yet but I'm certainly intrigued enough to see what happens when Dom and Birdie learn more about each other. What happened to Dom's family? Why was Birdie a passenger in that car? These mysteries compel me more than what lies at the end of this dystopian journey.
If you like your paranormal adventures beset by human frailty and grim secrets, I recommend The Phantom Road: Volume 1.
July 8, 2023
"Phantom Road" є новим коміксом від дуету Джефа Леміра та Ґабріеля Вальти. Я про серію взагалі нічого не знав і не планував читати, але оскільки давненько від Леміра нічого не читав, плюс як раз завершилася перша арка то все таки вирішив зацінити.
Сюжет розповідає про те як далекобійники Дом одним пізнім вечером потрапляє на місце аварії та зустрічає дівчину Пташку та загадковий артефакт який і спровокував аварію. Доторкнувшись до загадкової каменюки наших героїв переносить в світ між реальностями в якому існують якісь спустошені істоти, які схожі на людей. Після чого Дом та Пташка отримують завдання, від загадкової людини в гавайській сорочці, довести артефакт до певного місця. Паралельно нам показують як агентка ФБР Тереза розслідує справу з якою пов'язані наші герої та натикається на загадку пов'язану із зупинками для вантажівок.
Загалом мені перша арка дуже сподобалася, Лемір тут зробив багато інтриг навколо подій, головних героїв та того, що вони можуть брехати.
Щодо мінусів, то мені тільки не сподобалися поворот з артефактом, таке враження що Лемір в Death Stranding пограв. В усьому ж іншому перша арка "Phantom Road" вийшла дуже інтригуючим початком з хорошим малюнком від Вальти.
Сюжет розповідає про те як далекобійники Дом одним пізнім вечером потрапляє на місце аварії та зустрічає дівчину Пташку та загадковий артефакт який і спровокував аварію. Доторкнувшись до загадкової каменюки наших героїв переносить в світ між реальностями в якому існують якісь спустошені істоти, які схожі на людей. Після чого Дом та Пташка отримують завдання, від загадкової людини в гавайській сорочці, довести артефакт до певного місця. Паралельно нам показують як агентка ФБР Тереза розслідує справу з якою пов'язані наші герої та натикається на загадку пов'язану із зупинками для вантажівок.
Загалом мені перша арка дуже сподобалася, Лемір тут зробив багато інтриг навколо подій, головних героїв та того, що вони можуть брехати.
Щодо мінусів, то мені тільки не сподобалися поворот з артефактом, таке враження що Лемір в Death Stranding пограв. В усьому ж іншому перша арка "Phantom Road" вийшла дуже інтригуючим початком з хорошим малюнком від Вальти.
September 6, 2025
my first lemire book (on my image rn so moon knight run gonna have to wait a little 😇)
this is a very solid first volume. from what i’ve seen lemire has this knack for building apocalyptic storyscapes and creating long term investment mysteries - reminded me of larcenet’s adaptation of mccarthy’s the road happily married with a mystery on our hands
the small reveals in each issue are well done with lemire’s clear understanding of human psychology and instant gratification coming through /hj
i absolutely love the artwork and colouring in this, walta’s fineline style is fitting in words i can’t even describe like something out of paranorman
i will be continuing this series and excited to read more lemire 🙏
4 stars.
this is a very solid first volume. from what i’ve seen lemire has this knack for building apocalyptic storyscapes and creating long term investment mysteries - reminded me of larcenet’s adaptation of mccarthy’s the road happily married with a mystery on our hands
the small reveals in each issue are well done with lemire’s clear understanding of human psychology and instant gratification coming through /hj
i absolutely love the artwork and colouring in this, walta’s fineline style is fitting in words i can’t even describe like something out of paranorman
i will be continuing this series and excited to read more lemire 🙏
4 stars.
March 1, 2024
Okay, that's an intriguing start. Lots of interesting things going on and plenty of suspense. I'm definitely interested to see what happens next.
November 2, 2023
See new a Jeff Lemire comic, I pick it up. This first volume introduces the story, but it failed to capture my interest. There were no answers to any questions raised in this arc. I won't remember what's going on when the 2nd volume comes out. Maybe I'll revisit when the whole thing is done.
June 15, 2024
*This 'review' is for both Volume 1 & Volume 2 of Jeff Lemire's Phantom Road series.*
"HOLY SMOKES!"
Oops... this one's on me, folks. I for some reason really thought that Volume 1 & Volume 2 would be the full Phantom Road story. That is definitely not the case. Hell, these two barely scratch the surface. I really liked the Twilight Zone feel of it all, but none of the characters managed to really click for me. I'm sure future issues will build upon them and the story to create something singularly fascinating, but where it's at now, there's just not enough.
So, despite feeling bad about rating an unfinished story (but not really feeling bad at all), I'm going with a middle of the road (get it) rating for both. I'll definitely revisit the whole story once it's finished, but until then... here we are.
"GGK--"
5/10
[2.5 Stars, Rounded Up]
"HOLY SMOKES!"
Oops... this one's on me, folks. I for some reason really thought that Volume 1 & Volume 2 would be the full Phantom Road story. That is definitely not the case. Hell, these two barely scratch the surface. I really liked the Twilight Zone feel of it all, but none of the characters managed to really click for me. I'm sure future issues will build upon them and the story to create something singularly fascinating, but where it's at now, there's just not enough.
So, despite feeling bad about rating an unfinished story (but not really feeling bad at all), I'm going with a middle of the road (get it) rating for both. I'll definitely revisit the whole story once it's finished, but until then... here we are.
"GGK--"
5/10
[2.5 Stars, Rounded Up]
July 30, 2025
Image Comics brings you a dark fantasy graphic novel about a survival of the fittest between a man and some monsters in Phantom Road Volume 1. The comic is written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Gabriel H. Walta, Jeff is a Canadian comic book writer, artist, and TV producer who has created acclaimed titles such as Essex County Trilogy, Sweet Tooth, and The Nobody. Speaking of Sweet Tooth, it was also adapted as a Netflix live-action in 2021, I do remember the live-action, and it was really exciting and eerie, and I really liked it. Gabriel is a comic book artist who illustrated several titles including Hellboy, Vision and so as Phantom Road. According to his bio, he dedicated himself to children’s illustration and painting after getting his Master of Fine Arts degree, but then he decided to make comics starting with the publisher IDW, after he received the Spanish Injuve award in 2002.
The front cover of the comic is just very plain. And there’s not much to explain here, because there’s one man holding a bloody crowbar, and on the right, you see those monsters that almost looked like the ReDeads from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time without the faces. I don’t know what’s more to explain, but the background almost looks like a desolate wasteland, and that is the fact that the whole world is completely destroyed in another time. How do I know that? I don’t know it just happens to look like that whenever a big hurricane brewed. I’m just kidding, I haven’t gone through the story yet. I love the quote from Multiversity Comics who wrote “An Incredibly effective visual comic that masterfully creates tone and tension with color saturation and harsh lightning. It’s a road you want to travel down.” It’s true though because imagine if you’re on the road and you see a gorgeous landscape in the countryside, but somehow when a storm goes by the atmosphere changes and somehow it makes you think that you want to make a painting out of it, believe me, I was there traveling on the road with my car in South America a few years ago.
The story is about a trucker who is driving at night, he stops at a gas station to fill up his truck. But then he meets some people who look like zombies by making their faces as if they had never slept. And then back on the road making a long trip to North Dakota for deliveries, he discovered a car accident in the middle of the road which made him turn his truck to the other side. What’s so weird about it is that the woman who is driving the car saw some strange skeleton appear on the road, however, the main character can see it too, once he touches it, it immediately triggers some shit and transported them to another world where everything is destroyed. They saw someone out there and it was some monster trying to kill them, not just one a dozen of those came out of nowhere, and they killed every single one of them.
This is where it gets so random because the story is all about smoke and mirrors. There’s this scene where the main characters enter a fast food restaurant at a gas station, and the female character sees a place where people are still alive and well at night, when she goes outside, all of that isn’t real, she sees that as an illusion. Then they met some creepy dude who was in the bathroom on the first few pages, he explained about what kind of world it is, and it turns out that they’re in another world where everything is destroyed. It’s like a wormhole that creates a tunnel between two distant points in the universe that cuts the travel time from one point to another. The restaurant for example is exactly a wormhole because once she got out after the explanation it got looped to a normal world. I don’t know what kind of logic is this, but this is a really interesting plot. This is really self-explanatory to say that a piece of rock is doing all the work to transport humans to another world where you get attacked by some monsters. I really don’t know what to say, but this is some crazy shit to be called a fantasy, horror comic that I’m reading, and I love it.
I can’t expect any more of the story because that whole wormhole loop thing is just insane. Some say that this is a fantasy genre book, but it also combines with some sci-fi fantasy vibes here. I must say it’s an extraordinary bit of storytelling about humans who got involved in another world where they got attacked by some zombies in broad daylight. You don’t see a lot of comics that involve an empty world with monsters around. This comic takes a lot of inspiration from The Walking Dead because most of the scenes are people running away from zombies just like every other horror movie, but this one is just another place where everything is about to kill you. Ok, the art style of Gabriel is really cool, and to be certain I’ve seen a lot of comic artists who started coloring their comics with watercolor lately, including the scene where the two main characters are in another world.
The character designs are pretty good, and how they interact is just amazing, and what I really love is how the characters express themselves so differently because no matter how I look at the characters’ faces it makes it very expressional like how they are scared shitless, how they react and sometimes how these characters looked so strange, like the guy with the Hawaiian shirt who explained about what’s happening. The comic is really interesting and horrifying at the same time with a lot of elements to come by. If you rather want to read a comic about a link between two worlds where everything is alive or dead, then this is for you.
The front cover of the comic is just very plain. And there’s not much to explain here, because there’s one man holding a bloody crowbar, and on the right, you see those monsters that almost looked like the ReDeads from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time without the faces. I don’t know what’s more to explain, but the background almost looks like a desolate wasteland, and that is the fact that the whole world is completely destroyed in another time. How do I know that? I don’t know it just happens to look like that whenever a big hurricane brewed. I’m just kidding, I haven’t gone through the story yet. I love the quote from Multiversity Comics who wrote “An Incredibly effective visual comic that masterfully creates tone and tension with color saturation and harsh lightning. It’s a road you want to travel down.” It’s true though because imagine if you’re on the road and you see a gorgeous landscape in the countryside, but somehow when a storm goes by the atmosphere changes and somehow it makes you think that you want to make a painting out of it, believe me, I was there traveling on the road with my car in South America a few years ago.
The story is about a trucker who is driving at night, he stops at a gas station to fill up his truck. But then he meets some people who look like zombies by making their faces as if they had never slept. And then back on the road making a long trip to North Dakota for deliveries, he discovered a car accident in the middle of the road which made him turn his truck to the other side. What’s so weird about it is that the woman who is driving the car saw some strange skeleton appear on the road, however, the main character can see it too, once he touches it, it immediately triggers some shit and transported them to another world where everything is destroyed. They saw someone out there and it was some monster trying to kill them, not just one a dozen of those came out of nowhere, and they killed every single one of them.
This is where it gets so random because the story is all about smoke and mirrors. There’s this scene where the main characters enter a fast food restaurant at a gas station, and the female character sees a place where people are still alive and well at night, when she goes outside, all of that isn’t real, she sees that as an illusion. Then they met some creepy dude who was in the bathroom on the first few pages, he explained about what kind of world it is, and it turns out that they’re in another world where everything is destroyed. It’s like a wormhole that creates a tunnel between two distant points in the universe that cuts the travel time from one point to another. The restaurant for example is exactly a wormhole because once she got out after the explanation it got looped to a normal world. I don’t know what kind of logic is this, but this is a really interesting plot. This is really self-explanatory to say that a piece of rock is doing all the work to transport humans to another world where you get attacked by some monsters. I really don’t know what to say, but this is some crazy shit to be called a fantasy, horror comic that I’m reading, and I love it.
I can’t expect any more of the story because that whole wormhole loop thing is just insane. Some say that this is a fantasy genre book, but it also combines with some sci-fi fantasy vibes here. I must say it’s an extraordinary bit of storytelling about humans who got involved in another world where they got attacked by some zombies in broad daylight. You don’t see a lot of comics that involve an empty world with monsters around. This comic takes a lot of inspiration from The Walking Dead because most of the scenes are people running away from zombies just like every other horror movie, but this one is just another place where everything is about to kill you. Ok, the art style of Gabriel is really cool, and to be certain I’ve seen a lot of comic artists who started coloring their comics with watercolor lately, including the scene where the two main characters are in another world.
The character designs are pretty good, and how they interact is just amazing, and what I really love is how the characters express themselves so differently because no matter how I look at the characters’ faces it makes it very expressional like how they are scared shitless, how they react and sometimes how these characters looked so strange, like the guy with the Hawaiian shirt who explained about what’s happening. The comic is really interesting and horrifying at the same time with a lot of elements to come by. If you rather want to read a comic about a link between two worlds where everything is alive or dead, then this is for you.
November 26, 2023
That's Jeff Lemire at his best. Weird parallel universe story, characters with depth and family's issues, a strong mystery and a intrigue that keep you going. Can't wait to read volume 2!
July 29, 2023
A trucker comes across a car accident in the middle of the night. A mysterious object in the road seems to have caused it. When he touches it, both he and the survivor of the accident are transported to… nowhere. But different. Filled with mindless naked putty people. Their mission? Transport mysterious object somewhere. What’s going onnnn!?
Phantom Road is a half-baked Twilight Zone-ish story, which is intriguing and not poorly written, but this first volume doesn’t do anything besides set the story up and introduce one puzzling element after another, without really telling a satisfying story. It’s also stretched out because it’s a series so, despite being a quick read, you don’t feel like you’re reading anything at all - just premise basically - so it’s like a comics equivalent of fast food. You’ve ingested a bunch of calories but you don’t feel like you’ve eaten anything either.
Lemire draws you into the mystery competently and Gabriel Walta’s art is as dependably solid as ever. The threats in the other realm though - the naked mindless putties/zombies - are dealt with quite effortlessly by Dom and Birdie, so… they’re not really threats. To the point where they may as well not be there.
The introduction of FBI Special Agent Theresa Weaver was a much-needed layer to the story though we’re watching her find out things we already know, which isn’t exciting. Until she starts looking into Billy Bear Truck Stops and then things get momentarily interesting - and even more befuddling.
I do want to find out what happens next but I get the impression that this is going to be one of those titles that gets collected into one big jumbo omnibus after it’s all done and that will be the book to read, rather than these bitty volumes. As it is, this first volume is barely an amuse-bouche - a fine set-up book but unsatisfying in not delivering anything more substantial, which you would reasonably expect from a complete book.
Phantom Road is a half-baked Twilight Zone-ish story, which is intriguing and not poorly written, but this first volume doesn’t do anything besides set the story up and introduce one puzzling element after another, without really telling a satisfying story. It’s also stretched out because it’s a series so, despite being a quick read, you don’t feel like you’re reading anything at all - just premise basically - so it’s like a comics equivalent of fast food. You’ve ingested a bunch of calories but you don’t feel like you’ve eaten anything either.
Lemire draws you into the mystery competently and Gabriel Walta’s art is as dependably solid as ever. The threats in the other realm though - the naked mindless putties/zombies - are dealt with quite effortlessly by Dom and Birdie, so… they’re not really threats. To the point where they may as well not be there.
The introduction of FBI Special Agent Theresa Weaver was a much-needed layer to the story though we’re watching her find out things we already know, which isn’t exciting. Until she starts looking into Billy Bear Truck Stops and then things get momentarily interesting - and even more befuddling.
I do want to find out what happens next but I get the impression that this is going to be one of those titles that gets collected into one big jumbo omnibus after it’s all done and that will be the book to read, rather than these bitty volumes. As it is, this first volume is barely an amuse-bouche - a fine set-up book but unsatisfying in not delivering anything more substantial, which you would reasonably expect from a complete book.
November 10, 2023
I've gotten a little disillusioned with some of Jeff Lemire's Image books lately - they seem to end a lot earlier than they feel like they should, and that's made me a little sceptical about getting into Phantom Road.
My fears are assuaged a little here - most of these five issues are spent introducing characters and laying out the central mysteries of Phantom Road, a story seemingly about a parallel world and alien (?) artefacts. Usually I'd say that being this vague this early on is a detriment, but it says to me that Lemire might actually be on this one for longer than 10 issues or something - fingers crossed. It's all a bit more 'weird' than 'horror' so far; I'm not sure if that's intentional or not.
When I hear Gabriel Hernandez Walta's name, my brain goes straight to his run on Vision with Tom King, which is one of the quintessential 'normal person but tinged with terrible horror' type visuals. He seems right at home here with barren spaces and weird looking monster things, and I'm glad he's along for the (Phantom) ride.
Tentatively optimistic - we shall see.
My fears are assuaged a little here - most of these five issues are spent introducing characters and laying out the central mysteries of Phantom Road, a story seemingly about a parallel world and alien (?) artefacts. Usually I'd say that being this vague this early on is a detriment, but it says to me that Lemire might actually be on this one for longer than 10 issues or something - fingers crossed. It's all a bit more 'weird' than 'horror' so far; I'm not sure if that's intentional or not.
When I hear Gabriel Hernandez Walta's name, my brain goes straight to his run on Vision with Tom King, which is one of the quintessential 'normal person but tinged with terrible horror' type visuals. He seems right at home here with barren spaces and weird looking monster things, and I'm glad he's along for the (Phantom) ride.
Tentatively optimistic - we shall see.
November 22, 2023
Hard to assess Jeff Lemire's Phantom Road as this is definitely a "Volume 1" and there's no resolution in sight, so at this point, I'm mostly taken with Gabriel Hernández Walta's art, who manages to remind me of both Guy Davis and Howard Chaykin, with a rounded solidity despite his sketchy line. The book looks quite nice, with its earth-toned desert vistas and expressive characters. The premise: A trucker and a woman he finds at the sight of an accident are pulled in and out of a hellish in-between space inhabited by zombie-like beings. Also at that intersection is an FBI agent who once experienced the same thing as a little girl. And what does all this have to do with a truck stop chain and its mascot? Lemire builds a mystery on several fronts, but the problem with serialized mysteries is that we might lose sight of the prize before we get to the end, or rather, get to the the second volume. I really should have waited for the series to be completely over before reading because I'm sure to be lost by the time Vol.2 is available.
April 13, 2024
Well, it's not a father/son narrative... though it does feature perhaps a father-like figure for a woman/daughter as they're slammed together in a fast-paced, unexplained sci-fi narrative. Some real X-Files shit going on here, which I suppose is also standard fare for Jeff Lemire.
In Phantom Road, a trucker gets in an accident, touches a magical object that caused the crash, and is teleported to the flip side of Earth, which is pretty bleak and filled with putties. He's stuck with the woman who was in the other car (), and just as soon as they return to Earth, they're confronted with a task: drive the magical object somewhere at the behest of someone who may or may not run a nationwide truck stop business.
There's not a to go on in this first volume, but in typical jeff Lemire fashion, it's all extremely intriguing. Whether it will play out satisfactorily in the long run... eh, odds aren't great. But I'll be along for the ride.
In Phantom Road, a trucker gets in an accident, touches a magical object that caused the crash, and is teleported to the flip side of Earth, which is pretty bleak and filled with putties. He's stuck with the woman who was in the other car (), and just as soon as they return to Earth, they're confronted with a task: drive the magical object somewhere at the behest of someone who may or may not run a nationwide truck stop business.
There's not a to go on in this first volume, but in typical jeff Lemire fashion, it's all extremely intriguing. Whether it will play out satisfactorily in the long run... eh, odds aren't great. But I'll be along for the ride.
June 30, 2024
Apelando a mucho espacio (sic.) común del género de terror, Jeff Lemire se aprovecha de su renombre para poder presentar una nueva serie comiquera, supongo que de corta duración. Pero que en estos cinco primeros números apenas compone lo que sería su "episodio piloto". Pues realmente todo está concretado en un estilo y formato audiovisual. Como el hecho de utilizar imágenes del capítulo en la "portada" como si fuese un "teaser". El ritmo totalmente medido para dejar "cliffhangers" y plantar "mistery boxes" en torno a la situación y planteamiento "Twilight Zone" en el que se ven inmersos dos personas desconocidas pero que tendrán que recorrer una misma y extraña carretera plagada de siniestras formas humanoides más o menos hostiles.
El comic se ve beneficiado de la presencia gráfica de Gabriel Hernández Walta, quien logra amplificar el potencial de suspense y terror de cualquier relato de género. Manejando muy bien a sus personajes y los escenarios, para que cada página genere una atmósfera atrapante.
El comic se ve beneficiado de la presencia gráfica de Gabriel Hernández Walta, quien logra amplificar el potencial de suspense y terror de cualquier relato de género. Manejando muy bien a sus personajes y los escenarios, para que cada página genere una atmósfera atrapante.
August 30, 2023
This has some promise, but for now, it's just one mystery piled on top of another. A truck driver assists a young woman who's been in a car crash and the two of them discover a mysterious artifact in the middle of the road. Moments later, they've been transported to some other, gray dimension, filled with shapeless, putty people. Eventually, they discover they've been tasked with transporting the artifact somewhere east, to Golgotha. Meanwhile, there's an FBI agent on their trail who appears to have some knowledge of that gray dimension. Great art throughout from Walta and the story seems intriguing. But Gideon Falls started out fairly promising too, with great art, and it never really went anywhere. So, I'm cautiously recommending this volume and will be on the lookout for the next, hoping that things become a bit more clear. You can't just pile mysteries up without ever resolving them; that's not a story.
November 6, 2023
The team behind Sentient reunite for a Twilight Zone-esque story about a trucker driving down a haunted highway transporting a mysterious object. The initial hook is fairly interesting with an intriguing backdrop of desolate rest stations and bleak landscapes, but the mystery squandered quickly when it becomes apparent that there aren't going to be any clear answers in this first volume. The highly decompressed style of story makes it so that this will probably read better once completely collected, since the individual issues making up this first trade feel wholly incomplete. The bright spot here is Walta's artwork which utilizes a gorgeously minimalistic aesthetic to make the decrepit landscapes really work. Walta has always excelled in horror imagery, but it's a bit of a shame that the script doesn't give him much to work with. I'll probably check out the next volume, but I might be more interested in reading it all once the series is completed.
March 11, 2024
It is billed as Mad Max meets the Sandman. It is not really close to either.
Lemire's writing is good and this one certainly has elements or Black Hammer, Vol. 1: Secret Origins and Gideon Falls, Vol. 1: The Black Barn as there is an offbeat and slightly scary mystery that neither the characters nor the readers are aware of. Certainly a trope Mr. Lemire likes to use.
Gabriel Walta is a solid artist with a distinctive style that suits the story.
Lemire's writing is good and this one certainly has elements or Black Hammer, Vol. 1: Secret Origins and Gideon Falls, Vol. 1: The Black Barn as there is an offbeat and slightly scary mystery that neither the characters nor the readers are aware of. Certainly a trope Mr. Lemire likes to use.
Gabriel Walta is a solid artist with a distinctive style that suits the story.
November 19, 2023
2.5 stars
Lemire is still great at partnering with talented artists; Walta’s distinctive drawing looks nice and it’s colored in uncharacteristically muted earth tones by Bellaire. The story is less compelling, though. If you’re hooked on Lemire’s type of slow, mysterious starts and don’t mind him juggling his reveal of really anything about this one with the several other slow, mysterious starts on other comics he’s got going right now then you might love the vibes of this. Personally, I’ve read too many similarly insubstantial beginnings from him in recent years and not anywhere near enough satisfying payoffs. It’s totally possible this is the first part of what ends up being a great completed series, but there’s just not that much to feel anything about yet.
Lemire is still great at partnering with talented artists; Walta’s distinctive drawing looks nice and it’s colored in uncharacteristically muted earth tones by Bellaire. The story is less compelling, though. If you’re hooked on Lemire’s type of slow, mysterious starts and don’t mind him juggling his reveal of really anything about this one with the several other slow, mysterious starts on other comics he’s got going right now then you might love the vibes of this. Personally, I’ve read too many similarly insubstantial beginnings from him in recent years and not anywhere near enough satisfying payoffs. It’s totally possible this is the first part of what ends up being a great completed series, but there’s just not that much to feel anything about yet.
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