Phantom Road #1

Writer: Jeff Lemire Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: March 1, 2023 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 14 User Reviews: 31
8.2Critic Rating
8.4User Rating

+ Pull List

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 meeting high-concept supernatural fantasy in the first issue of a bold new miniseries from JEFF LEMIRE (THE BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS, LITTLE MONSTERS) and GABRIEL HERNÁNDEZ WALTA (The Vision, Hellboy and the B.P more

  • 9.8
    Comic Watch - Dustin Gebel Mar 1, 2023

    Phantom Road #1 is a lonely, haunting read that cuts through its genre conventions to tell the beginning filled with emotional complexity and flashes of ruthless action. From its cold open utilizing an almost comic strip format to the long stretches of darkened highways and then endless expanses of desert, the writing, art, and colors all speak to a stripped-down but enthralling tale of lost souls. Fans of quieter stories with plenty of introspection and monstrosities will love this issue, which plays into the strengths of Lemire, Walta, Bellaire, and Wands. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    ComicBook.com - Adam Barnhardt Mar 1, 2023

    From the leap, Phantom Road has the Twin Peaks qualities Jeff Lemire tends to draw upon in nearly all of his titles and for that, you can't blame him. Lemire knows what he writes exceptionally well and continues to hit pay dirt with this recipe. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Crusaders - Johnny "The Machine" Hughes Mar 1, 2023

    With shades of Hotel California ringing in my ears after reading this book, I am intrigued to see where Lemire "keeps on trucking will drive the character forward. Is it just survival or is there something else in play down the line? I wonder what Dom would give for Optimus prime right about now? Read Full Review

  • 8.7
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Mar 1, 2023

    Walta delivers some amazing art in the issue. Not only does the art capture the desolation and loneliness of the road, but it beautifully details the world of the characters. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Multiversity Comics - Joe Skonce Mar 2, 2023

    Phantom Road #1 is an incredibly effective visual comic that masterfully creates tone and tension with color saturation and harsh lighting. Its a road you want to travel down. Read Full Review

  • 8.2
    Monkeys Fighting Robots - Justin Munday Feb 13, 2023

    A great concept executed exceptionally well, Phantom Road #1 is a stellar opening chapter to this new horror series from two of the industry's best talents. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Lotusland Comics - Hank Rea Mar 1, 2023

    QUICK REVIEW: If you want weird and creepy supernatural sci-fi(?), then Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Jordie Bellaire have you covered with their new series, 'Phantom Road.' What looks and feels like a low-budget indie grindhouse film, 'Phantom Road' examines the turbulent memories of a long-haul trucker who can't shake the instability of his childhood that's found him following in his father's footsteps. Dom is on the road in a desolate desert setting brought to life by Walta and Bellaire in dusty and beige tones. Walta's sketchy designs give the series a grounded appearance until things get bizarre and threatening. Dom comes across Birdie in a car accident and a mysterious artifact sends them to a strange world like our own but with monsters. It's a bizarre piece of surrealistic fantasy and character study. It invokes a little of M. Night Shyamalan's 'Signs' with the exploitative themes of films like 'Race with the Devil.' It's arthouse terror for comics and definite Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Book Revolution - Kevin Lainez Feb 27, 2023

    From where it starts to how it ends Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Walta, and Jordie Bellaire create a comic book you get lost in with Phantom Road #1. If you're a fan of supernatural horror this is comic book you don't want to miss picking up. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Capes & Tights - Jared Thomas Mar 2, 2023

    Lemire continues to prove why he is one of the best creative minds in comic books today. His writing is captivating and entertaining, drawing readers into this mysterious world with ease. Gabriel Hernandez Walta's artwork also fits the story perfectly; it has a haunting quality that immerses readers in each scene and captures the full range of emotions felt by Dom and Birdie on their journey. The story moves along at a good pace, leaving readers wanting more after each page turn! Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    AIPT - Piper Whitaker Feb 28, 2023

    Phantom Road is a strong start on a bumpy dirt road. Lemire's strengths and weaknesses are both on display, and the art does a lot of the foundational work for the story. This is a comic to keep your eye on for awhile. Read Full Review

  • 7.9
    Graphic Policy - Brett Mar 1, 2023

    Phantom Road #1 is a slow start but an interesting one. There's a lot of questions set up but also a focus on the characters and direct danger that gives the issue a bit of a punch. It's a good start though the team has done better. Still, Lemire, Walta, Bellaire, and Wands is a creative team that you know you can count on paying off in the end and based on the start, I'd expect that here too. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    GWW - Emmet Davis Mar 1, 2023

    If you pick up the first issue of Phantom Road from Lemire and Walta, know that you'll have to be in for the long run. For good or for bad, the first issue is a lot of set up with not enough pay off. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Big Comic Page - Adam Brown Mar 4, 2023

    At first, admittedly quick, pass I thought Phantom Road was going to be some Trucker vs Zombie action; something I wouldn't have been adverse to despite the genre being somewhat tired of late. Instead, I was treated to a supernatural horror thriller which is punchy, pacy, and piques the interest. Whilst this debut issue maybe hasn't hooked me completely, I definitely wouldn't say no to seeing more. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    The Comicbook Dispatch - dragoncache Mar 2, 2023

    Phantom Road #1's familiar premise, identifiable characters, and fast-moving story caught me in its draft and carried me along. It evokes The Twilight Zone and The Walking Dead. Edvard Munch's painting The Scream also comes to mind. As a passenger on this strange journey, I wonder where the series will take me next. Read Full Review

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