Phantom Road #1 Review: An Intriguing Premise Leaves an Impression
After months of anticipation, the debut issue of Phantom Road has arrived – and it absolutely lives up to the hype. The premise itself is simple: a long-haul truck driver runs into trouble on a particularly deserted stretch of highway, resulting in some disastrous consequences. On paper, it may be a trope that seems a bit too tired, but this creative team wastes little time in putting its own stamp on things, giving readers an intriguing premiere that leaves an impression on those it touches.
From the moment you open the comic's front cover, a peak Lemire-ian vibe pulls you in with its atmospheric tone, one amplified tenfold by the work of Gabriel H. Walta. 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.
When it comes to Phantom Road, the pace is slow and off-kilter side characters quickly create an uneasy tone. At no point does the script allow readers to become comfortable, a method to help create tension on every single page. While the issue isn't full-on horror, one uncomfortable moment after the next lays the discomfort on so thick, you'd need a jackhammer to chisel your way through it.
Two unnamed characters serve as protagonists and readers get an extended look at one of them, the aforementioned long-haul trucker. Halfway through the issue, fans get a look into some childhood moments that make the character who he is in the present, and that's part of the ingenuity behind Phantom Road. While the team focuses on story, there's enough character work to make this a well-rounded tale within the span of a single issue.
That's not to forget the work of Walta and Jordie Bellaire, the second time this team has worked together after TKO's Sentient (Walta and Bellaire previously team up with Tom King on Marvel's wildly popular The Vision series). While this story probably could have gotten accomplished with other artists, the style of Lemire himself is one that springs to mind as a match, Walta's textured inks result in a faux painted feeling, non-perfect and a bit rough-around-the-edges – all in the best way possible.
Phantom Road is just a few pages short of a perfect debut, and perhaps that's part of the allure. The story is so good, it leaves you hungry for more once the back page finally closes.
Published by Image Comics
On March 1, 2023
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Gabriel H. Walta
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover by Gabriel H. Walta and Jordie Bellaire