The Phantom comic book series was published by Mad Cave Studios commencing on the 24th of September 2025. The series showcases an original story that progresses from one edition to the next, released in both digital and physical formats.
Mad Cave Studios is a comic book publishing house based in Miami, Florida, USA established in 2014. The company was created by writer Mark London, with founding members including Giovanna Tobar Orozco, Miguel Zapata and Cecilia Medina.
Mad Cave Studios publish a range of comic books and trade paperbacks, originally partnering with distributor Diamond Comic Distributors. In following years, Mad Cave Studios continued to grow, partnering with Maverick imprint and Simon & Schuster for distribution, plus acquiring Papercutz and the introduction of licensed and creator-owned projects.
The Story
As the first light of dawn broke, painting the horizon with a palette of soft hues, the Phantom found himself deep within the Bangalla Jungle. His presence at such an hour was not a product of choice, but of necessity; a pursuit that had extended late into the night. This landscape, his home, is a place of profound contradiction—a sanctuary of ten thousand shades of green that is simultaneously a theater of unimaginable peril. The air was alive with the shrill cries of monkeys and the cautionary calls of birds of paradise, a symphony of warnings that spoke of lurking predators.
The Phantoms mission had led him to a crude trail, a wound in the soft loam of the forest floor left by a military surplus jeep. The spatter of blood on the tire tracks confirmed his suspicions: poachers were operating in this protected region. Their quarry, he surmised, was the magnificent Bangalla Tiger, a national treasure whose very existence was a testament to the wild spirit of this land. His immediate instinct was to intervene, to stop this desecration. Yet, a closer inspection of the tracks revealed a chilling reversal of roles. This predator had not been their victim; it had followed them. The hunt was now in the other direction.
The question of why these men had come here and what they had done was momentarily eclipsed by a more pressing thought: what sort of individuals dared to face this relentless wilderness? The jungle is a crucible, testing the very core of those who enter it, and the strength to survive here, he had found, springs from one of three sources: virtue, desperation, or madness. As he considered the poachers, he could immediately dismiss virtue. But before he could contemplate the other two possibilities, a profound stillness fell over the forest, and the hairs on his neck stood on end.
The tiger’s presence was not seen, but felt—an icy current of fear that preceded its physical form, like the silent approach of a storm cloud. It was a looming, inevitable force. And then, there it was, an immense and breathtaking creature, its gaze fixed directly upon him. In that moment, a moral calculus took hold. These men, who had come to kill, were now themselves hunted. Did they deserve to be saved? Was their impending fate the just retribution of the jungle itself? He knew that the nature of their strength remained unknown to him, and that their ultimate test was at hand. A choice had to be made, a line drawn between a natural, cold fury and the complex burden of human morality. His purpose was clear: to protect the innocent. And if these men, despite their actions, were not purely evil, then he would have to save them from a force far more ancient and powerful than themselves.
Free Comic Book Day
Mad Cave Studios launched this new Phantom comic book series with the debut of edition number zero on Free Comic Book Day on the 3rd of May 2025.
The comic book contains 32 full color pages (including the cover), with the comic strip story written by Ray Fawkes and illustrated by Russell Olson, lettering completed by Taylor Esposito. The cover is illustrated by Greg Smallwood, while Miguel A. Zapata is responsible for the book design. The editor of this publication is Chas! Pangburn, published by Mad Cave Studios, LLC. The front and back covers can be seen below.
Phantom comic book edition number 1 was released on the 24th of September 2025 containing 32 full-color pages. To mark this first edition in the series, a variety of variant covers were produced, a total of eight, illustrated by artists Freddie Williams II, Caanan White, Russell Mark Olson, Dan Brereton, Natacha Bustos, Maria Wolf and Mike Spicer.
A sample of internal pages can be seen below.
Phantom comic book edition number 2 was released on the 29th of October 2025 containing 32 full-color pages. This edition was released with three variant covers illustrated by artists Freddie Williams II, Canaan White and Natacha Bustos.
Phantom comic book edition number 3 was released on the 3rd of December 2025 containing 32 full-color pages. This edition was released with 3 variant covers illustrated by artists Freddie Williams II, Caanan White and Natacha Bustos.
Phantom comic book edition number 4 was released on the 7th of January 2026 containing 32 full-color pages. This edition was released with 3 variant covers illustrated by artists Freddie Williams II, Caanan White and Natacha Bustos.
Phantom comic book edition number 5 was released on the 11th of February 2026 containing 32 full-color pages. This edition was released with 3 variant covers illustrated by artists Freddie Williams II, Caanan White and Natacha Bustos.
Variant Comic Covers
A variant comic book cover was issued in September 2025 for edition number 1, featuring cover art by Tom Feister. This particular edition was made available exclusively for purchase from the comic book store Main Street Geek, located in Front Royal, Virginia, United States. The front cover of the comic was published in color and contains the same content as the internal pages of the Phantom comic book edition number 1 within the series. Images of the front and back covers are presented below.
A New York Comic Con ‘Convention Exclusive‘ variant comic book cover was issued in September 2025 for edition number 1, featuring cover art by Marco Santucci. This particular edition was made available exclusively for purchase from the comic convention from the Mad Cave Studios booth which was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, USA from Thursday the 9th of October thru till Sunday the 12th of October 2025. The front cover of the comic was published in color and contains the same content as the internal pages of the Phantom comic book edition number 1 within the series. The front cover can be seen below.
A variant comic book cover was issued in October 2025 for edition number 1, featuring cover art by Jesse Hansen and Tom Rapka. This particular edition was made available exclusively for purchase online, limited to only 50 copies. The front cover of the comic was published in color and contains the same content as the internal pages of the Phantom comic book edition number 1 within the series. The front cover can be seen below.
A variant comic book cover was issued in October 2025 for edition number 1, featuring cover art by Keith Williams. This particular edition was made available exclusively for purchase from the comic book store Boom Tube Comics, located in Southington, Connecticut, United States. The front cover of the comic was published in color and contains the same content as the internal pages of the Phantom comic book edition number 1 within the series. The front cover can be seen below.
Trade Paperbacks
The Phantom comic book series by Mad Cave Studios as seen above is due to be released in trade paperback graphic novel format. The first volume will contain 152 color pages measuring 10.13” x 6.63” with an expected release date of 21st of April 2026. The front cover as shown below is illustrated by Freddie Williams II.
This inaugural volume is described in advertisements as:
The first collection of the new ongoing series! Critically-acclaimed writer Ray Fawkes and artist Russell Olson refresh a beloved franchise. While fans of the Phantom will love the homages and easter eggs placed throughout the series, it’s a perfect collection for new fans as well, with an accessible, fun adventure story that showcases the Phantom’s awesome athleticism as well as his compassion for animals and for the African community he helps protect.
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