Tag Archives: ray fawkes

Dynamite’s Pathfinder comics get collected in an Omnibus collecting three story arcs

Dynamite Entertainment has announced a new extra-sized epic tome compiling several sizzling sagas of Paizo‘s Pathfinder characters and mythos for an omnibus volume perfect for fans to binge read! Across a whopping 560 pages, this capacious compendium packs together three core story arcs from the nearly 15 fabulous years of comics featuring the hit tabletop roleplaying experience from Dynamite.

Pathfinder comic book adventures all started In Dark Water Risingdriven by fan-favorite writer Jim Zub known for his fantasy fables and RPG inspired epics like Conan the Barbarian, Skullkickers, Wayward, and a deep bibliography with Marvel Comics. The warrior Valeros can rely on his sword arm and his friends, including the mysterious sorceress Seoni, the quick-witted elven rogue Merisiel, the powerful wizard Ezren, the well-traveled dwarven ranger Harsk, and the courageous cleric Kyra. Though nothing can prepare this band of adventurers for the dangers that lurk ahead. The scattered goblin tribes of Varisia are unifying in ways no one has ever seen before.

Then in its follow up Tooth and ClawValeros and his companions are tasked with tracking down a mysterious beast scaring the locals of Sandpoint. They find more than they bargained for, as a simple monster hunt unfolds into a twisted tale of danger and betrayal when the Cult of Lamashtu seeks to exact its revenge on our iconic heroes! Zub is complemented in these two story arcs and their extras by artists including Andrew Huerta.

The initial flagship series is all collected here, but it’s topped off with the anthology series Goblins which turns the spotlight to the iconic pint-sized psychopaths, as they wreak havoc across the land. Infamous for their unpredictable attacks, catchy raiding songs, hatred of dogs, and fear of horses, the iconic goblins of Pathfinder blend mischief and murderous mayhem like no other monsters. A range of creators contribute including Charles Soule, Ron Marz, Adam Warren, Erik Mona, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Crystal Frasier, Ray Fawkes, Carlos Gomez, Sean Izaakse, Craig Rousseau, Jeremy Holt, Eric Trautmann, Paul Allor, and more.

The Pathfinder Omnibus includes Pathfinder (2012) #1-12, the 2014 special, Pathfinder: Goblins #1-5, and a range of bonus materials including a short story and lots of RPG materials that fans can bring directly to the game night.

Pathfinder Omnibus

Preview: The Phantom #5

The Phantom #5

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Russell Olson

HE WHO DEFIES THE PHANTOM DEFIES JUSTICE ITSELF! The Phantom is injured and finally lies within Arif Singh’s gun sights. But most of Singh’s men have already fallen to the Phantom’s mark — and the leader of the Singh Brotherhood has dangerously underestimated a legend. Justice stalks the jungle as the first arc of Ray Fawkes and Russell Olson’s ongoing epic comes to an explosive close!

The Phantom #5

It’s The Phantom vs. The Sky Band in April

In a tight, 40-page one-shot, altitude, money, and machines won’t save you in Bangalla! Mad Cave Studios and King Features Syndicate has announced The Phantom vs. The Sky Band, a 40-page one-shot that drops readers into a relentless showdown where justice is swift, inescapable, and eternal.

Written by Ray Fawkes with art by Federico Sabbatini, colors by JUANCHO!, and letters by the award-winning Taylor Esposito, this one-shot follows the trail laid in The Phantom #1-5 with a new story perfect for fans of the series and brand-new readers. The Phantom vs. The Sky Band pits The Ghost Who Walks against a ruthless band of mercenaries who believed technology and altitude made them untouchable. They were wrong.

The Sky Band entered the Phantom’s domain when they took blood money to carry the Singh Brotherhood into Bangalla. They thought their helicopters would make them untraceable, immune. Now the mercenaries-for-hire will face the Phantom’s wrath. Those who survive…will be irreparably MARKED. 

The Phantom vs. The Sky Band Cover A is by Federico Sabbatini, and Cover B by Freddie Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse.

On sale April 22, 2026The Phantom vs. The Sky Band is a 40-page one-shot that delivers a complete, high-stakes story rooted in the Phantom’s enduring legacy. Designed as an accessible entry point for new readers and a must-have chapter for longtime fans, this special issue will be available at comic shops everywhere, with Final Order Cutoff set for March 30.

Peview: The Phantom #4

The Phantom #4

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Russell Olson (L) Taylor Esposito

DEADLIER THAN A COBRA’S STRIKE!

The Phantom has eaten away at the forces of the Singh Brotherhood — but the soldiers are seemingly endless, and the people of the Bandar village are still under threat. There’s an old jungle saying… ‘The Phantom never dies.’ Asif Singh will put it to the test. The battle grows desperate in the newest installment of Ray Fawkes and Russell Olson’s stylish epic!

The Phantom #4

Preview: The Phantom #3

The Phantom #3

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Russell Olson (L) Taylor Esposito

HIS WRATH IS SWIFTER THAN THE WIND!

And it’s coming for the Singh Brotherhood! Even the most hapless soldier knows the lore of The Ghost Who Walks — and only their arrogant leader is convinced the stories are false. Now that he’s threatened the village of the Bandar, The Phantom’s closest friends and allies, Asif Singh will learn just how real the legend is.

The Phantom #3

Preview: Blue Palo Verde

Blue Palo Verde

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Rimanti (C) Rifan Kartakusumah (L) Frank Cvetkovic

An ex-con searches for her missing father in a cultish oasis town called Promise in this folk horror tale set against the backdrop of the American Southwest.

Newly released from prison, Kristine Woods discovers that her father has disappeared into a mysterious town hidden in the New Mexico desert. When she arrives to the town of Promise, though, she doesn’t find an average Southwestern town but an oasis of blossoms and lush greenery in the desert… and a sheriff that wants her gone by sunset! Now, it’s up to Kristine to find her father and rescue him from the unnatural threat of this bizarre town and its inhabitants, even as something even more ominous and powerful lurks beneath the surface. What is she willing to give to protect not only her father but the community she’s found?

Eisner Award-nominated writer Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Gotham by Midnight) and visionary artist Rimanti Nurdarina invite you to explore the town of Promise and the secrets it holds in this atmospheric folk horror tale of dread and redemption set against the splendor of the American Southwest.

Blue Palo Verde

Preview: The Phantom #3

The Phantom #3

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Russell Olson (L) Taylor Esposito

HIS WRATH IS SWIFTER THAN THE WIND!

And it’s coming for the Singh Brotherhood! Even the most hapless soldier knows the lore of The Ghost Who Walks — and only their arrogant leader is convinced the stories are false. Now that he’s threatened the village of the Bandar, The Phantom’s closest friends and allies, Asif Singh will learn just how real the legend is.

The Phantom #3

Preview: Blue Palo Verde #5

Blue Palo Verde #5

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Rimanti (C) Rifan Kartakusumah (L) Frank Cvetkovic

Kristine must face off with the blood thirsty Sheriff Whitlock, as she makes the ultimate decision: whether to stay with her father in Promise as penance or seek the freedom she has been wanting for years…The hotly anticipated folk-horror story of dread and redemption concludes in October 2025!

Blue Palo Verde #5

Preview: The Phantom #2

The Phantom #2

(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Russell Olson (L) Taylor Esposito (CA) Freddie Williams II

THE PHANTOM NEVER DIES! But no one said anything about his friends and family. When drugrunners of the Singh Brotherhood lose a valuable shipment in the jungle, it’ll be the villagers of Bandar who pay the price. But the Brotherhood thinks the Phantom is a myth. They’re about to taste the cold fist of reality. Ray Fawkes and Russell Olson’s stylish new era continues in another pulse-pounding issue!

The Phantom #2

The Phantom #1 Brings Back the Classic Character for a Bumpy Start

The Phantom #1

When a violent gang of smugglers stubbles on an idyllic Bandar village, the peace that the Phantom has brought to the African nation of Bangalla will suddenly shatter. It will take all of the Phantom’s many skills — and allies — to restore it. The Phantom #1 returns almost 90 years after his debut with a new series and a new publisher and it’s… a rough start.

Written by Ray Fawkes, the Phantom is back! Created by Lee Falks in 1936, the character has had starts, restarts, movies, and more over the decades since his debut. The latest series feels like it attempts to mix up some of that history as far as style and delivery, giving a somewhat pulp adventure debut that drops readers into the action. The first issue revolves around a crashed plane, packed with drugs, and the owner and gang who want it back. It builds things up to a clash between drug dealers and a village with The Phantom there to help save the day. In other words, it’s a rather predictable story that has some pulp adventure aspects to it but offers little that’s new, different, or all that exciting.

Fawkes’ narrative is interesting with narration that bounces between first and third person for a reading experience that feels a bit odd and stilted at times. The Phantom recounts his initial encounter with a crashed plane to Diana as he gets patched up, generally dumping readers into the action. Things are generally explained enough so readers can understand what’s going on, who matters, and get the general details though specifics aren’t one for this issue. If you want an origin, this isn’t it. Instead, there’s fights, threats, and a cliffhanger ending. All of it is pretty standard for this type of comic mining the classic style of it all with few updates.

The art is decent. Russell Olson is joined by Taylor Esposito on the lettering and the look of the character and comic has a bit more of a Chris Samnee vibe to it than the classic pulp style. It looks good and the action is entertaining. But, the art also gives it a bit of a playful feel to it, diminishing the danger of the various situations. The style would be great for a more swashbuckling, ancient temple, dangerous traps type of story. But, drug dealers, and threats of mass murder doesn’t quite fit the style.

The Phantom #1 isn’t bad but it also is rather odd. The narrative focus seems to jump around a bit and the story overall doesn’t deliver much that’s new. It also doesn’t lean into its classic pulp vibes enough instead, it just kind of is. A find comic to read but when there’s so much out there now, it doesn’t deliver anything new or exciting to stand out.

Story: Ray Fawkes Art: Russell Olson Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Story: 6.5 Art: 7.0 Overall: 6.5 Recommendation: Pass

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicsKindle

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