The Trail to Gravelines Prison

The Trail to Gravelines Prison
Start date:	August 16th, 2010
End date:	December 11th, 2010
# of strips:	102 strips (17 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Paul Ryan
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"Terror Cells of New York"
Followed by:	"Chatu's Fate"

"The Trail to Gravelines Prison" is the 230th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Paul Ryan. It is the fourth part of a longer story, totally consisting of five.

Plot synopsis

Lee Falk briefly mentions that the India Voyager II sets it course for Rhodia with the mission to find Diana.

At the India Voyager II, Captain Savarna wonders how the Python found out about Diana, but the Phantom has no idea. He suppose that the mysterious woman on the phone was an ally of Chatu, not really daring to think that it really was Diana.

The Phantom contacts President Luaga and informs him that Chatu might know about Kit and Heloise. Luaga warns the Phantom that his mission to Rhodia is Chatu toying with him, but the Phantom cannot miss the chance that she still might be alive.

They arrive to Rhodia and leaves the India Voyager II in secret, despite that Rhodian authorities shoots undocumented foreigners. After som minor fights with Rhodian officials, they check in at a hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Walker. The Phantom spots an interesting story in the newspaper; someone has broken out of Gravelines Prison and then broken themselves into a nearby house.

They go to the house and gets confirmed that it happened at the same hour as the mysterious person called the Palmers in the US, even though the homeowner did not know whether she spoke in the phone or not.

The Phantom then enters the Gravelines Prison and masquerading as a guard checks the records to find the section from where the prisoner escaped, he then starts checking all the cells in that part of the prison, though stopping and not checking the last one since he the prison warden turns up, thereby missing that Diana is in that cell. The Phantom is about to give up and returning, but then realizing that not checking that last cell is not how he do things, thus he returns and though he is not able to check the cell, he eavesdrop at a conversation that the Prison warden has with the prisoner, thereby learning the name Cole and that she is assigned to the farm detail.

During the daylight, the Phantom watches "prisoner Cole" from afar and cannot rule out that she is not Diana. He then meets with Savarna and asks her to go to sea with the India Voyager, because if the prisoner really is Diana, he will need Captain Savarna there.

Next, the Phantom takes the place of one of the mounted prison guards that the prison warden has especially assigned to guard "prisoner Cole". After a closer look at "prisoner Cole", the Phantom recognizes her way to walk as being that of Diana and he is finally convinced that he has found her!

The Phantom rides up to her and when she recognizes him, he takes her up at the horseback, then he tries to silently take her away. However, the prison warden, having found the knocked-out prison guard, realizes that something is wrong and the Phantom and Diana ends up being surrounded by prison guards. Diana tries to buy the Phantom's life by agreeing to come with them, but the Phantom has no such plans. Suddenly, there is an explosion in the prison.

It is Savarna who is shelling the prison from the India Voyager II. As she continues shooting, the Phantom rides to escape, Diana sitting behind him. After the escape, they head for Mawitaan.

To be concluded

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The Phantom
• Captain Savarna
• Chatu
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Lamanda Luaga
• Gravelines Prison Warden

One-time characters

• Rhodian Security personnel

Real-life characters

• Lee Falk (as narrator)

Locations

• USA
  • New York
• Rhodia
  • Rhodian harbour town
  • Gravelines Maximum Security Prison

Vehicles

• India Voyager II

Behind the panel

• Tony De Paul confirmed that exclamation point in the title was just a typo that happened somewhere along the line.

Related stories

Referenced in

• "The Rhodian Column" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley
• "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley
• "The Journey Home" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• The Daily Telegraph August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• Shepparton News August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• Townsville Bulletin August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• The Courier-Mail September 7, 2010 – January 4, 2011
• The Advertiser September 20, 2010 – January 17, 2011
• The Cairns Post October 7, 2010 – January 27, 2011
• "The Python Strikes Back, Part 4", The Phantom #1602 (2011)

Colombia

• "El Juicio a la Prisión Gravelines", El Colombiano September 8, 2010 – January 6, 2011

Finland

• Aamulehti February 17, 2012 – June 16, 2012
• Keskipohjanmaa August 16, 2012 – ?, 2012
• Karjalainen August 28, 2012 – ?, 2012
• Ilkka ? – ?, 2013
• "Dianan jäljillä, osa 2", Mustanaamio Spesiaali 3/2013 (2013)
• Demokraatti January 20, 2015 – July 23, 2015

India

• Nava Bharat December 17, 2010 – April 16, 2011
• Anandabazar Patrika May 24, 2011 – September 20, 2011
• "The Trail to Gravelines Prison", Terror of the Python (2022)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010

Norway

• Fædrelandsvennen October 25, 2010 – February 21, 2011
• Bergensavisen May 13, 2011 – July 25, 2011 - without the last four strips
• "På sporet av Sala, del 2", Fantomet 19/2011
• Nordlys October 18, 2011 – February 25, 2012 (the last strip from original date November 23, 2010)
• Sandefjords Blad October 31, 2011 – February 27, 2012
• Østlendingen November 17, 2011 – March 15, 2012
• Tønsbergs Blad December 14, 2011 – April 16, 2012
• Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen January 10, 2012 – May 15, 2012
• Østlandsposten February 3, 2012 – June 8, 2012
• Lofotposten February 17, 2012 – June 21, 2012
• Agderposten February 22, 2012 – March 23, 2012 (the first strip from original date November 11, 2010)
• Romsdals Budstikke March 5, 2012 – July 9, 2012
• Grimstad Adressetidene March 8, 2012 – July 17, 2012
• Varden August 22, 2012 – December 18, 2012
• Oppland Arbeiderblad April 27, 2017 – August 28, 2017
• Aftenposten June 27, 2013 – October 6, 2013

El Salvador

• La Prensa Gráfica March 25, 2011 – July 15, 2011 - without the first week

Sweden

• "Spåret till Gravelines Prison", Svenska Dagbladet August 10, 2011 – November 21, 2011
• "I Dianas spår, del 2", Fantomen 20/2011
• Jönköpings-Posten ?, 2013 – November 14, 2013
• Skaraborgs Läns Tidning January 2, 2014 – July 4, 2014 (first strip missing)
• "Spåret till Gravelines Prison", Smålands-Tidningen September 24, 2014 – January 26, 2015
• "Spåret till Gravelines Prison", Folkbladet October 23, 2014 – February 24, 2015

Turkey

• "Gravelines Hapishanesi'ne Giden İz", Kızılmaske #42 (2017)

USA

• Boston Herald August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• The Citizens' Voice August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• Delaware County Daily Times August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• Houston Chronicle August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• The News Item August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010
• Reading Eagle August 16, 2010 – December 11, 2010

Venezuela

• "El Juicio a la Prisión Gravelines", El Nacional September 8, 2010 – September 19, 2010 - the first two weeks only