The Journey Home
The Journey Home | |
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Start date: | September 18th, 2023 |
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End date: | January 13th, 2024 |
# of strips: | 102 (17 weeks) |
Writer: | Tony DePaul |
Artist: | Mike Manley, Bret Blevins & Jeff Weigel |
Original colorist: | KFS staff |
Preceded by: | "Dungeons Undone" |
Followed by: | "The Chain" |
"The Journey Home" is the 264th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Mike Manley, Bret Blevins (uncredited), and Jeff Weigel.
Plot synopsis
A strange, bearded figure approaches the waterfall, believing that the Bandar are watching him. As he enters the Skull Cave, we see that it is Kit. Sitting on the Skull Throne is Old man Mozz. Kit wants to know why the waterfall is unguarded, but Mozz wants to know just when Kit knew he would leave the mountain city and monastery. Kit tells him, then Mozz just walks away, leaving Kit to wonder why the Bandar village appears abandoned.
Meanwhile, the Bandar begin to leave their camp near the Rhodian border. Diana awakens with The 21st Phantom and then Captain Savarna greets her like a long-lost sister. Diana, who has read Mozz's predictive tale, is suspicious.
Elsewhere, President Lamanda Luaga greets the refugees from Gravelines Prison. At Gravelines, a car approaches with Admiral Leopold Braga and Corporal Smith. Braga sees the aftermath of the battle, finds the imprisoned guards but does not free them, He proceeds to his scheduled meeting with Savarna, where he was to have offered her a pardon in exchange for her assassinating Luaga.
The Phantom and Diana introduce Savarna to the waterfall and the Skull Cave it conceals, and find Kit. They quickly separate Kit and Savarna, apparently to prevent his mentioning Jampa in her presence. Kit assures his dad that he wasn't followed from the mountain city to the Skull Cave, but that he intends to return there. Dad warns Kit not to mention anythig about the mountain city to Savarna. After discussing what Mozz asked Kit, however, he retracts that warning.
Savarna showers and dons a skimpy Bandar outfit, bedazzling young Kit. She settles into life in the Deep Woods. One morning, weeks later, a Bandar watchman awakens the Phantom to tell him that Kit and Savarna are at the waterfall, leaving. Kit comes back shortly, alone. Later, Kit and Heloise are texting each other; Heloise wants to introduce him to Kadia, but Kit is still infatuated with Savarna. Savarna shows up in the Indian mountain city, with a pistol, stalking Jampa. She follows him to his office, then to the tea shop, where she apparently shoots him.
Appearances
Recurring characters
- Kit Walker
- Old man Mozz
- The 21st Phantom
- Diana Palmer-Walker
- Guran
- Devil
- Babudan
- Captain Savarna
- President Lamanda Luaga
- Viola Odhiambo
- Chief Constable Jampa
- Heloise
- Kadia Sahara
- Hero
- Manju
One-time characters
- Admiral Leopold Braga, Rhodian Navy
- Corporal Smith, Rhodian Navy
Locations
- Bangalla
- Deep Woods
- The Waterfall
- The Skull Cave
- The Skull Throne
- The Chronicle Room
- The Outdoor Shower
- The Phantom Crypt
- The Skull Cave
- The Bandar village
- The Waterfall
- Phantom Head Peak
- Mawitaan
- Deep Woods
- India
- The Himalayas
- Arunachal Pradesh
- The Mountain City (mentioned)
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Guwahati (mentioned)
- Delhi (mentioned)
- The Himalayas
- Rome (mentioned)
- Casablanca (mentioned)
- Mombasa (mentioned)
- Rhodia
- Gravelines Maximum Security Prison
- The Trail to Gravelines
Tribes
Organisations
- Rhodian Navy
Ships
- India Voyager II (mentioned)
Items
- The Rhodian Bullet
Related stories
Refers to
- "The Trail to Gravelines Prison" by Tony De Paul and Paul Ryan
- "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley
- "The Reunion" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Australia
- Shepparton News August 8, 2024 – December 30, 2024
- "The Journey Home", The Phantom #1986 (2024)
Colombia
- "El viaje de vuelta a casa", El País January ?, 2024 – May ?, 2024
Fiji
- The Fiji Times September 30, 2023 – January 27, 2024
India
- "ঘরে ফেরা" (romanized as "Ghare fera"), Anandabazar Patrika October 31, 2023 – February 27, 2024
Jamaica
- The Daily Gleaner September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
Mexico
- "El viaje de vuelta a casa", El Informador June 7, 2024 – September 26, 2024
The Philippines
- The Philippine Star December 18, 2024 – April 15, 2025
El Salvador
- "El viaje de vuelta a casa", La Prensa Gráfica January 27, 2025 – ?
Spain
- "El viaje de vuelta a casa", El Correo March 11, 2024 – June 21, 2024
- "El viaje de vuelta a casa", Las Provincias March 11, 2024 – June 21, 2024
Sweden
- "Färden hem", Svenska Dagbladet January 18, 2024 – April 29, 2024
- "Resan hem", Fantomen 25-26/2024
USA
- The Times September 18, 2023 – October 30, 2023 (incomplete)
- Anderson Independent-Mail September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Bangor Daily News September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Boston Herald September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- The Citizens' Voice September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Delaware County Daily Times September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- The Macomb Daily September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Houston Chronicle September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- The Huntsville Times September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- The News Item September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Press Enterprise September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Reading Eagle September 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024
- Royal Oak Tribune September 20, 2023 – January 12, 2024 (missing Monday and Tuesday strips)