Sales Stall Phantom Road: Lemire & Walta Series Faces Significant Delay

Supernatural horror series Phantom Road, from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and artist Gabriel Walta (The Vision), is hitting another major pothole. The Image Comics series faces a significant delay, pushing its return to Fall 2027 at the earliest.

Lemire confirmed the news on his Substack, stating the brutal truth: sales haven't been sustainable. This difficult reality forced Walta to take on other work to make a living, leading to Phantom Road's extended hiatus. The series, which follows a long-haul truck driver and a mysterious artifact into a surreal nightmare, launched in 2023 and has seen a stop-start publication history, with its last issue, #15, released in September 2025.

Despite the long wait, Lemire assures fans that the creative team — including colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Steve Wands — remains deeply committed to finishing the story. The plan is to complete the saga with Issue #25. It's a tough pill for readers to swallow, but the creators promise the eventual conclusion will be worth the patience.