Jeff Lemire Blames Lengthy Phantom Road Hiatus On Sales

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Published Jul 9, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT

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One of the defining creative minds behind creepy fantasy comic books for the modern era just might be Jeff Lemire. Outside of his acclaimed superhero stories like Old Man Logan and Absolute Flash, the writer's award-winning work on the likes of Sweet Tooth and The Nobody has kept audiences satisfyingly spooked.

However, one of Lemire's more recent horror comic books, named Phantom Road, has not managed to leave the haunting impact that he hoped and, lately, those who have picked up a copy in their day have wondered when they can expect to see the next chapter. The author recently provided an answer, albeit a disheartening one.

Jeff Lemire Explains Phantom Road's Hiatus

On July 8, 2026, Jeff Lemire posted a new blog entry to his Substack Tales from the Farm, named after one of the short stories from his acclaimed dramatic graphic novel, Essex County. In the brief post, he addresses the future of Phantom Road, and even begins by mentioning that he has received many questions about it since its last issue hit the shelves in Sept. 2025.

The author shares that he intends to bring Phantom Road back from its current hiatus for another arc in the fall of 2027 and bring it to a final conclusion with its 25th issue. He assures that he and the creative team behind the story will make it worth the wait.

He explains that the horror comic book series has not achieved a sustainable level of popularity, forcing him to shelve it for the time being. Lemire also explains that the book saw its debut at a time when the industry was already at a financial standstill and has struggled to ride its more recent waves of success since.

He even reveals that, due to its low sales, Phantom Road's illustrator, Gabriel Hernández Walta, had no choice but to find another means of occupation to make ends meet for the time being. This news comes as a shock to the fans who describe the series as one of the most criminally underrated for its time in the comments section.

Phantom Road Is A Terrifying Trip

A group of faceless beings attack people in a car in Phantom Road by Image Comics

The mere thought of traveling alone in an area of the country miles away from civilization is enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. However, Jeff Lemire brings this unpleasant scenario to viscerally nightmarish levels with Phantom Road.

The story follows a long-haul truck driver with a tragic past named Dom and a lone traveler named Birdie, who are brought together when Dom decides to help Birdie after she has suffered a horrific car accident. While inspecting the wreckage, the pair comes across a mysterious artifact that soon sends them on an impromptu journey of unimaginable, otherworldly proportions.

Launched in Mar. 2023 by Image Comics, Phantom Road is a personal favorite for its author, as he points out in his latest Tales from the Farm blog post, but it is not widely considered one of the best Jeff Lemire comics, mainly due to its low readership. The Canadian writer and artist is better known for his aforementioned Essex County stories and post-apocalyptic Sweet Tooth (both of which have been adapted for television) and his current work writing Absolute Flash for DC.

Gabriel Hernández Walta previously collaborated with Lemire on the bestselling TKO Studios sci-fi graphic novel, Sentient, but is also known for designing the surreal world of Tom King's experimental Marvel Comics series, The Visions, which was a source of inspiration for WandaVision on Disney+. Serving as the colorist for Phantom Road is Eisner Award winner Jordie Bellaire, who is also part of the Absolute imprint, having colored Absolute Wonder Woman, and has worked on James Tynion IV's The Nice House saga.

Phantom Road #15, the most recent issue in the series, is now available where comic books are sold.