Story Title: The Phantom: Return of the Golden Circle
Book: The Phantom: 2000th Issue
Story and Script: Julie Ditrich
Pencils: Wendell Cavalcanti
Inks: Wendell Cavalcanti
Colours: Ivan Pederson
Letters: Alan Ho
Cover: Daniel Picciotto
Alternate Supanova Cover and Poster: Glenn Ford
Editor: Glenn Ford
Genre: Action Adventure
Background: A sequel to Lee Falk and Ray Moore’s classic Phantom adventure The Golden Circle (1939-1940), The Return of the Golden Circle revisits one of the Phantom’s most formidable adversaries more than eighty years after their original appearance.
Synopsis: Seven years after thwarting the notorious Golden Circle and sending its members to prison, the Phantom finds himself targeted once more by the vengeful gang of female jewel thieves. Spanning the Deep Woods and the glittering streets of Paris, the Golden Circle returns with a daring new scheme and a score to settle. As they prepare their most audacious heist yet, the Phantom must stay one step ahead of his old enemies and turn their own methods against them before innocent lives are lost. But the Golden Circle has learned from its past mistakes, and this time, revenge is part of the plan.

The Story Behind the Story: When Glenn Ford invited me to pitch new Phantom adventures, one idea immediately captured my imagination: a sequel to The Golden Circle, a classic story first published in the late 1930s.

I was fascinated by the original premise. A diabolical all-female criminal gang, determined to avenge their defeat at the Phantom’s hands, provided the perfect foundation for a new adventure. The original story blended danger, intrigue and an unexpected undercurrent of romantic tension, leaving just enough unanswered questions for me to imagine what might happen if the Golden Circle returned many years later.

Before the adventure could begin, however, I first needed to solve one important problem: how do you convincingly bring the Phantom back to Paris? Once I found the answer, the story seemed to know exactly where it wanted to go.

As with many of my comics, research became an essential part of the process. I assembled around one hundred pages of visual reference for artist Wendell Cavalcanti, covering everything from locations and architecture to props and atmosphere. Along the way, I consulted an explosives expert, a stunt coordinator and two French-speaking friends to ensure that the technical details, action sequences and dialogue all felt authentic. The climactic location demanded particularly careful research, as I wanted every aspect of the finale to feel both exciting and believable.

Looking back, The Return of the Golden Circle remains one of the most enjoyable stories I have written for The Phantom. Once the central idea fell into place, the story unfolded with remarkable ease, making the writing process an absolute joy. Watching Wendell bring those scenes to life was an even greater pleasure and a reminder that comics are, at their best, a true collaboration between writer and artist.