Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time is a comic book based on the animated series Danny Phantom. Written by Gabriela Epstein, it was published by Abrams Books and Nickelodeon on July 18, 2023.[1]
On November 9th, a second graphic novel was confirmed to be released in Fall of 2025.[3]
Plot[]
This all-new graphic novel based on Nickelodeon's animated series Danny Phantom takes readers on a time traveling adventure that takes place directly after the series finale with the original ghost gang: Danny Fenton and his best friends Sam Manson and Tucker Foley! When the gang starts experiencing time travel glitches, Danny's archnemesis Vlad Masters arrives on his doorstep with terrifying news: Dark Danny has escaped from his prison!
Danny must then get his friends together and partner with Vlad to jump through time and space and unlock secrets of the Ghost Zone! But can they make it back to Amity Park before Dark Danny destroys the ghost gang's entire world?[1]
Synopsis[]
The story takes place after the apocalyptic Disasteroid, Danny Phantom is no longer living in secret and is famed for his heroic deeds; Amity Park reversed into a common patrol town for ghost hunters and teenagers. Danny's ghost powers are somewhat diminishing.
His best friend/girlfriend Sam, and short-term mayor Tucker experience a strange time distortion when appearing in the Middle Ages and facing Princess Dora's Dragon Form before suddenly transporting back to the present. After attending a city's convention, they experience another time skip and decide to investigate, when Vlad Plasmius appears and explains the situation: after surviving the Disasteroid, Vlad realized he had nowhere to return on Earth and desperately tried asking Clockwork's help; in the disputation, Vlad accidentally released Danny's evil self from the Fenton Thermos.
Dark Danny then breaks Clockwork's staff and brutally forced him into a merge transformation resulting in a twisted time & space continuum that would emit a high implosion in the Ghost Zone, thus destroying it [and the Earth] if not resolved soon. Powerless Danny and allies reluctantly join Vlad when he claims to have clues on the Ghost Zone's Ecto-Energy source. The Infi-map however cannot relocate to something beyond ancient, so they have to search manually within the oldest place in the Ghost Zone - Pariah Dark's tomb. After evading more reality trips and the Fright Knight, Vlad and the teenagers unravel 'the Seven' ancient relics that indicate ghosts are manifestation of human emotions, proving Jazz's theory.
Danny realized his declining powers are due to losing his purpose after the Earth became "ghost proof", also Vlad felt ashamed that his thirst for power only drove his desired loved ones away. Meanwhile, the Fentons and Valerie tried protecting Amity Park from Dark Danny's wrath is now on the verge of destruction. A fully-restored Danny Phantom and reformed Vlad teamed to stop Dark Danny in an overwhelming defeat. Clockwork is freed from the fusion. Danny refuses to trap Dark Danny in the Thermos as he's now dissolving from the timestream. Vlad takes responsibility and lets Dark Danny inhabit his body as atonement.
To fix the disrupted timestreams, Clockwork can open two doors that will lead Danny and gang into stable realities using the time medallions they wear; but with a cost. Door One goes to where Danny won't have his powers, and Door Two is where he is erased from the Disasteroid event. They choose the latter. In the new timeline, Danny's fame is gone and his ghost half is a secret again, including Vlad's. Vlad is at his mansion where Dark Danny is converted into one of his experimental clones and becomes his surrogate son. Despite these changes, Danny believes there will be other good probabilities for him in the future. He, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz go to eat at the Nasty Burger until they deal with the Box Ghost. At the very end, Valerie is shown to have survived the time merger because she still has her time medallion, meaning she still remembers both Danny and Vlad's alter egos.
Characters[]
- Danny Fenton/Phantom
- Sam Manson
- Tucker Foley
- Jazz Fenton
- Jack Fenton
- Maddie Fenton
- Vlad Masters/Plasmius
- Skulker (cameo appearance)
- Ember McLain (mentioned)
- Desiree (mentioned)
- Penelope Spectra (mentioned)
- Box Ghost (cameo)
- Fright Knight
- Pariah Dark (mentioned)
- Dash Baxter
- Kwan
- Star
- Paulina
- Valerie Gray
- Mr. Lancer (cameo)
- Shelly Makamoto (cameo)
- Lance Thunder (cameo)
- Tiffany Snow (mentioned)
- Dark Danny
- Clockwork
- Dora the Dragon Ghost
- Ernesto Montez
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- For now, this book is unknown to be canon to the main story due to Butch Hartman not being involved in it.
- The events of this story contradict Butch Hartman's "10 years later" artwork.
- The most significant change is that Danny's involvement in the events of Phantom Planet were removed from history, restoring Danny's secret identity status. However, in the "10 years later" artwork, Danny is still regraded as a public hero and icon for his accomplishment in saving the world from the Disasteroid.
- When Vlad's recount of his banishment in seen, he is shown watching the Disasteroid pass through an intangible earth from a distance. However, in the canon series ending, Vlad is hit by the Disasteroid after it phases through the planet, further putting the story's canonicity into question.
- Several kinds of technology, such as smartphones, are shown despite the fact that Danny Phantom was set in a period before these devices were invented.
- On page 174, Valerie is seen in the crowd in her civilian outfit after the timeline changes. Then on page 180, she is seen in the Ghost Zone in her suit with the battle damage from the Dark Danny fight.
Series continuity[]
- Valerie's "Plasmius Thermos" from "Shades of Gray" appears.
Allusions[]
- The Owl House
- Two people can be seen dressed up as Luz Noceda and Amity Blight for the ceremony event in Amity Park.
References