Visions of the Phantomfield Book One: Counting Shabbits – Magic, Monsters and Memories in a World Beyond the Living from Edward “Rohkova” Welch

THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2025! It’s always a treat to dive into some manga amongst all of the incredible comics and zines at Thought Bubble, and one title in particular really stood out from this year’s review submissions. Visions of the Phantomfield Book 1: Counting Shabbits by Edward “Rohkova” Welch is a western adventure manga that marks the beginning of a planned series, and it’s an impressively strong start.

Drawn in traditional manga style, the story unfolds within the Phantom Field; a strange and liminal world that exists somewhere between life and death, where dreams and memories still linger.

The worldbuilding is excellent throughout: readers are quickly immersed in the lore and the fascinating creatures that inhabit this realm. Lost souls often steal the bodies of plants, twisting them into monstrous weeds that threaten to overrun the land… if not for the bravery of the shabbits, rabbit-like guardians with mysterious powers. Our protagonist, Capri, has lived her whole life in the Phantom Field, working as a shabbit shepherdess who guides and protects these creatures. When a wizard summons her for help, Capri soon discovers her greatest adventure is only just beginning…

Visions of the Phantom Field is gorgeously imagined and visually confident debut, blending fantasy, folklore, and western-inspired adventure with the pacing and emotional beats of classic manga. We look forward to volume 2, where our burning questions can be answered, and we can get even more lore about Phantom Field! What does it all mean?!

This is Edward Welch’s first time exhibiting at Thought Bubble, so be sure to stop by and discover Visions of the Phantomfield in person!

Edward Welch (W/A) • Self-published, £8.00

Buy online here

Review by Lydia Turner

Viraj Joshi will be at Table D18b in the Redshirt Hall at Thought Bubble.

Thought Bubble 2025 runs from November 1oth-16th with the convention weekend taking place on the 15th-16th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here. 

Read all our Thought Bubble 2025 coverage so far in one place here.

Poster by Ng Yin Shian