‘Flash Gordon #1’ Comic Review

Flash Gordon #1 is the first issue of an upcoming miniseries from Dynamite Entertainment. This is one of five miniseries that comprise a relaunch of the King Features books and is set to coincide with the 100th anniversary of King Features. The other four characters that are starring in their own miniseries are The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Prince Valiant, and Jungle Jim. Debuting in January 2015, the five titles will eventually bring the characters together in a crossover event, which will take place in May 2015. The story in the Flash Gordon miniseries is handled by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, with art by Lee Ferguson, and all of the debut issues of the series will have interlocking cover art produced by Darwyn Cooke(!).

The character of Flash Gordon was originally created in 1937 by Alex Raymond, and starred in a popular science fiction adventure strip, which ran in syndication in various newspapers. Owned by King Features Syndicate, the character was both inspired by, and published in direct competition with the previously created Buck Rodgers  adventure strip. Flash and his companion (and love interest), Dale Arden, are kidnapped by the slightly deranged (yet brilliant) Dr. Hans Zarkov. After a meteor shower hits Earth, Zarkov invents a rocket ship that will help him travel to the planet that is the source of the meteor attack, forcing Flash and Dale to be his companions on the voyage.

King Flash Gordon Review 1

Traveling to the planet of Mongo, they run afoul of the ruthless dictator, Ming the Merciless, who is behind the attack on Earth. Refusing to accept Ming’s authority, the trio sets out to overthrow the villainous ruler, both rallying the oppressed and becoming leaders of the resistance that is trying to free themselves from Ming’s iron grip. During the course of their adventures, they not only visit many different parts of Mongo, but travel to other planets that are held under the sway of Ming’s rule, and back to their home planet (Earth).

The current story starts with the disclaimer, “A merciless conqueror attacked Earth, knocking our technology back 100 years! But Earth’s defenders rebelled and prevailed! Now, to save a cosmos, Earth’s heroes take to the stars, hellbent on galactic victory…”. The story opens with Ming being surrounded by holographic images of Flash’s various victories (he’s not having a good time, trust me), and then jumps to the current location of our heroic trio. Flash is a bit under the weather after overindulging at a victory party, and is fairly blurry about the last eight hours or so. His relationship with Dale, and the actions that they possibly engaged in the night before, are foremost in his clouded mind. In the end, nothing is resolved, due to Zarkov’s interruption of their discussion.

King Flash Gordon Review 2

The three are on their way to a new planet that is still under Ming’s control, for a scheduled audience with the local leader of the resistance. There are a number of surprises in store for the three intrepid adventurers along the way, and it becomes apparent that Ming somehow knows their every move. Is there a traitor in their midst, and if so, who? Nevermind the mission, will the three be able to escape Ming’s agents, and leave the alien world with their heads still attached? A most pressing question, indeed…

The story by Acker and Blacker is fairly straightforward, giving the reader a tale of interplanetary adventure, but may be a bit confusing for first-time readers. If you’re not familiar with the characters and the universe, the writers give you little time to catch up, dropping you straight into the ongoing storyline. The characters themselves are fairly basic; Flash being the jock that does the heavy lifting, Dr. Zarko is the half-mad genius who no one understands—not even the (supposedly) superior enemy— and Dale is the token female love interest.

Except, that’s not how it plays out. Flash is both insecure about his status as a hero, and conflicted by his feelings for Dale. Zarkov is a bit mad, but he makes up for it with the genius part, and is one step ahead of his enemies throughout the issue. As far as Dale Arden goes, she is perfectly capable of carrying her own load (along with Flash’s, and Zarkov’s), and is the most balanced of the characters presented, hence my favorite. The character development and story escalation are at a minimum, as this is only a single issue, but there are good building blocks in place for a solid series.

King Flash Gordon Review 3

The art by Lee Ferguson is professional, despite not being a favorite style. Ming is depicted in fairly deep shadow, while the heroes are presented in a very clean style, with minimal shading and texture. The dichotomy of the two presentations may very well be symbolic, which is appreciated, but a uniform artistic style would have been more appreciated. Lee’s clean line-work, character designs, and depiction of movement are all strongpoints. His facial work (especially on his female characters) is also admirable. The problem with the art is, while being professional grade work, there is still an element of sameness between Lee’s style and a number of other current artist’s works. It’s lacking that critical flourish that would set it apart from the rest of the pack. Regardless of my caveats, Lee turns out some really solid art.

Here are my final thoughts on the release. Both the story and the art are presented in a professional manner, and there are more elements contained in the release to like than there are to dislike. For new readers, the series may be a bit hard to connect with, as the events are a direct reaction to Dynamite’s earlier miniseries, King’s Watch. Despite being labeled as a first issue, the series continues an ongoing storyline that started in the earlier miniseries, and may confuse anyone who hasn’t been actively following previous events in the Dynamite universe. While new readers may need time to catch up, established fans of the Dynamite’s version of Flash will find much to love in this new miniseries. All in all, a good start to a new comic book ‘event’.

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