Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon #1

/ / Comics

Flash Gordon #1

A new Flash Gordon adventure begins with our hero awakening on a prison planet known as Planet Death. It’s been a bit, and a few publishers, since I picked up a Flash Gordon comic so I was unsure what to expect from this first issue. It gives us a grizzled Flash who the universe believes is dead, but manages to fight his way out when given the proper incentive from a new prisoner who mentions Dale Arden is in danger. By the end of the issue Flash looks a bit more like the hero of the title, but the rest is still a bit confusing.

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Flash Gordon: King’s Cross #1

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Flash Gordon: King's Cross #1The first issue of Dynamite Entertainment’s new five-issue mini-series unites Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, Hans Zarkov, Dale Arden, and the Phantoms against the return of Ming the Merciless. Ming’s latest attacks include tidal waves decimating cities all around the world and transforming an island into Mongo on Earth complete with giant sea monsters for our heroes to deal with.

Created to have the look and feel of a Golden Age comic, Flash Gordon: King’s Cross #1 should please old-school Flash Gordon fans. Although I’m not wild about Flash’s costume, this version of the character worked well-enough for me.

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Top Ten Super-Hero Movies (Before They Were Cool)

/ / Top Tens & Lists

Top Ten Super-Hero Movies (Before They Were Cool)

Believe it or not there was a time not so long ago where it wasn’t common to have super-heroes ruling the box office. Back in the day comic fans were lucky to get a comic movie every few years let alone multiple movies released all in the same summer. Long before Marvel Studios began building their Marvel Cinematic Universe and Christopher Nolan rebooted his Dark Knight super-heroes still found their way to the silver screen, albeit in smaller numbers. Imbued with a certain cheesy charm that today’s far gritter heroes might scoff at, these movies give us heroes in the true meaning of the word. Released between the period of 1940 and 1996, here are the Top Ten Super-Hero Movies (Before They Were Cool).

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Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword #6

/ / Comics

flash-gordon-invasion-of-red-sword-6-coverFlash Gordon: The Invasion of the Red Sword ends here. I’ve found the latest mini-series from Ardden Entertainment more frustrating than the first but it’s had just enough moments to make me pick up the final issue which finds Flash Gordon uniting the various factions of Mongo to drive the Earth soldiers known as the Red Sword off of Mongo and back to Earth.

Once again the comic relies far too much on paragraphs of exposition and dialogue, especially from Flash and Zarkov. The actual battle only takes place on a few scatter panels between character discussions of the situation and flashbacks to Zarkov’s past and his connection with the leader of the Red Sword.

It’s not a great conclusion, but it does wrap up the main story as well as lay the foundation for the next mini-series which looks to have more of Ming and Queen Azura. Hit-and-Miss.

[Ardden Entertainment, $3.99]

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Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword #1

/ / Comics

flash-gordon-red-sword-1-coverThe long overdue sequel to Ardden Entertainment’s Flash Gordon: The Mercy Wars finally hit shelves (only four months late). The first issue of this second series finds Ming the Merciless presumed dead, an unsteady peace between the rival princes of Mongo (Barin, Vultan, Thun), and Flash, Dale, and Zarchov still without a way home.

The uneasy alliance is further strained when Mongo’s global translator begins to malfunction and the different species of Mongo can no longer communicate. Sounds like it’s time for a hero!

Flash, Barin and a small group of soldiers climb the largest mountain in Mongo to discover what has happened to the translator as Dale and Vultan come under attack from Agent Brand and soldiers from Earth intent on saving Earth from the “animals” of Mongo.

Despite the long delay this is a fairly good re-introduction to the characters and launching point for a new mini-series. It’s been awhile since I looked at The Mercy Wars but was still able to easily follow the characters and events of this series. Worth a look.

[Ardden $3.99]

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