Defenders of the Earth #2 (of 8)
(W) Dan DiDio (A/CA) Jim Calafiore
In Shops: Sep 25, 2024
SRP: $4.99
A new combatant lurks deep within the jungle-familiar but different. The Council of Phantoms has chosen a new heir with a different form of justice. Meanwhile, Kro-Tan’s sphere of influence is growing, and his grip is tightening. It’s clear that times have changed, and new threats challenge these heroes on a deeper and more personal level…
Defenders of the Earth #1
(W) Dan DiDio (A/CA) Jim Calafiore (L) Carlos M. Mangual (CB) Djordje Djokovic
Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician and Lothar are united again in this reimagining of the classic animated series, Defenders of the Earth. Picking up with characters and storylines from the original series, Flash confronts Ming in final battle, only to find that even greater threats await him and his teammates as they each must confront ghosts of their past to protect their families and future.
Defenders of the Earth
(W) Stan Lee, Bob Harras, Michael Higgins
(A) Alex Saviuk, Fred Fredericks
The legendary cult classic mini-series is collected for the first time!
Sci-fi legend Flash Gordon must team up with the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and the super-strong Lothar to defend planet Earth against the dark forces of Ming the Merciless. Luckily, they’ll get some help from the next generation of heroes: their children! Collects issues 1-4 of the original 1987 run from Star Comics.
Iconic heroes pass the torch to the next generation! Embark on the return of Defenders of the Earth, an exhilarating reimagining of the beloved adventure series, coming soon from Mad Cave Studios. Inspired by the classic Defenders of the Earth cartoon series, writer Dan DiDio and artist Jim Calafiore join forces in this groundbreaking comic, sure to shake up the universe.
The newly-minted Defenders of the Earth comic is not just about superheroes; it’s about the human struggles and triumphs behind the masks—drawing inspiration from contemporary issues and timeless themes, while tackling relevant topics of gender, familial expectations, and the ethical dilemmas of modern heroism. With society at a crossroads and betrayal lurking in the shadows, the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Each character grapples with their own demons, forging their own path while honoring the legacy of those who came before them.
Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician and Lothar are united again in this reimagining of the classic animated series, Defenders of the Earth. Picking up with characters and storylines from the original series, Flash confronts Ming in a final battle, only to find that even greater threats await him and his teammates as they each must confront ghosts of their past to protect their families and future.
The first action-packed issue in an eight-part series!
Defenders of the Earth is an epic journey of courage, sacrifice, and redemption, reminding us all that the greatest battles are fought not with fists, but with heart. Fans of the original series will find plenty to love while blazing a trail for the next generation of heroes.
Cover A by Jim Calafiore, cover B “action figure variant” by Djordje Djokovic, and cover C by Andy Clarke (2000 AD). Letters by Carlos M. Mangual.
Defenders of the Earth #1 from Mad Cave Studios in partnership with brand owner, King Features, hits shops August 14th.
Mad Cave Studios is celebrating the 90th anniversary of Flash Gordon in a big way! The full 2024 Flash Gordon publishing program has been unveiled at ComicsPro, by Director of Marketing, Keith Davidsen.
An iconic American comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond, has become a timeless symbol of thrilling space adventures and heroic exploits. Since its debut in 1934, Flash Gordon has captured the imagination of readers worldwide with its dynamic storytelling, captivating artwork, and memorable characters.
The ew releases from Mad Cave Studios will feature a new Flash Gordon ongoing series and related works including Defenders of the Earth trade paperback (1980s reprint), an all-new Defenders of the Earth miniseries, Flash Gordon Quarterly, classic newspaper strip hardcover collections, and a Flash Gordon Adventures! all-ages book, from the publisher’s Papercutz imprint.
FLASH GORDON ONGOING SERIES
(W) Jeremy Adams (A) Will Conrad (C) Lee Loughridge (L) Taylor Esposito (CA) Dan Panosian
May
Audiences will thrill with a race against time as Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, and Doctor Zarkov try to stop the villainous Ming the Merciless from using the Unraveller, a device that can unwind an object to their subatomic structure in one apocalyptic burst of energy.
This all-new series begins with Flash Gordon #0, available as a free promotional item at participating retailers worldwide on Free Comic Book Day 2024 (Saturday, May 4) and featuring cover artist Dan Panosian. The ongoing story continues in Flash Gordon #1 in July.
DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH TPB
June
Flash Gordon teams up with The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar, and the next generation of legends! Based on the beloved 1980s cartoon series, this 96-page trade paperback collects the classic 1987 four-issue miniseries for the first time ever, featuring legendary creators: Stan Lee, Bob Harras, and Michael Higgins, with pencils by Alex Saviuk and inks by Fred Fredericks. Features a dynamic new cover by Scott Chantler (Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen).
DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH MINISERIES
August
The 8-issue miniseries based on the beloved 1980s cartoon. While featuring a nostalgic vibe, it’s crafted with all the energetic and engaging storytelling from today’s best comic book teams (TBA).
FLASH GORDON QUARTERLY
September
Mad Cave’s upcoming quarterly series will tell stories of Flash Gordon, Ming, and more beloved characters in wildly entertaining genres that you’d never expect. Each issue spotlights a new and unique take on the characters.
FLASH GORDON: THE COMPLETE LIBRARY OF NEWSPAPER STRIPS
October
(Tentative title) Essential reading for Flash Gordon enthusiasts. A gorgeous archival 200-page hardcover series of Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon newspaper strips comprise legendary strips from the 1930s and throughout the decades. Solicitation begins July 2024.
FLASH GORDON ADVENTURES!
The debut Flash Gordon original graphic novel from Mad Cave Studios’ middle-grade imprint, Papercutz! Flash Gordon Adventures! will introduce the iconic space hero to the next generation through a whimsical young readers program, providing a unique opportunity to invite and engage fans of all ages into the world of Flash Gordon.
In an ode to 1930s pulp strips, Dynamite‘s latest five-issue miniseries brings together a trio of non-super superheroes (The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Flash Gordon) in an epic quest to save the world. It has been nearly 30 years since their last reunion in the 1986 animated series Defenders of the Earth. This time, these unlikely heroes must join forces against nightmares-turned-reality as experienced by millions of people across the globe.
Writer Jeff Parker has huge shoes to fill. They say Lee Falk, creator of Phantom and Mandrake, ripped off his oxygen mask in his final days to dictate his last comic scripts to his wife Elizabeth to finish. Falk maintained that creator-owned passion of his pulp heroes for over six decades. As a first issue, Parker hasn’t fleshed out enough of the characters or story for me to judge whether the torch has been appropriately carried on. All three protagonists are in different locales, facing different sets of problems. From the outset though, it looks he’ll bring them together in epic fashion.
The handful of questionable artistic decisions within the story are quickly overlooked by illustrator Marc Laming‘s phenomenal cover and title logo. Like the unmistakable f, t, and g+ of the world’s social media titans, Laming’s skull, eye, and lightning bolt in the title make a fantastic brand for the series.
That being said, there were a couple panels in the Phantom’s jungle battle that bothered me. The first was a close up shot of the creature’s eye being impaled by our purple hero’s sword. The small size of the weapon was so disproportionate to the dinosaur, as drawn in previous panels, that it completely threw me off guard. A page later, I was again taken aback when he drew the Phantom running across an elephant’s trunk. While it pays homage to the heydays of our pulp hero, the absurdity of it ruined the seriousness of that scene.
While I personally feel Dynamite Comics made a great choice in bringing this team back as a miniseries, after reading that they sold out the 10,000+ print run on the first day of release, I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing them regularly. Die hard fans can rejoice, their comic strip pulp trio is back.
Story: Jeff Parker Art: Marc Laming
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read
Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
