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The Defenders Unite! The Complete Modern Reimagining Arrives This November

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Flash Gordon. The Phantom. Mandrake the Magician. Lothar. Some of the most iconic adventure heroes in comics history came together in Defenders of the Earth. 

Now, Mad Cave Studios, in partnership with King Features Syndicate, is bringing the entire modern reimagining together for the first time in Defenders of the Earth: The Complete Collection.

Written by Dan DiDio with art by Jim Calafiore, Alex Sanchez, and more, colors by Juancho!, and letters by Carlos M. Mangual, the oversized 320-page paperback collects all 12 issues of the series, picking up the characters and storylines of the original animated series while pushing the Defenders and their families into a new era.

The Defenders stage a multi-world hunt for the missing Dale Arden, The Phantom fights for his spot in the family legacy, and the younger generation—Rick, LJ, Jedda, and Kshin—take up their mentors’ roles as both Earth and Mongo fracture in political chaos!

For longtime fans of the original Defenders of the Earth animated series, classic King Features adventure comics, and sprawling superhero team stories, Defenders of the Earth: The Complete Collection delivers the entire modern saga in one volume, bringing its legendary heroes and the generation following them together against a world coming apart.

Defenders of the Earth: The Complete Collection goes on sale November 17, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545829172 | $29.99).

Defenders of the Earth: The Complete Collection

Rip Kirby returns to comics this November! Get a first look!

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The case is almost open. Mad Cave Studios and King Features Syndicate have revealed a first look at Rip Kirby #1, the all-new series bringing one of comics’ most influential detectives back to the page this November.

Written by two-time Eisner Award nominee Christopher Sebela, illustrated by Tango, colored by KJ Diaz, and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry, Rip Kirby delivers a fresh mystery built on one of comics’ most enduring foundations.

War hero. Star athlete. Brilliant scientist. Savvy private investigator. Rip Kirby’s reputation is long secured, and these days he’s enjoying the post-war boom of New York City. With gorgeous and quick-witted Honey Dorian at his side and reformed criminal valet Desmond running the show, it’s a perfect life and perfectly balanced. It’s been perfect for what seems like forever… But Rip’s world is about to get complicated, and his unflappably decent ways are newly tested. Up against a world that seems to be growing too fast, can an upstanding man of morals and fair play like Rip remain himself, or will he be swallowed up by the ugliness?

In 1946, co-creators Alex Raymond and Ward Greene introduced Rip Kirby, a detective who stood apart from the era’s hard-boiled heroes. Solving cases through intelligence, scientific reasoning, and careful observation rather than brute force, Kirby helped redefine crime fiction and left an enduring mark on newspaper strips for generations to come.

The debut issue by Sebela and Tango goes on sale November 4, 2026, with a Final Order Cutoff of October 12, 2026. Rip Kirby #1 will be available with Cover A by Annie Wu, plus a Cover B, Cover C, Cover D, a foil edition, and a blank sketch cover—with more details on the way soon.

Award-Winning Cartoonist Scott Chantler Takes On His First Flash Gordon Tale with Flash Gordon: Two Worlds

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Mad Cave Studios and King Features Syndicate have announced Flash Gordon: Two Worlds – Vol. 1, the first installment of a two-part, original graphic novel by award-winning cartoonist and 2026 Ringo nominee Scott Chantler, with colors by Eisner-nominated Kike J. Díaz.

Twenty-five years and sixteen books into his career, Chantler is taking on a major licensed character for the first time with a two-volume, standalone story that returns Flash Gordon to the mid-century visual language and pulp adventure of Alex Raymond’s original comic strip and movie serials. Entirely separate from Mad Cave Studios’ other Flash Gordon series, Two Worlds looks backward to move the character forward, pairing classic heroics and adventure with an existential take on Flash Gordon and the world around him.

In a world where Flash Gordon never flew to space to stop him, Ming the Merciless rules over a conquered and devastated Earth. There, a nameless laborer looks to the sky and dreams of the hero he might have been.

On Mongo, the Emperor’s tormented bride, Dale Arden, cannot shake the memory of a man she saw briefly on an airplane years ago. Who was he? And why does it feel like they were meant to have met?

Chantler is the creator of Two Generals, nominated for two Eisner Awards, selected for Best American Comics 2012, and named by CBC’s Canada Reads among the 40 best Canadian nonfiction books. His work also includes Northwest Passage, nominated for Eisner and Harvey Awards, and the Three Thieves series, winner of the Joe Shuster Award for Best Comic for Kids and a YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. In 2015, he became the University of Windsor’s first Cartoonist-in-Residence.

Embracing the history, romance, heroics, and visual language that made the character an icon, Flash Gordon: Two Worlds – Vol. 1 finds something new within them. Rooted firmly in the Flash Gordon of the 1930s comic strip and movie serials, the standalone graphic novel is built for longtime fans while remaining accessible to readers discovering Mongo for the first time.

Flash Gordon: Two Worlds – Vol. 1 goes on sale November 10, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545834206 | $19.99) and hardcover (ISBN: 9781545834190 | $24.99) formats.

Flash Gordon Two Worlds – Vol. 1

The Ghost Who Walks Faces His Deadliest Enemy Yet in a High-Stakes Battle Against Arif Singh and the Brotherhood in The Phantom vs. The Singh Brotherhood

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The Phantom walks. Evil dies. Mad Cave Studios and King Features Syndicate have announced The Phantom vs. The Singh Brotherhood, an explosive new 40-page one-shot bringing Lee Falk’s legendary hero into direct conflict with one of the deadliest criminal forces on the planet.

Written by Ray Fawkes with inks and colors by The Phantom series artist Russell Olson, and letters by Taylor Esposito, the issue features Cover A by Mark Spears and Cover B by Freddie Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse.

It’s all come down to this—The Phantom vs. Arif Singh and his Brotherhood! After the Brotherhood’s failed attack on Bangalla, Singh was all set to rot in prison. But concrete walls cannot stop the man who controls one of the most notorious criminal enterprises in the world. Only The Phantom can. Or this time, he might just die trying.

For nearly 90 years, The Phantom has stood as one of comics’ definitive pulp heroes. Known as “The Ghost Who Walks,” the legendary protector of Bangalla helped shape the masked vigilante archetype with generations of stories rooted in justice, myth, and a relentless war on evil.

A collectible chapter for longtime Phantom readers and fans of globe-spanning pulp adventure, The Phantom vs. The Singh Brotherhood delivers classic heroism, explosive action, and high-stakes crime fiction as the Ghost Who Walks faces one of his deadliest enemies yet.

The Phantom vs. The Singh Brotherhood goes one-shot drops in shops August 19, 2026, with Final Order Cutoff on July 27.

Flash Gordon Classic Collection Vol. 7 collects Dan Barry’s strips from 1967 to 1971

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Flash Gordon’s legacy continues with the Flash Gordon Collection Vol. 7, the latest hardcover release from Mad Cave Studios in partnership with King Features, marking a pivotal stretch of the iconic Sunday strip under the stewardship of legendary cartoonist Dan Barry.

A must-have for Flash Gordon fans, collectors, and readers interested in the foundations of science fiction storytelling in comics, this Classic Collection highlights Barry at his most confident and expansive, pushing the series into strange new worlds while grounding it in the enduring heroism that defines Flash Gordon.

Strap yourself in for another rip-roaring romp through the many worlds of Flash Gordon. From the icy cold surface of Pluto, to the Death Planet, to a dimension populated by living machines… These are the continuing adventures of Flash Gordon, science fiction’s most enduring and heroic icon.

The Death Planet reprints the first four years of Dan Barry’s Flash Gordon Sunday strips from July 30, 1967, to July 18, 1971, starting with Mac Raboy’s last strip, Captured on Pluto, which Dan completed. This volume also includes an interview with Dan Barry’s long-time art assistant Bob Fujitani and a feature on Dan Barry and Harry Harrison written by comic strip expert Rick Norwood.

Flash Gordon is one of the defining pillars of science fiction adventure, originating in 1934 and shaping the visual language of the genre across comics, film, and television. Carried forward by artists like Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, and Dan Barry, the strip remains a lasting symbol of heroism and exploration—one that Flash Gordon Classic Collection Vol. 7 continues while offering a snapshot of a creator’s craft.

This thrilling new collection arrives June 23, 2026 (FOC June 6), in hardcover (ISBN: 9781545827055 | $49.99). 

Flash Gordon Classic Collection Vol. 7

It’s The Phantom vs. The Red Dragons this June from Ray Fawkes, Lynne Yoshii, JUANCHO!, and Taylor Esposito

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Mad Cave Studios and King Features Syndicate have announced another thrilling installment in Ray Fawkes’ action-packed adventure, The Phantom vs. The Red Dragons—an oversized 40-page one-shot that moves headfirst into a brutal clash on the high seas!

Serving as a soft follow-up to The Phantom #1-5 and the previous one-shot The Phantom vs. the Sky Band, the new issue can be read as a stand-alone story while continuing the revenge plot set in motion in the earlier chapters.

This oversized issue features interior art by Lynne Yoshii, colors by JUANCHO!, and lettering by Taylor Esposito. The release also includes Cover A by Alessio Zonno and a variant Cover B by Freddie Williams II with Andrew Dalhouse.

THE PHANTOM MUST DIE!

But how do you kill a Ghost? The Red Dragons are gonna try – and anyone who gets in the way is just collateral damage! When someone in The Phantom’s familiar cowl starts sinking the Dragons’ pirate operations, Princess Sin goes on the warpath. The South China Sea belongs to the Red Dragons – and they’re not afraid of one man in a mask. Not yet. 

The Phantom vs. The Red Dragons One-Shot soars into comic shops June 17, 2026, with Final Order Cut-off on May 25.

It’s The Phantom vs. The Sky Band in April

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In a tight, 40-page one-shot, altitude, money, and machines won’t save you in Bangalla! Mad Cave Studios and King Features Syndicate has announced The Phantom vs. The Sky Band, a 40-page one-shot that drops readers into a relentless showdown where justice is swift, inescapable, and eternal.

Written by Ray Fawkes with art by Federico Sabbatini, colors by JUANCHO!, and letters by the award-winning Taylor Esposito, this one-shot follows the trail laid in The Phantom #1-5 with a new story perfect for fans of the series and brand-new readers. The Phantom vs. The Sky Band pits The Ghost Who Walks against a ruthless band of mercenaries who believed technology and altitude made them untouchable. They were wrong.

The Sky Band entered the Phantom’s domain when they took blood money to carry the Singh Brotherhood into Bangalla. They thought their helicopters would make them untraceable, immune. Now the mercenaries-for-hire will face the Phantom’s wrath. Those who survive…will be irreparably MARKED. 

The Phantom vs. The Sky Band Cover A is by Federico Sabbatini, and Cover B by Freddie Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse.

On sale April 22, 2026, The Phantom vs. The Sky Band is a 40-page one-shot that delivers a complete, high-stakes story rooted in the Phantom’s enduring legacy. Designed as an accessible entry point for new readers and a must-have chapter for longtime fans, this special issue will be available at comic shops everywhere, with Final Order Cutoff set for March 30.

Flash Gordon #0 kicks off a new era, new status quo, new arc, and new creative team

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Mad Cave Studios and King Features have announced Flash Gordon #0, a special prelude issue marking the start of an all-new era for the iconic sci-fi hero!

Written by New York Times bestselling author Dan Abnett, with art by Manuel Garcia, colors by Ceci de la Cruz, and letters by Taylor Esposito, Flash Gordon #0 sets the stage for Abnett and Garcia’s upcoming run—officially launching the following month with Flash Gordon #16, a new arc positioned as a bold new #1 for readers. Issue #0 features a main cover by Joe Quinones and a variant cover by Miguel Mercado.

This oversized issue reveals what comes next: a grounded Flash Gordon, a world once again reaching for the stars, and a looming cosmic threat that refuses to stay distant.

A NEW ERA OF FLASH!

Flash Gordon has always been a maverick, on the football field and in the stars. But when he’s offered a job training the next generation of explorers, he’ll end up fighting for top gun! A “quick trip” around Neptune’s moons with Flash’s cadets turns into a deadly alien hunt – and one of the new recruits thinks they can save the day without the dusty instructor.

Introducing a new supporting cast—enemies and allies alike—and setting the stage for a swashbuckling new story, Flash Gordon #0 is a can’t-miss!

Flash Gordon #0 arrives in comic shops on April 8, 2026, and serves as the official prelude to the new ongoing arc beginning with Flash Gordon #16, where the final order cutoff is April 9.

Phantom 2040: A New Shadow Launches from Alex Segura and Michael Moreci, Only on Comics Kingdom

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A legacy reborn, a new Phantom rises in the year 2040. King Features Syndicate has debuted Phantom 2040: A New Shadow, an all-new webcomic series that reimagines the iconic “Ghost Who Walks” for a new generation. In a fractured 2040 ravaged by climate collapse, aimless ex-soccer star Carlos Osorio takes up the mantle of The Phantom to stand up against an ambitious corporate villain— forcing him to become The Ghost Who Walks and fight to save humanity. 

Season one of Phantom 2040: A New Shadow includes 20 chapters, releasing in weekly installments in a vertical scroll format, as popularized on platforms like Webtoons, exclusively on Comics Kingdom. The series reunites powerhouse duo Alex Segura and Michael Moreci as co-writers, with art by John Amor and edited by King Features’ Alex Garcia. Phantom 2040 is based on the iconic character and first costumed hero, who was introduced in 1936 by Lee Falk in the classic comic strip, The Phantom.

In 2040, Earth’s climate has collapsed, nations have splintered, and York’s megacorp ZERO shelters the elite behind Bot‑guarded steel walls. During a hyped press event at Walker’s Table, The Phantom’s legendary refuge, billionaire Charles Tyrus displays The Phantom costume, declaring himself humanity’s savior, but instead, Carlos Osorio, a Mexican American ex-pro soccer phenom, steps into the role of The Phantom. Hunted by ZERO, guided by a battle-scarred Kit Walker II, and drawn toward the vast Ghost Jungle, Earth’s last living rainforest straddling the U.S.–Mexican border, Carlos must embrace the myth of The Ghost Who Walks to defend the planet’s final green spark and topple Tyrus’s ruthless techno‑empire. 

New chapters of Phantom 2040: A New Shadow will be released on Wednesdays at ComicsKingdom.com. Fans can read up to four chapters for free, with full access to Phantom 2040: A New Shadow available exclusively to Comics Kingdom subscribers.

Phantom 2040: A New Shadow

Dan DiDio and Jim Calafiore team up for Defenders of the Earth from Mad Cave Studios

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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. 

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