Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forDefenders of the Earth#1!
Mad Cave’snewDefenders of the Earth, series, starringFlash Gordon, wonderfully subverts the Saturday morning cartoon formula. Mad Cave recently acquired the rights to characters from the legendary King Features Syndicate, including Flash Gordon.Mad Cave releasedFlash Gordon#1to great acclaim, and they continue the expansion of the line withDefenders of the Earth#1.Based on the classic Saturday morning cartoon, the new series takes bold risks with the formula.
Defenders of the Earthwriter Dan DiDio is the former executive editor at DC Comics.
Defenders of the Earth#1 is written by Dan DiDio and drawn by Jim Calafiore. The issue opens with the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician and Lothar fighting the forces of Ming the Merciless. Just as all appears hopeless, Flash Gordon emerges from the dust–with Ming’s head, declaring the war over. Four years later, Earth has largely rebuilt from the war, and the Defenders have split. However, not all is well. Flash, increasingly caught up in affairs of state, has grown distant from the Defenders.
The Defenders of the Earth,Explained
Defenders of the Earth’sNew Comic Sends Up the Saturday Morning Formula
King Features Syndicate is home to some of pop culture’s most recognizable heroes,such as Flash Gordonand the Phantom. In the mid-1980s, four of these characters: Flash, Phantom, Mandrake and his assistant Lothar, teamed up with their children to formThe Defenders of the Earth.Running for one, 65-episode season, the cartoon came with an accompanying toy line, as was the standard at the time. A comic, published by Marvel’s Star imprint, was also released. Mad Cave has since collected this original series in trade, alongside reprints of classicFlash Gordonmaterial.
Defenders of the Earth#1 begins very much like a classic Saturday morning cartoon. DiDio and Calafiore recreate the vibe of those classic shows, right down to the style of dialogue. However, once Flash returns with a beheaded Ming, matters turn dark quickly. The Defenders helped build a Utopia, but the world seems to need them no more. The walls Flash Gordon is building around himself are not helping, and put the Defenders, and Earth, at serious risk. Finally, the mysterious new version of the Phantom is on the loose, and most certainly will fight the Defenders of the Earth.
The Defenders of the EarthAre Back–But For How Long?
This combination of nostalgia and subversion made Mad Cave’sDefenders of the Earth#1 a must-read issue.
This combination of nostalgia and subversion madeMad Cave’sDefenders of the Earth#1 a must-read issue. The original cartoon came and went, but left an impression on a generation, many of whom discovered characters such asFlash GordonviaDefenders of the Earth.This new book is for them, showing the property has grown and matured alongside its original audience. For fans coming toDefenders of the Earthfor the first time, the issue is also accessible and new-reader friendly.Defenders of the Earthare back with an engaging first issue that gloriously subverts the formulas and tropes of Saturday morning cartoons.
Defenders of the Earth#1 is on sale now from Mad Cave Studios!
Defenders of the Earth#1 (2024)
