Whether you've read any of Flash Gordon's old exploits or watched the 80s movie or various animated attempts, the idea is known to pretty much everyone. Flash Gordon is a normal human who has been placed in a situation to save Earth from invaders.
The Good
Dynamite has revived several franchises over the years and many have been with great success. While I was never a true die-hard Flash Gordon fan, I became more than familiar with the characters due to the different portrayals over the years. I've enjoyed the different revivals Dynamite has taken with old properties and thought I'd give this series a shot, mainly due to Francesco Francavilla's involvement with the variant covers. I was more than pleasantly surprised.
The first wise decision was to keep this grounded in the original time period of 1934. The issue captures the feeling of what a Flash Gordon story should be like. The art is amazing. Daniel Indro is a name you should take note of. He gives that painted feel full of detail yet still remains true to the pulp-feel of the time period. Check out the first five pages below.
Eric Trautmann takes on the first issue challenge with ease. It's the first issue that could make or break a series. These days people might only give a new series one chance to sell them. Trautmann has to establish all the characters for new and old readers of Flash Gordon. The scenes with Ming the Merciless and those on Earth all have the right feel. I was concerned over how the interaction between Flash and Zarkov would be taken but was not disappointed.
Besides the great writing and art, don't forget that this first issue is only one dollar. It's not often you can buy a new comic for a buck. That should be more than enough of a reason to check this out.
The Bad
I now have one more comic to add to my massive reading list. But that's not really a bad thing, right?
The Verdict
Do you know who Flash Gordon is? Whether you're familiar with the character and property or don't know a thing about him, this comic will give you all that you need to get hooked. With a feeling of a grand adventure set in the 1930s, this is what a Flash Gordon story should be like. Eric Trautmann does a great job setting everything up for new and old readers and Daniel Indro's art is something that should be seen by everyone. It's great having a comic you can jump into and not have to worry about loads of other titles having ties to the story. In a sense, it's a great escape. With the first issue at a dollar, it's the perfect opportunity to try something different. Dynamite has done it again with this revival of an old familiar franchise. I can't wait to read more.