Last year, Mad Cave Studios announced a new “Flash Gordon” series written by Jeremy Adams, and a Gatchaman (aka Battle of the Planets) comic by Cullen Bunn and Chris Batista. Now the publisher have announced a full line-up of titles for both series, with the “Gatchaman” line comprising of three series:
– “Gatchaman,” Bunn and Batista’s ongoing series, which will begin with an issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day (May 4), before the first issue proper in June. The series revolves around the superhero ninja team Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, who battle Galactor, a terrorist group trying to control Earth’s natural resources, that are currently in the process of kidnapping the world’s greatest scientists.
– “Gatchaman — Ken: Deathmatch,” the first in a series of one-shot specials starting this June. Written by Tommy Lee Edwards with art by Mindy Lee, the comic sees Ken the Eagle infiltrate an underground fighting ring, where the winners are sent to join Galactor – or die. The second one-shot, “Gatchaman — Jun,” starring Jun the Swan, will be released in November.
– “Gatchaman: Galactor,” a four-issue series by Steve Orlando and Kath Lobo starring Galactor’s leader, Berg Katse. It will follow Katse after an attempt on his life alerts him to traitors within his ranks, and “goes undercover to hunt, identify, and ruthlessly dispense” those who want to get rid of him. It will begin in July.
The larger Flash Gordon line consists of:
– “Flash Gordon,” the main ongoing series by Jeremy Adams and artist Will Conrad, which will also debut with an issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day 2024 (May 4), before beginning properly in July.
– “Defenders of the Earth,” a new eight-issue series based on the 1986 cartoon, starring Flash, the Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician. A creative team was not announced, but it will begin in August. It will be preceded by a reprint of the 1987 tie-in comic by Stan Lee, Bob Harras, Michael Higgins, Alex Saviuk and Fred Fredericks, featuring new cover art by Scott Chantler, in June.
– “Flash Gordon Quarterly,” a (you guessed it) quarterly anthology series starting in September. “Each issue spotlights a new and unique take on the characters,” in “wildly entertaining genres that you’d never expect.”
– “Flash Gordon: The Complete Library of Newspaper Strips,” a new hardcover series reprinting the original Flash Gordon comics by creator Alex Raymond, at 200 pages a volume. Vols. 1 and 2 respectively go on sale in July and October.
– “Flash Gordon Adventures!,” a middle-grade series of graphic novels from Mad Cave’s children’s imprint Papercutz, debuting in November.
Both groups of comics will help mark an epic 10th anniversary for Mad Cave, as well as the 90th anniversary of “Flash Gordon.” Stay tuned for more announcements from comics publishers at this weekend’s ComicsPRO convention, and in the meantime, you can read Dan Schkade’s recent revival of the daily “Flash Gordon” strip — which we praised as a smart relaunch — at Comics Kingdom.
