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Dynamite's Defenders of the Universe #2
Kings Watch Volume 1
Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician are together again... for the first time! When strange phenomena fill the skies and all humanity shares the same nightmarish vision, three iconic heroes rush headlong into danger to save us all
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2014
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Jeff Parker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 11, 2014
Ohhhh, this one hurts!
Jeff Parker is one of my favourite new writers thanks to his Bat-tastic work on Batman ’66, so it’s super-disappointing to discover that his King’s Watch series for Dynamite completely stinks.
How’s this for the world’s worst “superhero” team: Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and the Phantom? They have to team up for some reason to defeat Ming the Merciless from opening a portal on Earth and sending through his useless animal/man armies to conquer the planet.
Who is Flash Gordon? He’s just a man… with a man’s courage… no, I can’t sing that awesome song here! Seriously, Flash is just a dude SAVIOUR OF THE UNIVERSE!! and has no powers. What’s special about him? He starred in AH AHHH! a cult b-movie in the early ‘80s that had the best theme song ever. But as one third of a force to GORDON’S ALIVE?!?! repel an alien army on a global scale? Come on, he was a freakin’ quarterback!
The Phantom is a crappy version of Batman. He lives in a Skull Cave in Africa but he’s white?! He has stripey underpants and shoots guns. How does he fight Ming’s armies? With a pair of pistols! What’s special about these pistols? Nothing!
Mandrake, the cut price Doctor Strange, is the only one of the three who made any kind of sense. He can make illusions that fight, he can cast epic spells, and all kinds of useful things.
Together, they are the worst “superhero” team ever, even worse than New 52 Justice League of America – and those guys had Vibe!
These are the chaps who somehow manage to defeat millions of alien warriors?! Those fight scenes were so unconvincing, watching Flash tackle aliens football-style and Phantom firing his handguns, both totally open to be shot – they would’ve been killed in no time!
Why does Ming want to take over Earth? Because that’s what bad guys do. But the fact that he couldn’t do it because these three clowns stopped him makes him one of the most incompetent villains ever.
But maybe Parker’s being tongue in cheek like he was when he wrote Batman ’66, you say? Nope, King’s Watch was written totally straight. We’re actually supposed to believe these three saved the world!
Mark Laming’s art is pretty good – he’s got the range to draw characters as diverse as monster men from outer space, weird magical goings-on, big battle scenes, and is comfortable with urban and jungle backgrounds. It’s artwork that’s perfectly suited to mainstream hero comics.
King’s Watch is awful: the story is flat, boring and corny as hell, the writing is forgettable, none of the action is convincing, and the finale is rushed through in a handful of pages. And what was the King’s Watch again – did they even explain that? And how were everyone’s weird dreams at the start connected in any way to what happened in the second half of the book?
Man, this sucked! I loved your work on Batman ‘66, Jeff Parker, but King’s Watch was miles away from that high level of quality.
Jeff Parker is one of my favourite new writers thanks to his Bat-tastic work on Batman ’66, so it’s super-disappointing to discover that his King’s Watch series for Dynamite completely stinks.
How’s this for the world’s worst “superhero” team: Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and the Phantom? They have to team up for some reason to defeat Ming the Merciless from opening a portal on Earth and sending through his useless animal/man armies to conquer the planet.
Who is Flash Gordon? He’s just a man… with a man’s courage… no, I can’t sing that awesome song here! Seriously, Flash is just a dude SAVIOUR OF THE UNIVERSE!! and has no powers. What’s special about him? He starred in AH AHHH! a cult b-movie in the early ‘80s that had the best theme song ever. But as one third of a force to GORDON’S ALIVE?!?! repel an alien army on a global scale? Come on, he was a freakin’ quarterback!
The Phantom is a crappy version of Batman. He lives in a Skull Cave in Africa but he’s white?! He has stripey underpants and shoots guns. How does he fight Ming’s armies? With a pair of pistols! What’s special about these pistols? Nothing!
Mandrake, the cut price Doctor Strange, is the only one of the three who made any kind of sense. He can make illusions that fight, he can cast epic spells, and all kinds of useful things.
Together, they are the worst “superhero” team ever, even worse than New 52 Justice League of America – and those guys had Vibe!
These are the chaps who somehow manage to defeat millions of alien warriors?! Those fight scenes were so unconvincing, watching Flash tackle aliens football-style and Phantom firing his handguns, both totally open to be shot – they would’ve been killed in no time!
Why does Ming want to take over Earth? Because that’s what bad guys do. But the fact that he couldn’t do it because these three clowns stopped him makes him one of the most incompetent villains ever.
But maybe Parker’s being tongue in cheek like he was when he wrote Batman ’66, you say? Nope, King’s Watch was written totally straight. We’re actually supposed to believe these three saved the world!
Mark Laming’s art is pretty good – he’s got the range to draw characters as diverse as monster men from outer space, weird magical goings-on, big battle scenes, and is comfortable with urban and jungle backgrounds. It’s artwork that’s perfectly suited to mainstream hero comics.
King’s Watch is awful: the story is flat, boring and corny as hell, the writing is forgettable, none of the action is convincing, and the finale is rushed through in a handful of pages. And what was the King’s Watch again – did they even explain that? And how were everyone’s weird dreams at the start connected in any way to what happened in the second half of the book?
Man, this sucked! I loved your work on Batman ‘66, Jeff Parker, but King’s Watch was miles away from that high level of quality.
January 23, 2017
As this came before the King Omnibus, maybe, just maybe, I should have read this before the omnibus. But, the truth is that Kings Watch doesn’t change my opinion of the omnibus, while at the same time raising my opinion of Jeff Parker’s writing (who's Agents of Atlas I thought was just fair).
Points to Parker to having to essentially reboot and then introduce these iconic Kings Feature characters to a new generation. I could argue his Phantom plays off of Dynamite's earlier Phantom series (as here the Phantom is portrayed as a near psychotic character). Parker's modernization of Mandrake and Lothar worked for me, and well in some ways there isn't much you can do with Flash Gordon (but the updates of Dale and Zarkov work).
The crossover of these icons doesn't get a higher rating because frankly the climax falls short. Another four to eight pages might have helped, because somewhere one character (no spoiler) needed more exploration before the finale's events. The end was deliberately setup for the coming King mini-series that highlighted each character, but it shortchanges the reader who just wants to read this series.
Points to Parker to having to essentially reboot and then introduce these iconic Kings Feature characters to a new generation. I could argue his Phantom plays off of Dynamite's earlier Phantom series (as here the Phantom is portrayed as a near psychotic character). Parker's modernization of Mandrake and Lothar worked for me, and well in some ways there isn't much you can do with Flash Gordon (but the updates of Dale and Zarkov work).
The crossover of these icons doesn't get a higher rating because frankly the climax falls short. Another four to eight pages might have helped, because somewhere one character (no spoiler) needed more exploration before the finale's events. The end was deliberately setup for the coming King mini-series that highlighted each character, but it shortchanges the reader who just wants to read this series.
April 11, 2014
I guess this is supposed to be the prequel to Jeff Parker's new ongoing Flash Gordon comic? I'm not 100 percent on that - but it seems that way. For the record, the first issue of Parker's 'Flash Gordon' just hit the shelves this week - and it was fantastic!!
Anyways, Kings Watch features Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake along with Zarkov, Dale Arden, and Lothar. Our group of heroes are desperately trying to stave off an attack of portals opening up all over the world connecting them to Planet Mongo.
Nobody wants to be connected to Planet Mongo. Nope, nope. Seriously, Ming The Merciless is one bad ass mother fucker. Best to stay faaaaaar away from that dude.
It was a fun 5 issues. Nothing in particular blew me out of the water with it - but I'm a pretty big Flash Gordon fan, so yeah, rose colored glasses.
The writing is good, the art is fun... Especially when Mandrake is using his illusion spells, and most important of all is that it gives you some nice back story to the new monthly Gordon comic hitting shelves now.
January 31, 2019
Great idea, great artist... but what a shame of this lost opportunity.
This deserved a good writer.
This story is respectful about the original Mandrake, Flash and The Phantom origins. But the concept of the adventure is too absurd. The development of the events is absurd too.
*************
Gran idea, gran dibujante... pero que pena de oportunidad perdida.
Esto se merecía a un buen guionista.
Esta historia es respetuosa a los orígenes de Mandrake, Flash y The Phantom. Pero el concepto de la aventura es demasiado absurdo. El desarrollo de los hechos también es absurdo.
This deserved a good writer.
This story is respectful about the original Mandrake, Flash and The Phantom origins. But the concept of the adventure is too absurd. The development of the events is absurd too.
*************
Gran idea, gran dibujante... pero que pena de oportunidad perdida.
Esto se merecía a un buen guionista.
Esta historia es respetuosa a los orígenes de Mandrake, Flash y The Phantom. Pero el concepto de la aventura es demasiado absurdo. El desarrollo de los hechos también es absurdo.
August 10, 2014
Everything was really great right up until the end. The artwork was great and the story was good too, but the ending flushed all that down the toilet.
December 30, 2017
This book is an interesting and fun modern update to the old Kings Syndicate comic strip heroes (Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar and The Phantom) and a reboot of the mid-eighties cartoon, "Defenders of the Earth" (kickass theme song with lyrics by Stan Lee is not included in this, sadly).
Jeff Parker, the writer of this and the near carbon copy of this book, Future Quest (DC Comics' team up of classic Hanna Barbera action characters) does a good job of writing these characters earnestly without resorting to having to make them dark and edgy, or have to play them in a sort of cheap meta-humour (like Jurassic World, Age of Ultron). Unfortunately, there's not a lot here to satisfy more introspective and analytical readers. There's no real subversions, deconstructions, reconstructions, social commentary or serious character studies provided by this book, so its a case of "what you see is what you get".
Most disappointedly, The Phantom is likely the character in need of some form of modern twist or update to not make him feel like he stuck out like a sore thumb. While it makes some sense that the original comics had him be a white guy in the jungles of East Africa in bright purple with blue briefs, a Phantom for the 21st century with that exact same look and backstory is really pushing the suspension of disbelief. Some tweaks to him (making him black or biracial, acknowledge West Africa's extreme anti-LGBT laws and attitudes and have him fight against it, change his costume, change the gender) would have sufficed.
And while the book's plot is simple and enjoyable the third act is what left me feeling a bit cold. Its yet another "let's all team up to stop an alien invasion" story that is feeling as played out as the "portal opening into the sky" trope that's in many movies lately. The book spells out all the damage and destruction Ming the Merciless' invasion causes but doesn't really show it and it felt like the book sterilized itself from delving into the actual consequences of the invasion, such as a total death toll. But to be fair, that's what annoyingly happens in any big action movie.
Another problem with the third act is that its more interested into setting up future spinoffs, primarily Flash's book, than a real conclusion which is paradoxical since Flash and his supporting cast doesn't really seem to stand out as much as Mandrake, Lothor or the Phantom, even though all the characters don't really change or develop throughout the story. If there was ever a time to make a depiction of Flash Gordon match up almost perfectly to the 1980 cult classic film, now would've been the time to do so.
And lastly, one minor nitpick. Why the title, Kings Watch? That was the name for a macguffin that barely shows up in the comic compared to the crystals. Why not the Syndicate, after the old publishing house? or the Defenders of the Earth?
Jeff Parker, the writer of this and the near carbon copy of this book, Future Quest (DC Comics' team up of classic Hanna Barbera action characters) does a good job of writing these characters earnestly without resorting to having to make them dark and edgy, or have to play them in a sort of cheap meta-humour (like Jurassic World, Age of Ultron). Unfortunately, there's not a lot here to satisfy more introspective and analytical readers. There's no real subversions, deconstructions, reconstructions, social commentary or serious character studies provided by this book, so its a case of "what you see is what you get".
Most disappointedly, The Phantom is likely the character in need of some form of modern twist or update to not make him feel like he stuck out like a sore thumb. While it makes some sense that the original comics had him be a white guy in the jungles of East Africa in bright purple with blue briefs, a Phantom for the 21st century with that exact same look and backstory is really pushing the suspension of disbelief. Some tweaks to him (making him black or biracial, acknowledge West Africa's extreme anti-LGBT laws and attitudes and have him fight against it, change his costume, change the gender) would have sufficed.
And while the book's plot is simple and enjoyable the third act is what left me feeling a bit cold. Its yet another "let's all team up to stop an alien invasion" story that is feeling as played out as the "portal opening into the sky" trope that's in many movies lately. The book spells out all the damage and destruction Ming the Merciless' invasion causes but doesn't really show it and it felt like the book sterilized itself from delving into the actual consequences of the invasion, such as a total death toll. But to be fair, that's what annoyingly happens in any big action movie.
Another problem with the third act is that its more interested into setting up future spinoffs, primarily Flash's book, than a real conclusion which is paradoxical since Flash and his supporting cast doesn't really seem to stand out as much as Mandrake, Lothor or the Phantom, even though all the characters don't really change or develop throughout the story. If there was ever a time to make a depiction of Flash Gordon match up almost perfectly to the 1980 cult classic film, now would've been the time to do so.
And lastly, one minor nitpick. Why the title, Kings Watch? That was the name for a macguffin that barely shows up in the comic compared to the crystals. Why not the Syndicate, after the old publishing house? or the Defenders of the Earth?
November 14, 2025
3.5 stars overall (knocked down a bit, mainly because of its interconnectedness with other Dynamite volumes)
I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting to, helped a lot by Marc Laming's dynamic art. The colouring, by Jordan Boyd, is excellent too.
Involving all the side characters you would expect, including an alcoholic eccentric Professor Zarkov and reporter Dale Arden, this story moves at a zip & pace befitting the pulpy origins of these characters with strange lights and phenomena surrounding the Earth and Ming the Merciless sending his enslaved armies to invade and conquer the planet, only these heroes can save the day. Which they do, but with Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Prof Zarkov marooned at the wrong end of the portal on Mongo, Ming's home world...
One thing it was nice to see was the Phantom, so-called protector of Africa, being replaced, due to the encumbent's death, by an actually African in the shape of Lothar, an ally of Mandrake the Magician.
I am intrigued as to where this story goes, but since it's spread over at least another 3 disparate volumes I doubt I will get a chance to find out...
I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting to, helped a lot by Marc Laming's dynamic art. The colouring, by Jordan Boyd, is excellent too.
Involving all the side characters you would expect, including an alcoholic eccentric Professor Zarkov and reporter Dale Arden, this story moves at a zip & pace befitting the pulpy origins of these characters with strange lights and phenomena surrounding the Earth and Ming the Merciless sending his enslaved armies to invade and conquer the planet, only these heroes can save the day. Which they do, but with Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Prof Zarkov marooned at the wrong end of the portal on Mongo, Ming's home world...
One thing it was nice to see was the Phantom, so-called protector of Africa, being replaced, due to the encumbent's death, by an actually African in the shape of Lothar, an ally of Mandrake the Magician.
I am intrigued as to where this story goes, but since it's spread over at least another 3 disparate volumes I doubt I will get a chance to find out...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2018
Flash Gordon, Mandrake y el Fantasma unen sus fuerzas para impedir que Ming el Despiadado rey del planeta Mongo nos invada. Kings Watch es una aventura que me hizo recordar las tiras dominicales que leía mi padre y a la serie animada Defensores de la Tierra. Se nota el cariño y respeto de los autores por el material fuente para actualizar conceptos y lograr una nueva continuidad con todos los personajes.
September 27, 2020
The art is fantastic and worth the price of admission on it's own. The story, honestly, would have benefited from one or two more issues. The premise is great, but is so rushed at the end it lessens any emotional impact (and boy does it try, but it's very shoehorned in). Finally, while these are well-established characters, an opportunity was missed to really flesh them out and make a newer generation care about them again.
April 20, 2021
This review is biased in the sense that I have just read my favourite childhood superhero after two decades ..
The Phantom ❤️❤️❤️
And he is so so so good in this extremely average storyline.. He seems to be the only character that makes some sense and adds some depth to the otherwise bad story.. This'd have worked well two decades back... But seems lame now.. (Apart from The Phantom of course)...
4 ⭐ for The Ghost Who Walks ❤️
The Phantom ❤️❤️❤️
And he is so so so good in this extremely average storyline.. He seems to be the only character that makes some sense and adds some depth to the otherwise bad story.. This'd have worked well two decades back... But seems lame now.. (Apart from The Phantom of course)...
4 ⭐ for The Ghost Who Walks ❤️
March 19, 2022
Decent read. I'm a fan of the characters and came along this story somewhere. It's a reboot that acknowledges there's a history of Phantom, Mandrake, and Lothar, but is a new-ish origin of Flash Gordon. Some interesting parts, some silly things. There's a bunch of sequel material on my reading list (stand-alone stories, then they come back together as a team). I really liked the "Defenders of the Earth" reference.
August 24, 2019
The art was great, but the story was rushed and felt like a second-rate Avengers. I loved Defenders of the Earth as a kid, and I was hopeful for this comic. Alas, it didn't live up to its potential.
August 5, 2025
This was like a reboot from the Defenders of the Earth, but mixing too many elements too fast, with some deus ex machina onboard. I think these deserved something more well crafted, but still is enjoyable.
October 14, 2018
The old King Comics characters: Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, the Phantom, and several supporting characters are brought together to save the world from an invasion by Ming the Merciless. The story is pretty good with solid art and a fun adventure. The characters are more scattershot. While most are consistent from what I know of the comic strips, many characters are flatter. Also sadly, this doesn't follow the continuity of Parker's Flash Gordon series but rather stands alone as the start to some lesser spin-offs and future team-ups. Still, for what it is, this is pretty fun.
May 28, 2015
Reprints Kings Watch #1-5 (September 2013-April 2014). Something is threatening the world. All over people are sufferings from recurring nightmares that hint that the Apocalypse is coming. When an organization called the Cult of the Cobra seeks to open the dimensional barriers to a world called Mongo, jock Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, and the mysterious Phantom must join together to stop Cobra before it is too late…and an invasion by Mongo’s ruler Ming could destroy Earth.
Written by Jeff Parker and illustrated Mark Laming, Kings Watch (also called Kings Watch: Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician) is a bit of an origin series for Dynamite’s line of comics. The series was rather well received by fans and critics.
There always was something about King Features Syndicate characters. Flash Gordon was created to compete with Buck Rogers, Mandrake ended up influencing Zatara and countless other magician comic characters, and The Phantom is considered the first character to sport spandex and the domino mask in fighting crime. With such a long history, I worried that Kings Watch would haphazardly join the group together to “team-up” and capitalize on their names, but I instead was treated to a fun story that made sense in the creation of Dynamite’s “King” universe.
Jeff Parker has proven that he’s good at writing classic characters. I loved his Agents of Atlas series (which suffered from the classic Marvel crossover syndrome which bogged down its issues). Here he manages to really weave the three main characters together while bringing in the supporting characters that filled their books like Lothar, Cobra, Ming, Dale Arden, and Zarkov. It really doesn’t slight the old stories and instead enhances them…plus, it sets up each title with a story that is worth seeking out even if you feel you know it.
The art for the comic is also strong. There is no massive redesigns and the characters don’t get transformed into ’90s action heroes. It feels and looks like your reading a modern version of the old comics with all the adventure and fun.
When I was young, Defenders of the Earth was around with a similar concept. The cartoon was a goofy kids cartoon and not as fun as this book. I kept having that bad taste in my mouth when I was going to read the comic but really enjoyed Kings Watch once I did sit down with it. My one complaint about Kings Watch is the title. The comic constantly refers to the King’s Watch within the pages, but the title isn’t possessive…it’s just Kings Watch…it is minor, but fortunately due to the writing and art, I can live with it.
Written by Jeff Parker and illustrated Mark Laming, Kings Watch (also called Kings Watch: Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician) is a bit of an origin series for Dynamite’s line of comics. The series was rather well received by fans and critics.
There always was something about King Features Syndicate characters. Flash Gordon was created to compete with Buck Rogers, Mandrake ended up influencing Zatara and countless other magician comic characters, and The Phantom is considered the first character to sport spandex and the domino mask in fighting crime. With such a long history, I worried that Kings Watch would haphazardly join the group together to “team-up” and capitalize on their names, but I instead was treated to a fun story that made sense in the creation of Dynamite’s “King” universe.
Jeff Parker has proven that he’s good at writing classic characters. I loved his Agents of Atlas series (which suffered from the classic Marvel crossover syndrome which bogged down its issues). Here he manages to really weave the three main characters together while bringing in the supporting characters that filled their books like Lothar, Cobra, Ming, Dale Arden, and Zarkov. It really doesn’t slight the old stories and instead enhances them…plus, it sets up each title with a story that is worth seeking out even if you feel you know it.
The art for the comic is also strong. There is no massive redesigns and the characters don’t get transformed into ’90s action heroes. It feels and looks like your reading a modern version of the old comics with all the adventure and fun.
When I was young, Defenders of the Earth was around with a similar concept. The cartoon was a goofy kids cartoon and not as fun as this book. I kept having that bad taste in my mouth when I was going to read the comic but really enjoyed Kings Watch once I did sit down with it. My one complaint about Kings Watch is the title. The comic constantly refers to the King’s Watch within the pages, but the title isn’t possessive…it’s just Kings Watch…it is minor, but fortunately due to the writing and art, I can live with it.
April 19, 2015
The main problem with this book is that it is misnamed. It should be called "Flash Gordon - Origins" or some such because it really is the origin story for the reboot of the character with fellow King Features characters the Phantom and Mandrake the Magician along for the ride. And is it a ride? Oh yeah, you bet!
Strange arial phenomena coupled with dreadful nightmares lead the people of earth to believe that the end of the world is nigh. Two of Earth's heroes, the Phantom aka The Ghost Who Walks and Mandrake the Magician, a former stage magician who commands true magic to fight the ancient order of the Snake, are drawn to sites when the phenomena are strongest. Enter Flash Gordon, playboy athlete and dilettante, now pilot for Dr. Hans Zarkov's experiments in private space flight. All three along with girl reporter Dale Arden, Lothar the worlds strongest man and a witch named Karma are ideally placed to combat the Cobra and his evil benefactor - Ming the Merciless and all the hordes of Mongo!
This book was just fun. It's a quick read with a fast paced story that is enhanced by great artwork. Mark Laming really captures the feel of the old Alex Raymond comic strips with a modern style. Jeff Parker does a great job introducing Flash and his unique skill set ( which really only prepares him for a life of adventure on Mongo.) I can't wait to check out the upcoming Flash Gordon series. But do we care about the other heroes? Eh, not so much. They really only serve to speed Flash on his way (ah, see what I did there? Obscure paraphrased FG '80 quote. :) ). I think it's cool to include them as they influenced whole generations of comic fans and creators. But really it's Flash's show from beginning to end.
So if you are looking for a fun read in the pulp tradition, look no further.
Strange arial phenomena coupled with dreadful nightmares lead the people of earth to believe that the end of the world is nigh. Two of Earth's heroes, the Phantom aka The Ghost Who Walks and Mandrake the Magician, a former stage magician who commands true magic to fight the ancient order of the Snake, are drawn to sites when the phenomena are strongest. Enter Flash Gordon, playboy athlete and dilettante, now pilot for Dr. Hans Zarkov's experiments in private space flight. All three along with girl reporter Dale Arden, Lothar the worlds strongest man and a witch named Karma are ideally placed to combat the Cobra and his evil benefactor - Ming the Merciless and all the hordes of Mongo!
This book was just fun. It's a quick read with a fast paced story that is enhanced by great artwork. Mark Laming really captures the feel of the old Alex Raymond comic strips with a modern style. Jeff Parker does a great job introducing Flash and his unique skill set ( which really only prepares him for a life of adventure on Mongo.) I can't wait to check out the upcoming Flash Gordon series. But do we care about the other heroes? Eh, not so much. They really only serve to speed Flash on his way (ah, see what I did there? Obscure paraphrased FG '80 quote. :) ). I think it's cool to include them as they influenced whole generations of comic fans and creators. But really it's Flash's show from beginning to end.
So if you are looking for a fun read in the pulp tradition, look no further.
July 25, 2014
'King's Watch Volume 1' is a sort of reworking of the 1980s cartoon Defenders of the Earth. It's got classic pulp heroes in a more modern setting. The Phantom, Flash Gordon and Mandrake the Magician all team up when Ming threatens the Earth.
On a safari tour he's leading, Lothar (Mandrake's old sidekick) is threatened by a strange dinosaur-like animal. He is saved by the Phantom. Meanwhile Flash Gordon is in the process of developing a spacecraft with Dr. Zarkov and he runs into problems on a test flight. It seems that Ming the Merciless on the planet Mongo is attempting to create waypoints on planet Earth for his invading army. Our three heroes are thrown together to try to stop it or push it back onto Ming's planet.
It's an interesting concept and I'm not sure I felt like it totally worked. There have been some great retro comics lately featuring pulp heroes, but in their own element and time that have been amazing. This one felt a little anachronistic. For example, Mandrake's ability to summon magic and call anyone in the world are great, but we do have cell phones now. The only character that fares the best is The Phantom. Still, it's a valiant attempt, it was fun to read and the art wasn't bad at all. Extras include alternate covers and a script to page of the first issue.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
On a safari tour he's leading, Lothar (Mandrake's old sidekick) is threatened by a strange dinosaur-like animal. He is saved by the Phantom. Meanwhile Flash Gordon is in the process of developing a spacecraft with Dr. Zarkov and he runs into problems on a test flight. It seems that Ming the Merciless on the planet Mongo is attempting to create waypoints on planet Earth for his invading army. Our three heroes are thrown together to try to stop it or push it back onto Ming's planet.
It's an interesting concept and I'm not sure I felt like it totally worked. There have been some great retro comics lately featuring pulp heroes, but in their own element and time that have been amazing. This one felt a little anachronistic. For example, Mandrake's ability to summon magic and call anyone in the world are great, but we do have cell phones now. The only character that fares the best is The Phantom. Still, it's a valiant attempt, it was fun to read and the art wasn't bad at all. Extras include alternate covers and a script to page of the first issue.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
August 29, 2014
Another great title from Dynamite! This is a vehicle for Flash Gordon and an origins novel for him and The Phantom. Phantom has a history with Mandrake but they meet up with Flash and Zarkov who are just getting started out on their space exploration but their first foray has mixed up the plans of The Cobra who just happens to be working for Ming. Along with Dale and Lothar this group travels to Africa to foil Ming's merciless plot to take over the Earth. This is my first time reading Flash Gordon, though I'm a big fran from the serials of the '30s and the cult '80s movie. Even though Gordon is most definitely the centre of attention here his world is entwined with The Phantom's and thus it satisfies my "masked hero" love at the same time. This was my first intro to Phantom's world and I loved it. He and Mandrake have a supernatural element about them using real magic giving Africa an even more exotic feel to it, just like the original comics these guys are based on. A fun romp with monsters and mayhem, crossing Africa's jungle dangers with space travel and evil alien empire lords. The art was fantastic and the story was pure pulp. Loved it!
July 18, 2014
It cracks me up to see how people review things when it comes to comic books and that is the only reason I am writing this review.
This comic began as a cartoon series that was produced by marvel comics for king features when I was a child and I loved the show, so when I seen that they were producing a comic return I went crazy over it and purchased it right away and am so glad I did.
I read in one review that the phantom was a batman knock off well that is wrong it is actually the other was around since the phantom first appeared in 1936 and batman appeared in 1939 so the phantom was cool without the cape a couple years before the bat showed up, as far as mandrake goes he was the for runner to the famous marvel character dr. strange and flash well he doesn't need superpowers to be hero.
as far as the story goes its ok but since it brings these cool old characters back together who cares I still enjoyed it and look forward to others, I just thought I would put things in perspective a bit.
This comic began as a cartoon series that was produced by marvel comics for king features when I was a child and I loved the show, so when I seen that they were producing a comic return I went crazy over it and purchased it right away and am so glad I did.
I read in one review that the phantom was a batman knock off well that is wrong it is actually the other was around since the phantom first appeared in 1936 and batman appeared in 1939 so the phantom was cool without the cape a couple years before the bat showed up, as far as mandrake goes he was the for runner to the famous marvel character dr. strange and flash well he doesn't need superpowers to be hero.
as far as the story goes its ok but since it brings these cool old characters back together who cares I still enjoyed it and look forward to others, I just thought I would put things in perspective a bit.
August 7, 2014
This is worth turning to for some retro appeal and mid-level adventuring, but nothing else. It suffers mostly in not conveying what McGuffin is there for what purpose – there's something here, and several of something else here and there, and someone knows what them all together could do, but while he looks evil he's not the real baddy and nobody could possibly know who that is… Except that, despite the Mandrake and the Phantom, this is a Flash Gordon serial in all but name – complete with Dale Arden being a journalist driving the plot along, and so while many things are not clear it's evident who is really behind everything.
The artwork carries some of the luridness of the cinema Flash Gordon, and the script brings the wonkiness of the ancient TV series – Ming just being the blandest, one-note baddy of them all, even if he has alighted upon a second-rate Dr Doom to be his puppet. So while it has some intelligence of what it's living up to, it cannot progress anywhere in the present, nor allude to a particularly bright future with further volumes.
The artwork carries some of the luridness of the cinema Flash Gordon, and the script brings the wonkiness of the ancient TV series – Ming just being the blandest, one-note baddy of them all, even if he has alighted upon a second-rate Dr Doom to be his puppet. So while it has some intelligence of what it's living up to, it cannot progress anywhere in the present, nor allude to a particularly bright future with further volumes.
June 27, 2016
Surpreendentemente divertida essa modernização dos personagens clássicos da King Features. Os puristas vão odiar, mas a preocupação do roteirista Jeff Parker em atualizar com certo sabor kirbyesco os perfis dos personagens, criando explicações mais palatáveis para as habilidades e origens, além de fundamentar um pouco melhor a pseudociência das tiras de Flash Gordon, funcionou para mim. Infelizmente, nem tudo são flores dos jardins de Arbória e a história sofre de uma pressa narrativa que compromete o encadeamento lógico tão caro ao autor. A arte de Marc Laming é trivial, mas tem seus momentos, principalmente quando dedica um pouco de atenção aos cenários, porém as cores de Jordon Boyd não ajudam, falhando ao criar atmosferas ou profundidade.
No geral, nota 7, mas vale para conferir as boas sacadas e rever os ícones dos quadrinhos em nova roupagem.
No geral, nota 7, mas vale para conferir as boas sacadas e rever os ícones dos quadrinhos em nova roupagem.
November 27, 2015
Kings Watch features Flash Gordon, Mandrake and the Phantom gathered together to fight Ming the Merciless and his alien hordes. The story is straight-forward with no real surprises, one fight after another to stop Ming taking over Earth. Our heroes evade injury and inflict damage on Ming’s troops with little difficulty.
The artwork reminds me of comic strips from the 40s onwards which is probably the intention. It is well-drawn but basically it didn’t really engage me and was not really my cup of tea. There was nothing really innovative or “new” for me.
Recommended for those who enjoy vintage comics.
The artwork reminds me of comic strips from the 40s onwards which is probably the intention. It is well-drawn but basically it didn’t really engage me and was not really my cup of tea. There was nothing really innovative or “new” for me.
Recommended for those who enjoy vintage comics.
July 7, 2014
We've got Flash Gordon, The Phantom [I know right how cool! he's one f my all time favorites, I did the purple tights], Mandrake the Magician and a team of other very smart, very brave civilians.
This comic will certainly take you back to old time comics, where we've got the alien invasion, that fails at the hands of the strength and perseverance of humans, willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the world.
This action packed book will take you for an action packed ride, you'll definitely want to score yourself a copy, the storyline is thrilling and the graphic deliver on each action packed page.
Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
This comic will certainly take you back to old time comics, where we've got the alien invasion, that fails at the hands of the strength and perseverance of humans, willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the world.
This action packed book will take you for an action packed ride, you'll definitely want to score yourself a copy, the storyline is thrilling and the graphic deliver on each action packed page.
Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
April 8, 2015
What we have here is a rather lame attempt to breathe new life into dated pulp heroes. While there have been some highly successful attempts at doing that, the main problem here, aside from the writing, is trying to bring dated characters into the present. The Phantom, Flash Gordon and Mandrake the Magician are really of a particular time and place in history and just do not hold up well when removed from it. It gets three stars because the artwork is first rate and the story, while lame isn't awful. It's the comic equivalent of a late night fifties sci-fi movie: mindless, anachronistic fun.
June 13, 2014
Despite some rough spots and a story that could have used a few more rounds back and forth with an editor, this was not a bad return for some classic characters. I read a lot of Phantom and Flash Gordon strips as a kid and I was rather excited for this debut. While it wasn't all I hoped it would be, it was not the total trash it could have been. Mostly this short series sets up a modern world incarnation of Flash Gordon for a new ongoing series by Dynamite. Though in the end... I still feel like I want more of The Phantom.
July 18, 2016
An electronic edition of this volume was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The 2/5 stars isn't really a bad thing. I liked this volume a lot, but it wasn't really that different from anything I've read before in the superhero genre. The illustrations fell flat a few times and the jumping between perspectives was really confusing before the main characters joined eachother. I didn't really get what was happening at first, but it picked around the middle of the volume. A nice read, but I've seen it all before.
The 2/5 stars isn't really a bad thing. I liked this volume a lot, but it wasn't really that different from anything I've read before in the superhero genre. The illustrations fell flat a few times and the jumping between perspectives was really confusing before the main characters joined eachother. I didn't really get what was happening at first, but it picked around the middle of the volume. A nice read, but I've seen it all before.
July 28, 2014
Think of Kings Watch as a reboot for Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician- superheroes from times past. The Cult of the Cobra manages to open the way for Ming the Merciless to launch an invasion of present-day Earth. The super-heroes come together to stop Cobra, but after failing their, conceive a plan to close the gateway at great sacrifice. There is plenty of action, some character development, and just plain fun in this old-style adventure comic collection. Be interesting if they can keep up the pace in the next volume!
October 8, 2015
Really entertaining and just good fun. Jeff Parker was so well-suited to writing for this world and it's characters. It has the action, adventure, character, and thrilling pulpy goodness you would expect from a story featuring Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician. Laming's artwork is solid and really captures the proper tone of the book. Highly recommended in this world of company-wide crossover events and style over substance.
February 22, 2015
It's basically the 'Defenders of the Earth' cartoon from the 90's, but without the kids and that annoying pet aliens.
Great adventure story and the three leads and their various sidekicks are well written.
Really hope it sold enough to rate more, as I love these characters and enjoy seeing them teamed up.
Great adventure story and the three leads and their various sidekicks are well written.
Really hope it sold enough to rate more, as I love these characters and enjoy seeing them teamed up.
November 26, 2014
I love with Dynamite has been doing lately with some of these old properties, and this is no exception. It shows a great deal of respect to the past, while doing its own thing. Fun and. Exciting, and I can't wait to read more.
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