Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Again, this gn was as expected. The comic was colourful and would be appealing to superhero fans. It is for a younger audience, I think.

Flash Gordon Returns for a New Generation of Fans

After nearly of century of swashbuckling in space, the heroic exploits of Flash Gordon and his companions, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov, rocket off in a new graphic novel coming from Papercutz, an imprint of Mad Cave Studios.

“Flash Gordon Adventures” is a vivid and amusing vision of 1930s interstellar icon newly-crafted by Art Baltazar and Franco (Aureliani), the dynamic duo behind the Eisner Award-winning “Tiny Titans,” based on the “Teen Titans” comic book from DC Comics, and “Itty Bitty Hellboy” a youthful portrayal of Mike Mignola’s Lil Devil and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) from Dark Horse Comics.

Flash Gordon, originally created by Alex Raymond in January 1934, launched in the Sunday newspapers strips during the Great Depression when heroes were scarce and has orbited popular culture for decades in myriad forms. The Sunday strips from King Features spawned daily comics in major US papers and ushered in the legendary black-and-white serials starring Buster Crab, anthologized cinematically into 3 full-length films between 1936 and 1940 including the renown “Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars” and “Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe.”

In the serials, Flash, Dale, and Zarkov are lost in space and find themselves on the alien planet Mongo, lorded over by the tyrannical Ming the Merciless and his minions. Allying themselves with Prince Vultan and the Hawkmen, the Lionmen of Mongo, the rangers of Arboria, and the Sharkmen of the undersea kingdom, the trio of Earthlings lead a revolution against the despotic Ming to save the universe from evil. Thrilling dogfights between model spaceships smoking and sparking with primitive practical effects and fantastic locations with creatures from the outer limits charmed audiences and inspired a wave of cinematic space-jockeys eager to jet off into the stars.

The cosmic adventures continued in thrilling radio dramatizations, a vast collection of comic book interpretations, pulp novels, and roleplaying games. Dino De Laurentiis, the filmmaker behind 1976’s King Kong, produced a modern take on the heroic band lead by Flash, Dale, and Zarkov titled “Flash” that featured a young Sam Jones in the role of Gordon and an unforgettable soundtrack from British rockers, Queen.

This November, Flash, Dale, and Zarkov cast of their black-and-white era shadows and return to entertain youngsters in print and in living color. “Flash Gordon Adventures” is comprised of four tales that explore the familiar lore of Gordon and the gang. “Flash of Greatness,” by Art Baltazar and Franco is a 103-page romp that tells the story of the athletic hero and his fellow adventurers as they journey into space to track a mysterious alien transmission they believe to be a distress call. Traveling through a hyper space vortex, the crew land on the bizarre world of Lexray, ruled over by the “evil and ugly” emperor, Ming the Merciless. Ming imprisons Zarkov to work scientific miracles for the emperor’s delight and sends Flash and Dale into the wilds of the strange planet, where they encounter alien creatures resembling anthropomorphized sharks, beasts, lizards, and lions. “Falling Asleep, by Franco (“flashy writer and artist”) is akin to comparative dream analysis for spacefarers, and the two remaining stories, “A Brush with Death” and “Another Brush with Death,” by John Patrick Green, author of the InvestiGators graphic novel series, turns the tables on Flash with anti-gravity toothpaste … and the hijinks spill right out the tube.

A fabulous introduction to the silver-screen heroes, in color for the next generation of sci-fi fans. Publisher Papercutz promises a sequel to “Flash Gordon Adventures" in the future. Way out, man!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun kids read. I think kids will really enjoy this book.

It was like reading a child cartoon (?)
The really bright drawing, the random action and plot, everything felt like something that I would actually watch on TV even in my 20'.
It was cute . I like reading thing that doesn't require thoughts .

ARC Copy...I honestly do not know how to approach this because "Flash Gordon" is so old and did not age well over the decades. However still loved Baltazar's humor approach and graphic style.

This is not the classic Flash Gordon stories done for kids. Yes the characters of FG are there but the stories are like of Teen Titans Go. I haven't read Tiny Titans and Itty Bitty Hellboy to make a comparison to this comic. However, if your kids like a comic that is goofy, silly and funny then you might consider getting this one. If your old enough to know Flash Gordon and your intention is to share your love of FG to the younger generation, then this is not for you. Mad Cave Studios had a series of FG that you can savor the classic good vs. evil and space adventures of FG, then go check them out.
Finished the half part of the book or the main story. It has itsy bitsy action but still the goofiness and silliness on the recurring joke in the book got it's resolution in the end. The second story is more tame and I like it and we get a glimpse of what FG does best. The final story is as wacky as the main story but it's a "pun"tastic one.

I've no nostalgia for Flash Gordon. I recall seeing the film as a kid, and of course, I remember the theme song, but I always found it hokey and dumb. I mostly read this out of interest in the art. I loved it!

To be sure, there's not a lot of depth here, kids are the target market, and it's not something that deep dives lore or anything. Rather it read like a series of small one off stories, Sunday comic strip style, with a continuity, and this works very well. It's easy to pick up, read a few pages, have a laugh, and put it down, great for kids shorter attention spans, but also great for adults without a lot of time.

It may not sell you one Flash Gordon as a whole, but it's not trying to, it only wants you to have a good time with THIS Flash Gordon, and it succeeds in that task.

*ARC provided by NetGalley & Papercutz*

I recieved and ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great little easy graphic novel that kids are going to love. It begins with a comic that Flash has drawn himself. My five year old has been hyperfocused on writing comic books lately, so he's going to love that part. It's clever and cute with engaging art, a simple story line, and just a touch of toilet humor. Ming is a villian in the spirit of Doofenshmirtz. You kind of like him, or at the very least you pity him. This will be a hit with super hero loving, graphic novel reading kiddos.

This was a cute story that I think my son would love. It's about a group of kids who travel to different worlds and interact with the locals in a new world. There is a bad guy who no one likes and is always trying to do things for the locals to like him. Younger kids would really enjoy this story, it has superhero vibes and a lot of jokes.

I love Art and Franco — they have tackled so many wonderful universes with their unique collaborative style over the past few years. This take on Flash Gordon is enjoyable for older fans who embrace the wonderfully cartoonish style and a wonderful primer for young readers who might not be familiar with this character and world.

Art Baltazar and Franco's Flash Gordon Adventures volume was an incredibly fun and humorous take on Flash Gordon in a style only the those two can pull off. I really enjoyed how they peppered in great jokes that an experienced Flash Gordon reader would love without detracting a new reader in the least. Like many of these all-ages stories, I know that I am not really the hardcore demographic, but I loved this so much and I fully intend to use this to introduce my niece to Flash Gordon in the future. Here's hoping for more Flash Gordon Adventures and possible more King Features character volumes. I'll be here waiting.

Special Thanks to Papercutz and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest

Thank you to NetGalley and Papercutz for the advanced reader copy of this book..all opinions are our own.

I ordered this book for my son Tommy, 13, who is a lifelong obsessive fan of Art Baltazar and Franco. He was totally psyched to get an early copy and he absolutely loved it. He was giggling the entire time he was reading it. His initial feedback was he loved the guy making beards and the reaction people had when Flash Gordon took off his helmet..the mesmerizing looks of people all around him as they stared at his gorgeous hair. I have a feeling this will be added to our "own" collection as he's read it multiple times just since we were given it earlier today. The combination of Art and Franco's work is brilliant. Highly recommend!♡