Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Flash Gordon #5
Arrden Entertainment
Deneen & Green
Flash Gordon rallies the troops as he prepares for war against Ming. This issue deals with the most difficult task to date in this series. The comic has to convince the reader that Flash Gordon is capable of getting various races to accept him, trust him and follow him. It’s a task that I think was accomplished but you could easily scratch your head and think it seems too rushed. I liked this comic and I think it plays well into the desperation of the races of Mongo.
The issue picks up with Flash Gordon, the Lion Men and Aura attempting to get the Hawk Men to align with them. However, the Hawk Men attack before any discussions can begin. Flash Gordon takes matters into his own hands and manages to get them trapped.
Eventually, Prince Vultan and Zarkov help straighten the mess out. Flash then has to stifle the rift between Vultan and the leader of the Lion Men. The interaction between all of the key characters is done very well as it captures the tension and the pressure of the situation. It’s probably the best part of the comic because you literally don’t know if everyone will end up together and alive.
The comic also has more Dale and Ming as Dale tries to escape from Ming and his city. The two have a good chemistry together despite the fact that they fall on opposing sides. The comic ends as Prince Barin shows up to find Flash and Aura a little too close for his comfort. Does the alliance end before it even begins? If Aura dumps Barin for Flash does Barin kill Flash the first chance he gets? This is the element of the comic where the reactions just don’t seem settled…..yet.
The comic has a small dose of action but it is loaded with character moments. Perhaps the best scene is when Zarkov gives Flash a pep talk. At that point in the story it just seemed too forced that Flash was uniting everyone, but after the conversation between the two it seemed so obvious that the races of Mongo failed because they never had someone with the charisma and charm that Flash possesses.
The artwork is so unique I can see how it might take some time to perfect. Each panel seems to have a facial close-up with backgrounds that are layered with various levels of focus. In previous issue you could see the reused facial posses, but not in this issue. You have page after page of four to six panels of distinct views. It’s a good looking comic, but it does come with an acquired taste. It is not your typical super-hero type comic nor is it a manga-like comic. It falls somewhere off the charts using pieces of both styles.
This issue cements the personalities of virtually every major character in the series. It’s a good point to jump in because you basically get the cast rolled out for you one by one. The payoff for the arc is next issue as the battle is about to begin. This issue sets up the coming battle very nicely. It would appear Ming is just way too focused on Dale to see the storm brewing. Or does he have an ace in the hole? We shall see.
4 out of 5 geek goggles
