by Alex Raymond
Publisher: Titan Books
Out: Now

The Book: Continuing the comprehensive library of the greatest science fiction hero of all time, this brand new collection of library editions feature all new restorations that will preserve these legendary adventures for generations to come. Starting with revered writer-artist Alex Raymond, this volume continues the adventures of pulp hero Flash Gordon on the planet Mongo as he begins his final battle with the merciless villain Ming.

With an introduction by Dave Gibbons and background feature material.

This sample page shows off all of artist Alex Raymond’s talents: action, great looking characters and stunning and meticulously-realized scenery. © King Features – used for review purposes.

The Review: Titan continues its excellent series of high-end Flash Gordon collections, concluding Alex Raymond’s ground-breaking run of strips with this third volume of the series, as the acclaimed and influential artist continues to evolve his strip style – transformed completely by the end of this book.

Today, Flash Gordon is one of the most recognizable names in science fiction, but the SF adventure character’s fame rests ultimately on the ten years of newspaper comic strips by Alex Raymond, and Dave Gibbons pulls no punches in singing his praises in this collection’s introduction, musing on what might have been had the artist’s life not been cut tragically short by a car accident in 1956.

The newspaper strip was created following the sudden success of rival Buck Rogers, prompting King Features Syndicate to commission their own science fiction feature. In an age when film was still relatively new and television barely invented, comic strips considered by newspapers as a vital part of their Unique Selling Point and Flash Gordon, featuring the adventures of the eponymous daring-do space hero, aided by Dale Arden and Professor Hans Zarkov, quickly proved its worth as it gained millions of fans and spawned its own merchandise and film serials starring Buster Crabbe.

The popularity of Flash Gordon has continued unabated for decades and his influence spread like wildfire into every medium  – films, television, novels, comic books, radio plays, and more.

Flash and the gang encounter hit the roof – literally – on an underground journey. Art © King Features – used for review purposes.

But it’s the original comic strips that has inspired every generation to want their own incarnation of the character, and Alex Raymond’s work is undoubtedly the major reason for his longevity.

The mission of Titan’s The Complete Flash Gordon Library is be to collect every strip and every story, offering them in affordable, full-colour hardcover volumes, carefully restored and revealing the action and the artistry that thrilled audiences for decades, thanks to the painstaking efforts of renowned comic strip historian Pete Maresca.

Each installment is being meticulously reworked so that the intricate artwork, vivid colour and action explodes off of the page – and it does just that in this volume in these 1940s strips, as Flash engineers the downfall of Ming, returns to Earth and battles a dictator; and then returns to Mongo for further adventures.

One of the few panels to feature word balloons as we know them today – possibly something of an experiment on the part of the creators, as they are quickly dropped. Did the audience hate them?

Readers intrigued by the passion and regard in which Alex Raymond is held, but with no knowledge of the Flash Gordon strip or the way newspaper strips were presented in the 1930s and 40s may be bemused by the storytelling techniques featured in The Fall of Ming. For the most part, these stories are told in text and illustration, although there is some dalliance with word balloons in a few of the strips included – which seems to be an experiment, as the strip soon reverts to its more established form, albeit in Raymond’s updated style.

Despite this, the storytelling is engaging (if not without fault for its use of repeated themes – Flash getting into disguise being one! – and vanishing characters). The stories are a good-natured romp with relatively little on-panel violence despite the reputed evil nature of Ming. Oh, there’s plenty of set piece fights – but we rarely see an on-panel, gratuitous death.

What we do see is a glorious adventure (even if it does often involve a lot of Flash Gordon dressing up); amazing art from Alex Raymond, whose female characters would surely have pleased the eye of many a US soldier on the front line when the papers arrived; incredible vistas of the planet Mongo; and plenty of weird and deadly monsters.

All this, delivered in a superb, weighty collection in which the authors have gone to considerable lengths to make the best of the material available, makes The Fall of Ming well worth the price of admission.

• Buy The Fall of Ming (The Complete Flash Gordon Library Volume 3) from amazon.co.uk

Previous Volumes

• Buy The Tyrant of Mongo (The Complete Flash Gordon Library Volume 2)

• Buy On the Planet Mongo (The Complete Flash Gordon Library Volume 1)

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: Reviews

Tags: Alex Raymond, Dave Gibbons, Flash Gordon, Titan Books