Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword #5
Ardden Entertainment
Deneen, Garcia & Haus
Flash Gordon's latest arc, Invasion of the Red Sword, steams towards its conclusion with another action-packed, no-holds-barred dramatic read. As the arc has been building multiple plot threads all along this issue begins to shape out the alliances that will probably stand for the remainder of this series and into the next one. Deneen is taking care to hide the main prize (Ming's whereabouts) these last few issues to set up the next arc, but Ming's hand is still felt throughout the issue. As a companion to the deep plot, Deneen is also building up his supporting character base while the usual suspects, Flash and company, continue to carry bulk of the story through. You simply won't find a more exciting and comprehensive book out there.
The issue opens with an extended sequence showing Dale, Vultan and Talon in the arena fighting for their lives to the amusement of the Power-Men. This arc hasn't seen many scenes as lengthy as this one (Deneen prefers to jump around much quicker) but this one made sense because of the nature of the action and of the powerful reveal during the fighting. Vultan finds himself an unlikely alliance at the end of this part of the comic.
As if the arena battle wasn't enough, the issue picks up the Flash Gordon threads. Flash provides more action as he takes on the Red Sword, seemingly single-handedly, and we get some insight into his feelings about a wide array of items. We also get to know King Orax a little bit which helps broaden the base of characters in this universe nicely.
Finally, we get glimpses of the resistance led by Prince Barin, King Thun, Zarkov and such brilliant characters like One-Tusk. These scenes are almost all action as the comic brings in all kinds of characters and battle scenery. This sequence sets up the crazy cliffhanger.
As usual, I couldn't put the issue down. Witty dialogue tied in with excellent action sequences and creative artwork help make the issue a joy to read. The hardest part of this issue is keeping up with the fast-paced story. Thankfully, there is a handy recap at the beginning of the issue to keep the reader informed. Deneen is going to have a difficult time wrapping things up. Or is just leading to an even bigger cliffhanger? We shall see.
Garcia brings more outstanding artwork. I'm amazed at how much detail and uniqueness he is adding to this already rich universe. The creativity used in the new characters is truly something special. As I've stated before Garcia's depiction of Dale Arden is spectacular. Though she doesn't have a ton of page time he manages to capture such a beautiful toughness to her that I've never seen in the character before. Garcia also knocks the cliffhanger out of the park with the character's reaction. It's a perfect visual story.
With each new issue in this series we are witnessing the definitive modern take on the Flash Gordon mythos. The comic book has it all. It's a dense read with plenty of action, an entertaining story and a layered plot. The story just shouldn't be missed by any fan of adventure comic books. This is the highest recommendation I can give for a book: read it.
5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
