FLASH GORDON #6, by Mad Cave Studios on 2/12/25, finds Flash and Ming stopping at one of Ming’s secret vaults to repair and refuel, but if there’s one thing you can bet on, it’s not to trust Ming.
Credits:
- Writer: Jeremy Adams
- Artist: Will Conrad, Cliff Richards
- Colorist: Lee Loughridge
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Will Conrad, Lee Loughridge (cover A)
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Release Date: February 12, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of FLASH GORDON #6:
Recap:
When we last left the greatest hero in the galaxy in Flash Gordon #5, Flash and Ming wound up fighting side-by-side in a nest of mercenaries on a lonely planet. Ultimately, the unlikely partners were saved when Hans Zarkov’s consciousness took over their ship’s repair bot and saved the day. The reunited trio beat a hasty retreat before Empress Dale(???) arrived with her army.
Plot Analysis:
In Flash Gordon #6, Flash learns again the painful lesson that Ming is not to be trusted. The adventurers land on a small planetoid where Ming has a secret vault hidden for refueling, weapons, and supplies. Flash rightfully doesn’t trust Ming not to spring a trap. Zarkov Bot leads the way, but before the team gets too far, Ming pushes a secret button in the wall and drops his colleagues through a trap door in the floor.
Ming enters the inner chambers, and contacts his chief advisor, Wolfgang, to confirm the reports of his death are greatly exaggerated. Wolfgang confirms to Ming that Mongo was indeed destroyed by the Unraveler. Determined to rebuild his empire, Ming orders the vault’s drones to load up the ship and prepare to evacuate before the self-destruct he triggers goes off.
Meanwhile, Flash and Zarkov Bot make a safe landing, thanks to Zarkov’s robotic body. They begin tunneling through the wall until they find a storage room with a computer terminal. When Zarkov taps into the terminal, he’s immediately infected with a virus that turns the robot programming against Flash as an intruder. Flash fights for his life against Zarkov’s infected and physically superior frame.
Ming prepares to leave the planetoid with Daranek still aboard the ship. Flash’s fight with Zarkov spills out onto the planetoid’s surface, but before Daranek can intervene, the self-destruct bomb goes off. The issue ends with Flash lost in space when he encounters winged allies who have now become enemies.
First Impressions:
Flash Gordon #6 is great, but I wish there were more to it. Jeremy Adams lays the foundation for Ming’s return to power, wraps that foundation in an action-packed script, and ends the issue on a rock-solid cliffhanger. However, it goes by so fast that the importance of the developments doesn’t hit as hard as it should because Flash is basically just along for the ride.
Artwork and Presentation:
Hey. Do you like magic tricks? Will Conrad and Cliff Richards pull off a doozy of a trick by pairing two halves of a comic together so seamlessly that you (almost) can’t tell where one artist stops and the other starts. The sci-fi pulp adventure aspects of the vault, the costumes, and the adventure are on point, and Richards’s style is so complementary to Conrad’s that the visual continuity is practically perfect. This comic looks great.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Jeremy Adams leans into one of the best adaptations around with a near-perfect representation of a modernized serial sci-fi adventure from the early days of Flash Gordon’s Hollywood roots. The character work is on point, and the plot development sparks the imagination for what comes next.
The Negatives:
On the other hand, Adams’s script reads quick because it focuses a tad too much on action and developments at the expense of the main character. We expect Flash Gordon to be the focal character, but the issue puts Ming at the heart of the plot without resistance or consequences for his actions. Yes, Flash meets heavy resistance from Zarkov after the latter is infected with a virus, but that conflict starts and ends so quickly that it feels like a contrived plot device to get Flash out of the way. It’s a good issue but not a great issue.
Final Thoughts:
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FLASH GORDON #6 is a fast-paced, action-packed issue that sets up Ming’s return to power and puts Flash in a worse place than when he started. Jeremy Adams crafts a fun script that works in all the classic tropes of sci-fi serial adventures, and the art team seamlessly creates an engaging visual experience. That said, Flash is pushed aside with a convenient plot device just to let Ming’s plan play out, so the issue lacks weight.
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