First Look: Flash Gordon #5

Courtesy of Ardden Entertainment, Newsarama has your first look at this month’s Flash Gordon #5, due in comic book stores on May 20th. The solicitation for the issue reads:

FLASH GORDON #5
by Brendan Deneen & Paul Green

As Flash, Thun, and Vultan plan their final attack on Ming's floating citadel, Prince Barin makes a surprise return - but the alliance between the rebel leaders only worsens. Meanwhile, Dale realizes that Ming is nowhere near as benevolent as he's presented himself - and she plots her escape from his seemingly inescapable city! Ships with two covers in a 50/50 ratio, and a special gold foil cover edition which will have a 1/100 ratio, with only 1000 copies printed.

The previous four issues of Flash Gordon have all sold out, with issue #5 being the penultimate issue in Ardden's initial Flash Gordon: The Mercy Wars story-arc. After the conclusion to this first arc in June, Ardden will soon be announcing this fall's new Flash Gordon series, Flash Gordon: Invasion Of The Red Sword, once again drawing on Alex Raymond's original comic strips for inspiration as a shadowy governmental agency from Earth invades Mongo.

Also in comic stores in May is the hardcover edition of Flash Gordon: The Secret History of Mongo, an anthology which celebrates Flash Gordon's 75th anniversary this year. The line up of creators includes writers Joe Casey, Tom DeFalco, J.M. DeMatteis, Brendan Deneen, Jim Krueger, Denny O’Neill, and Len Wein; and artists Mike Cavallaro, Pedro Delgado, Paul Green, Shanth Enjeti, Shawn McManus, Omaha Perez, and Joe Staton.

In addition to the monthly Flash Gordon series, in 2009 Ardden will be launching several new titles, including The Merlin Prophecies, a contemporary fantasy by J.M. DeMatteis, Derek Ivan Webster and Loren Meyer; and The Stand-In, an action-thriller by Jim Krueger and Alex Cal.

Ardden Entertainment was formed in mid 2007 by former Miramax/Dimension Films executive Brendan Deneen and former Markosia Editor-in-Chief, Richard Emms. Ardden's Editor-in-Chief is veteran comic book creator and writer, J.M. DeMatteis.