A classic hero crossover adventure

In classic Marvel style, Lee’s story hits the action on the first page, when a desperate Flash Gordon crash-lands his spaceship on the front lawn of Mandrake’s mansion. The Master Magician and his loyal aid, Lothar, take Gordon in, only to find that minions of the nefarious Emperor Ming are hot on his tail. Ming intends to invade Earth, and spaceman and magician set off to secure the help of the Phantom in stopping him. The group then travels to Mongo to confront the enemy on his home ground.

One of the most interesting things about this book is the addition of some family to each of the characters’ backgrounds. Flash, Mandrake, and the Phantom each have a young son or daughter to help them out. I suspect this was a marketing decision, designed to make the series more accessible to younger children, but it works, since each of these new characters is interesting and well-developed, thanks mostly to Stan Lee. Lee became a legendary comic writer partly because he knows how to establish a character’s personality immediately in a few panels—a skill which lets him keep the action moving without skimping on the story and helps readers care about the heroes and villains.

Visually, the book enjoys a great classic style, courtesy of Saviuk and Fred Fredericks. Saviuk is a master of his craft and can combine dynamic visual images with clear, exciting storytelling. He does an excellent job of conveying everything from the soaring cosmic setting of Flash Gordon to the dark jungle world of the Phantom.

Defenders of the Earth offers a top-notch adventure story, sophisticated enough to satisfy adult readers as well as kids, and it’s worth rescuing from the bargain bin.