Superman and Flash Gordon

 

I am a big fan of the classic Republic Movie Serials.  How much cooler would they have been if they had existed in a shared universe, as is all the rage today?  Here's an idea of what could have been presented in such a scenario.

Iron Man, Katma Tui and Flash Gordon

 

A triple dose of Gil Kane goodness would be more than enough for me to want to pick up this issue! He is definitely my all-time favorite Marvel cover artists for a reason.

Batgirl and Doc Samson

 

Long time followers of this blog know that this confrontation has been brewing for a while now.  Commissioner Gordon was first summoned to Mongo by Flash in STF #2535, Barbara Gordon began searching for him in STF #3879, and finally tracked him down and went to collect him in STF #3535. It's good to see them back home safe and sound.

Flash Gordon and The Mandalorian

 

The Mandalorian has been incredibly enjoyable to watch on Disney+ and I look forward to what's rumored to be its final upcoming season.  One of the coolest parts of the show is how it is created.  A new technology, based off of video game engines, allows the filmmakers to shoot in "The Dome" where visual backgrounds are projected on a giant curved surface that surrounds the performers.  I was amazed when I first learned that the entire series was filmed on a soundstage, and this is how they managed it.  It is a truly groundbreaking technique that I am betting will have a big effect on future movies.

Flash Gordon and Batgirl

 

Regular visitors to this blog will know that Flash is of course referring to events covered in STF #2535... Looks like Jim Gordon is needed back home!

I am happy to feature the gorgeous artwork of Gray Morrow here.  I was lucky enough to pick up a page by him several years back - and interested to find out (for this project anyway) that he worked on standard 8 1/2 x 11 size paper:

Flash Gordon and Princess Leia

 

I wonder how much of the upcoming Obi Wan Kenobi Disney+ series will focus on the Skywalker twins.  I've heard that Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse will be back as Uncle Ben and Aunt Beru, which indicates that a young Luke will be in there somewhere.  Will we also see scenes from the early years of Leia?

Barbarella & the Space-Time Five

I thought it might be cool to see a team of swashbuckling cosmic adventurers, since that is a concept that goes back even farther than the superhero.  Most of these guys are used to being in charge and making their own rules, so it might be an adjustment for them to join forces - but I'm betting that team leader Barbarella would keep them all in line.

Flash Gordon and Commissioner Gordon

With Matt Reeves The Batman planning on casting a younger Caped Crusader, the supporting characters will have to be re-cast as well.  It's going to be tough to top Gary Oldman in the role, but I hope whoever the choose looks to his performance as inspiration.  I hear that after voicing Alfred in the Batman Lego Movie, Ralph Fiennes wants to play a live action version of the trusty butler, which I would be all for.

Flash Gordon and Captain Comet

I am always amazed at the level of artwork talent that worked on Flash Gordon comic strips.  Alex Raymond, Gray Morrow, Al Williamson, Mac Raboy, Jime Keefe, Austin Bridges, Dan Barry and more provided beautifully detailed illustrations to go with the thrilling tales of intergalactic derring-do.  I am sure that reading his adventures inspired many a future comic artist... not to mention members of the space program!

Flash Gordon and Superman

Because of the 80's camp classic film (and that film's role in the movie Ted), Flash Gordon is often considered a cheesy character.  For me, my first thoughts go to the amazing comic strips he appeared in.  The artwork is beautifully detailed, well ahead of its time when compared to most comics of the era.  I'd love to see a more serious take on the sci-fi hero one of these days.

Flash Gordon and Luke Skywalker

Like the main characters in the comedy Ted, I was a big fan of the Flash Gordon movie - first for all the cool trippy visuals and Queen soundtrack, and later for the campy quality of the whole production.  So, it's no surprise that I loved all the humor derived from the movie, and the scenes with Sam J. Jones really cracked me up.  I'm glad he was a such a good sport and rolled with the films over the top attitude.

Flash Gordon and The Flash in "Flash of Two Galaxies!"

The first time I paired Flash Gordon with The Flash, I used Barry Allen.  It was pointed to me out that Jay Garrick's look even more closely resembled that of Gordon, and I have to agree.  Here then is a meeting between them.  Let's hope that Jay Garrick regains his powers on The Flash so that we can see some more original speedster action on TV.

Adam Strange and Flash Gordon

This is a pairing that I have been meaning to get to for a while. They seem like they would naturally cross paths sooner or later,   They would certainly have plenty in common, both being Earth men that became champions of a faraway world. Truly it would be an amazing sci-fi adventure!

The Defenders and The Defenders of the Earth

I remember seeing The Defenders of the Earth for the first time and it really appealed to the crossover fan in me.  The Phantom, Mandrake and Flash Gordon seemingly had nothing to do with each other, representing different types of heroes and coming from different eras.  That just made it all the more intriguing to see them together.  It was ideas like that which inspired this blog.

Flash Gordon and The Flash

I have a nice over-sized book containing Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon work, and it is really something special.  His illustrations are beautiful, full of lush landscapes, futuristic cities and characters that have facial and body types all of their own.  It's no wonder that these cinematic images inspired so many over the decades.  What makes the work even more incredible to me is when it was produced - the early 30's.  I'm used to golden age artwork by and large being somewhat cruder than more modern styles, but Raymond's art can stand up next to any artist that has come since. It must have really made an impact on readers back in the day.

Hawkman and Flash Gordon

Even though I was born a few decades too late, I had always been a big fan of the classic cliffhanger movie serials, and that was my first exposure to Flash Gordon. I later discovered the amazing comic work with art by greats like Alex Raymond and Al Williamson and my  interest in the character really grew from there.  I have to Imagine that the Hawkmen from the Flash Gordon strip were more than a little instrumental in the evolution of comicdom's most famous winged character.

Batman and Flash Gordon

I think that Batman and Flash Gordon would be an interesting team up to see in the comics because of their mutual roots in the old black and white cliffhanger movie serials.  Despite their quite obvious lack of big budgets, I have always found those serials to be quite charming and some of the stunt work and plot twists are pretty effective.  What would have been really cool is a serial from those days combining these two action stars in one epic adventure!

The Thing and Flash Gordon

I was only familiar with Flash Gordon through the cheesy 80's film, so I did not pay much attention to the property. Years later I picked up a copy of the old movie cliffhanger serial featuring Flash and I thought it was a ton of fun. It was when I finally read the incredible stories illustrated by Alex Raymond that I truly became a fan, though. The stories are endlessly imaginative and fast moving, and the art just has to be seen to believed. It's really some of the most beautiful comic work I have ever seen and when you compare it to most other comic work from the same era, it's even more amazing. Flash Gordon brought out the best in his illustrators, and there is also some amazing work from Al Williamson, Reed Crandall (whose art I used for this cover) and others. I have heard that there is yet another film adaptation on the horizon and I hope they go back to those Raymond tales for inspiration.