Mad Cave Studios will launch new series for Flash Gordon and Defenders of the Earth strip collections, and all ages OGNs in its publishing program for Flash Gordon, the company announced.

A new Flash Gordon ongoing series launches out of a Free Comic Book Day zero issue.  It’s written by Jeremy Adams, with art by Will Conrad and cover by Dan Panosian.  Flash, Dale Arden, and Doctor Zarkov try to stop Ming the Merciless and his energy weapon.  Flash Gordon #0 is available at participating retailers on Saturday, May 4, with Flash Gordon #1 following in July.

September brings the first issue of Flash Gordon Quarterly, putting the familiar characters in new genres with new takes.

Defenders of the Earth, the team made up of Flash Gordon, the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar, and others, starred in a 1987 four-issue miniseries created by Stan Lee, Bob Harras, and Michael Higgins, with pencils by Alex Saviuk and inks by Fred Fredericks.  Now the comic, based on the 1980s animated series, is collected for the first time in June under a new cover by Scott Chantler.

A new eight-issue Defenders of the Earth miniseries launches in August with creators to be announced.

Mad Cave will also release a series of archival hardcover reprints of Alex Raymond’s newspaper strips, beginning in October.  Plus, their Papercutz middle grade imprint will publish Flash Gordon Adventures!, a series of original graphic novels for all ages.  The goal is "exciting tales for fans new and old” and "a Flash for everyone."

King Features Syndicate licensed the publishing rights to the comic publisher in a partnership announced last year (see "Mad Cave Gets Master Publishing License for ‘Flash Gordon’").  Flash Gordon debuted as a comic strip in 1934, created and drawn by Alex Raymond.